Susan R. Kirshenbaum

art and life - both the cherries and the pits

Journey Back in Time: May in Turkey and Greece

Susan R. KirshenbaumComment

A vignette I shot in a last remaining, ancient synagogue on the Greek island of Rhodes.

Lucky Number: 26

Was it a dream? I’ve been immersed in completely different cultures, with a big group of people, traveling by plane, van, bus, and boat, throughout Turkey and the Greek Islands.

It sure felt like a dream that I can barely remember. What a pleasant escape from the harsh reality of what’s taking place throughout the USA. We returned just in time for the National Guard to occupy Los Angeles.

But for those 26 days, with those 26 people (who are friends and friends of friends), we toured at least 26 important historical sites. From May 7th to June 1st, we got lost in an ancient world, where we didn’t have to plan or think much, just be present and enjoy the experience.

What a break. I am a lucky person. And 26 is a magic number, as it turns out. Did someone plan that? The number 26 holds various significances in different contexts, including numerology, religion, and even simple geometric observations. While it doesn't have a universally recognized meaning, it's often associated with balance, partnerships, and humanitarian efforts. Numerologically, 26 is seen as a karmic number representing idealistic humanitarianism, cooperation, and diplomacy. All that seems fitting!

Making Art While Traveling

Drawing at my weekly life drawing group is a routine, a community, and a discipline, for over 30 years. Before this trip, I drew our model Lorraine (below). On my iPad, I keep a stock of my abstract paintings handy, which I combine with my figure drawings. A few of these paintings are added here. The photographs were taken on this trip. As we traveled, I pulled out my iPad, and made this.

Lorraine Ascends, mixed media combo with my life drawing, painting, and photography created digitally in 2025.

Our First Days

Istanbul is an ancient, vast, and lively city. There are so many corners to explore, you just can’t see it all. But you can get quite lost, which we did, trying to visit just one more gallery and museum. Fortunately public transportation is good, and some very friendly folks helped us find our way. Traffic is jammed up all day. The city is chock-full of steep streets, many sloping toward the river, as the Bosphorus cuts the city in two. One day we took a sunset river cruise, which is an excellent way to get oriented and see both sides. The Bosphorus, also known as the Strait of Istanbul, is a natural strait that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and the Mediterranean. It literally separates Europe and Asia.

Turkey has shifted since my last visit, which is close to 10 years ago. Istanbul feels less cosmopolitan and more conservative, with fewer women out and about wearing Western attire. There are more mosques, including historical, multi-religious sites that have been converted back into mosques.

People seemed to be more willing to talk about how it feels to live in a country where they don’t support their leaders. Turkish people can identify with our political situation in the USA. Turkey is not a passive place. On our way to a Haman (bath house, in this case, active since the 1600’s) we walked around a large, peaceful demonstration in support of Gaza. There’s a photo in the slide show of a demonstrator with an Israeli flag that bore a swastika.

I can still hear the frequent call to prayer. You can’t enter a mosque during prayer sessions. And we learned to be ready to visit a mosque any time, since there so many beautiful, historic sites to see. So women need to carry a large head covering and wear long pants. No hats or shorts for men. There are some available to put on though, if you’re not prepared. It’s handy to wear easy slip-on, slip-off shoes, like in Japan. But never lie down in a mosque, as we learned, no matter how tempting the soft, clean carpets are, or how tired you are. Even if the ceiling murals and mosaics look amazing from a floor view.

Returning to the vast Grand Bazaar, with its overflowing stalls of colorful goods, was exciting, but felt different from the first time there, and more sanitized. On the downside, what hasn’t changed enough, is that there’s still cigarette smoking everywhere.

There are just as many cats all around as ever. Many appear to have regular care and look healthy. They’re very friendly. People put out food, water, and shelter for them around town. Why? The Ottomans, like many Muslim societies, revered cats due to their association with cleanliness and their role in Islamic culture. According to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad had a particular fondness for cats, and this reverence translated into a culture of respect and care for these animals.

I can still taste a fresh-squeezed blood-red pomegranate juice, a warm bagel-shaped sesame bread, called simit, sold on every street corner in a little cart, and stacks of honey-oozing varieties of delicious baklava. I love Turkish food. I can’t wait to make a dinner.

As usual while traveling, I had a Barbie with me. This time, I brought my petite mod doll, Babs, with me, one of my favorite traveling Barbies. She’s in many of my photos and you might have seen her on my Instagram posts.

Overland: Istanbul to Cappadocia and Antalya

From Istanbul we flew to Cappadocia, then rode to Antalya, then headed to the coast, where we boarded boats (which are called gulets) to cruise The Turquoise Coast and visit a few Greek Islands.

May is a transitional month, from spring to summer. Weather shifted from cool and wet to hot, windy, and dry. Many of our group are from from Seattle so they were unfazed by a few intense showers. Fortunately we just missed an earthquake that struck Rhodes after we were there. Familiar as that experience is for those of us in the Bay Area, it’s still terrifying, and so much of this part of the world is built of stone, often ancient, and could simply crumble. This was a 5.8-magnitude earthquake that shook western Turkey and the Greek islands.

On the happy, fun side of the trip we visited with dozens of cats and dogs as we tromped around numerous archaeological sites, toured mosques, churches and a synagogue, dined in fishing villages, shopped in local markets (loved the truck stops!), cooked and danced local-style, tasted regional wines, hiked around rocky carved moonscapes, and were guided through ornate castles and palaces.

We swam and kayaked off the boat while moored in quiet, deep aqua coves. We saw a huge, friendly sea turtle swimming beside us. On the boats we were taken care of by a charming crew of young men. Our knowledgeable, professional Turkish guides (from Eon Tours) were with us throughout, Aydin and Serra, whose leadership made the whole trip both enjoyable and thoroughly educational.

Serra, our archaeologist guide, passionately explained the situation at her own dig site, Aphrodisias, and other sites around Turkey which are currently being modified. We grew to understand the differences between restoration and preservation. She explained her efforts to expose the problem of site development by Turkish government agencies, and her desire to save these important sites, which are surrounded by nature, from possible drastic changes, including adding brand new reproductions, parking lots, and other crass modifications.

Onboard: Along The Turquoise Coast

TRAVEL MOMENTS

So many stand-out travel moments! Our guide, Aydin, brought a barber and a masseur on board for all of us to enjoy! Our good-humored captain took a shine to my Barbie, so she became a parting gift. I did a silly series of Barbie portraits with some of our pals on the trip. Ken, a fellow traveler and stone sculptor, made line drawings of each of us while we posed. Then, on our last night onboard, he hung a portrait show and we had an opening. Gloria, Ken’s partner, who is a professional modern dancer and choreographer, performed an original dance at one of the archaeological sites. Everywhere along the way we were greeted by very large friendly dogs which were usually some version of a Kangal Shepherd Dog. They often adopted us and wouldn’t leave us easily.

When the weather got choppy on the water we had to reroute and change plans – it makes a difference when you’re at sea. We ended up having a bit of extra chill time. We ended our trip with a site I am crazy about: Ephesus was one of the best preserved archaeological sites on this trip and it was my second time there. I especially love its residential quarter, which has been beautifully restored with stairways and and a glass roof so you can look into it from above. It is so intact that you can imagine living there.

Everywhere we went we had to walk up and down slick marble slopes, uneven surfaces, and stairways with no hand rails. I’ve never been so careful, nor so dependent on help from others literally leaning on them while using walking sticks.

OBSERVING SHOPPING

During a couple of our excursions I watched our textile and rug shoppers like we were at a bazaar from another era. We visited a master felter––a personal connection of one of the artists on the trip––who showed us how he makes his hats (traditional tall hats for whirling dervishes and fashionable hats as well) and rugs. In the Grand Bazaar, we sat in a tiny smoke-filled stall, while buying trinkets. The owner was talkative fellow who spoke perfect English.

I don’t shop like I used to, despite the fantastic array of beautiful handmade goods. We are too old and we have too much of everything. That said, we bought some very small, packable items such as nuts, soap, spices, jewelry and scarves.

TRAVEL RITUALS

The morning ritual on the boat consisted of light exercise, swimming, coffee, and a huge healthy breakfast of seasonal fruit, raw tomatoes and cucumbers, yoghurt, white cheeses, olives, warm baked bread, eggs, and fresh squeezed orange juice. I thought I might try this routine at home, but that is as unlikely as all of my other travel resolutions.

Tea – apple or black – always served in small curved glasses – was everywhere and all the time. Mezze were always the first courses for lunch and dinner and delicious.

Napping. Chatting. Reading. I read two historical novels, both set in Turkey, by two Turkish feminist women writers, The Shadow of the Yali and The Last Train to Istanbul. They provided a backdrop and some historical context to the trip, though they were overly romantic for my taste, so neither are top recommendations.

OUR GREEK ISLANDS

A sign that caught my eye in a Symi cafe.

Another sign that caught me eye: “Rend” a moto.

RHODES

The Jewish community in Rhodes dates back to the 2nd century B.C. We returned to Rhodes after almost 10 years, where we re-visited the Jewish community’s last remaining, very ancient synagogue (built in the 12th century, was destroyed during the war between the Turks and the Knights and was rebuilt in the end of the 15th century). It is all that is is left of a large, vibrant Jewish community who, during German occupation, were all transported far away to Auschwitz, only to be murdered.

Interior of the last remaining synagogue of Rhodes.

An elegant brass knocker, with Stars of David, on a door in the Old Town’s Jewish Quarter in Rhodes

The old Jewish neighborhood bears few signs of its former occupants, but I am glad to see that the synagogue is still well maintained. Last time we were there we had a surprising experience. We met a sole, elderly Holocaust survivor, sitting in the temple, who talked about his long, hard life with my husband in Ladino. No such luck this time.

Most historical sites are more organized now then 10 years ago. But sadly, Rhodes was not the friendliest place on our trip. We were “buzzed” by angry motor scooter drivers who (I assume) were indicating their anti-tourism sentiments. Or perhaps they were anti-American?

Cruising into the harbor of Symi, Greece (Dodecanese archipelago), this is what you see.

This is a Turkish gulet. I spent 2 weeks on this boat.

SYMI

Originally an island economy of shipbuilding and sponge diving, this island is now dependent on vacation homes and the tourist trade. It is a charming island, typical of the Greek islands in the region that we visited.

Back to Reality – What’s Next?

I marched across town, from Dolores Park to Civic Center, in SF’s “No Kings” demonstration. I participated in the SFWA Gallery’s June show, Pattern, Shape, and Form. I continue my printmaking work at GAW with Mark Brodie teaching me the ropes.

A panoramic photo I shot in a remote, obscure museum Italy in 2022, on a trip with friends, was curated into the June “Pattern” show at SFWA.

I am working on an exhibition that I am co-curating at Wessling Contemporary, which is a retrospective of paintings by our late friend Randall C. Sexton. It will open on September 4th.

Once again I am co-curating a local group figure show with Catherine Merrill at SCA. The new show is called Drawn from Life, and it is the third year running we will curate a figure show for SCA. Look for upcoming announcements with a press release and a full description including a list of artists and their mediums, plus key event dates.

I just took on a new role on the board of directors of NCWCA as their Professional Development Chair. I’ll be interviewed by Laura Abrams at our next meeting on zoom, July 8th, at 7pm.

I’m still active on Artspan’s Open Studios Outreach Committee. Unfortunately I will be traveling during my Open Studio dates this September, so I’ll have to miss it.

There’s always too much to do here. While I was at the “No Kings” march, I felt warm inside, like I was back with my people. Then I attended an Indivisible meeting, and that reinforced the feeling of being home.

GALLERY OF RECENT HAPPENINGS

Barbara, Jack, and I marched in “No Kings”. Chanting and holding our signs and American flags, we marched from from Dolores Park to the Civic Center. We ran into lots more friends in the crowd of 100,000+.

Downtown is Coming Back

Here’s a recent one-person show at Wessling Contemporary (previously Radian Galleru), at their new downtown location, at 39 Grant Ave. I’m an art consultant with the gallery now.

My friend Deborah Corsini curated a beautiful textile show at the Mills Building, in downtown SF, called What’s Going On?

AROUND THE BAY

I attended a recent reception at the Andra Norris Gallery in Burlingame, and heard Stephen Namara’s talk. I’m such a fan of Stephen’s.

I was invited to a wonderful gala at Sausalito Center for the Arts (SCA), celebrating their birth and endurance. Pictured: Monica Finnegan, Louis Briones, and Shiva Pakdel.

NCWCA member Salma Arastu gave a a tour to members at her fantastic art residency in Emeryville.

Walking out the door of Wessling Contemporary, this lovely person started walking in front of me. Suddenly I felt like it was a yellow gold sun streamed day in mid-June, Union Square, SF.

MEANTIME IN THE MISSION

Mila kirillova at her show of SF Mission paintings now at Mission Bowl, courtesy of the Artspan in the Neighborhoods (AIN) program.

NEW AND OLD WORK

My latest work in progress is using photopolymer and other printingmaking techniques on fabric, in this case, a vintage handkerchief, to make monoprints at GAW.

New friends (just moved to SF), bought a number of my pre-digital drawings at my last Open Studio and sent me a photo of their installation.

BEDSIDE READING

FICTION FIRST

What I just finished reading and what I’m starting, now, as always, is fiction – a good novel. I’ve just read Someone Like Us, by Dinaw Mengetsu, for my book group. I’m glad that I was directed to this book as I might not have found it myself. It’s a strange tale, part mystery, part ghost story, part bio, all very much from an immigrant’s perspective. Timely.

I started reading my friend Erin Van Rheenen’s first published novel (and long awaited), You Could be Happy Here. It’s taking me on a journey deep into Costa Rica with a friend who is on an inward and outward journey herself. I am deeply absorbed in it now. Buy it when it hits the market in September (or pre-order it) and join me at her book talks in The Bay!

BANNED BOOKS

I’m on a mission to read and share banned books. I’ve introduced this idea – of learning more about this alarming situation – to both of my book groups, and I just ordered a couple of books from the top of the list. I love so many Young Adult (YA) books, and they are the major target of book banners. Here’s a list to review for yourself. Don’t be surprised at what you find here. I suggest you share it with friends, and like me, read or re-read as many as you can, to learn what some Americans think is too incendiary for young folks to read about. There’s an important battle underway.

Here’s what I am reading now.

One of the less abstracted drawings you can see in John Goodman’s new book, Sketchbook, 2018-2024.

NONFICTION

Another good friend and art colleague, John Goodman, who hosts my weekly life drawing group, just published a book with Norfolk Press called Sketchbook, 2018-2024. If this sounds literal, it is. What you’re buying is a big black book that looks identical to one of John’s sketchbooks, and for a little extra he’ll add an original drawing to slip into the back pocket. Cool, huh? That’s what I’m doing.

BIG ART SHOWS NOT TO BE MISSED

I returned from my travels to rush to see Bouquets to Art, which was showing at both Fine Arts Museum venues this year, The Legion of Honor and The DeYoung. See it next year – it’s such a fun, floral museum show. Take a good long look at Ruth Asawa’s retrospective, which is at SFMOMA through Sept 2nd. She’s a local hero, which you’ll understand more after experiencing this show. Don’t miss the Wayne Thiebaud exhibition at The Legion of Honor through August 17th. It’s clever because It teaches viewers how his art was made and where his inspiration came from. And it goes far beyond simply viewing a painting of a gorgeous cake or a slab of fish.

Here’s SFMOMA’s magazine cover for this great show. I learned so much about the artist and left feeling truly inspired.

Finding summer sunshine in Petaluma on a perfect evening enjoying dinner with fabulous friends. Life is good.

AUGUST = PRIVATE ART SALE

SAT & SUN, AUGUST 9th & 10th

All of my work will be for sale at reduced prices. I need to make space, clean up, and clean out. Expect an abundance of framed artwork, little books, Barbie art, art cards, small and large prints, pre-digital drawings, new photopolymer prints, and more. My new projects need space.

I’ll be in my studio from 12-5, on Sat-Sun, Aug 9-10. I’ll let you in the front door of the building. Text me at 415.425.3632.

Here’s the front door of the building where my studio is located.

•••••

Art Explosion Studios, 744 Alabama St (btw 19th & 20th), #209, SF, CA

Art Explosion is located across the street from True Laurel and Southern Exposure. We’re right near Lost Resort, Atlas Cafe, Tartine, Heath Ceramics, Muttville, and so much more.

www.cherrypits.net    https://theinvisibilitycollective.com/  ALL https://linktr.ee/SusanRKirshenbaum

The Legion of Honor was a new venue for me to see this show. We honed in on several luscious pairings of paintings with floral arrangements. My friend knows all the plants and their Latin names.

A salmon is not just a salmon, a painting by Wayne Thiebaud.

IT’S A WRAP

Recently I met up with an old friend who lives in London, and our only communication has been through this blog. I’m delighted to reach people and maintain long-time friendships through my blog posts. So, keep sending me your event announcements and I will try to attend whatever I can. I’ll be in SF through year-end, except for a couple of short trips. We’re heading to Seattle (August) and Chicago (September) for a few days each. Any hot tips for great art or food in two of my favorite American cities (besides SF) are welcome!

Let’s stay in touch. Drop me a line. So many ways to reach each other! https://linktr.ee/SusanRKirshenbaum

Visit me on Instagram – where I post weekly. https://www.instagram.com/srkirshenbaum/

Browse my shop to order my artwork on print-on-demand clothes, soft goods, and hard goods of all sorts! https://www.redbubble.com/people/Srkirshenbaum/shop?asc=u

MY STUDIO AT ART EXPLOSION

Visit me in my studio, #209, at Alabama Street Art Explosion Art Studios!

Note that I’ll miss AE and Artspan Fall Open Studios due to an out town family event, so stop by when you can, or join me at my Private Studio Sale August 9-10. I’ll be serving drinks and snacks while showing process demos. There’s plenty of free street parking and nearby spots to drink, dine, or shop before or after my studio visit.

WHAT’S ON MY (VIRTUAL) EASEL?

Work in progress with a new (to me) model.

More new work in progress.

2025 TAKES OFF

Susan R. KirshenbaumComment

SPRING STRIKES IN THE BAY

SFBG has a vast, varied, old, important collection of #magnificentmagnolias.

It’s my favorite time of year in Golden Gate Park, and in particular in the San Francisco Botanical Garden (SFBG) where #magnificentmagnolias are in bloom for months. Every Friday I take a walk in the park with two friends, a ritual we’ve kept up for 10+ years, since we all worked together.

HERE/NOW – MY THIRD GROUP FIGURE SHOW

The year began with a bang – so crazy busy from the start. January was densely filled with our second annual figure exhibition, Here/Now: The Bay Area Figurative Movement Grows, which I co-curated with Catherine Merrill at Sausalito Center for the Arts (SCA). It was a powerful show, with great turn out for our numerous events. And we’ve been invited back in 2026! 

We created a third iteration of this carefully curated group show of Bay Area figure artists, each with five pieces or so. Events included an opening reception, a closing party, a Chinese painting workshop, a roving life model to draw, a book talk by artist and author Peter Steinhart, The Undressed Art, several curators’ talks, art tours, and artists’ talks. We had the first show of this scale at SCA in 2024. We originated the show at SFWA Gallery in 2023.

CURATORIAL STATEMENT

Today’s narrative, expressive phase of the Bay Area figurative movement is about reflecting on the world we live in. We are telling stories that reach beyond academic achievement and accuracy. We are truth seeking. Sometimes we embrace the unbeautiful. Or create beauty for its own sake. Our work might reflect on our personal struggles or reflect the tensions that surround our lives. We are presenting a range of select artists who focus on the figure and are living and working in The Bay Area. Each is grounded in the figurative movement yet continues to explore and express their humanity through portrayals of the form in context.

CURATORS: Susan R. Kirshenbaum and Catherine Merrill

EXHIBITING ARTISTS: Joseph Abbati, Doug Andelin, Isidoro Angeles, Adam Caldwell, Sandy Frank, Tebby George, Mary Graham, Susan R. Kirshenbaum, Calvin Lai, Kim Larson, Catherine Merrill, Stephen Namara, Diane Olivier, May Shei, Sandra Speidel

AND

The Drawing Group was invited as a single entity within the show. Each of member of The Drawing Group showed one piece originating from our group sessions. They were displayed in an area set aside just for us.

Life drawing is such an important part of the lives of figurative artists. Each of us considers life drawing to be a critical component of our art practice.

THE DRAWING GROUP: Dwight Been, Henry Bridges, Daisy Eneix, John Goodman, Susan R. Kirshenbaum, Pamela Mooney, Alex Rosmarin, Peter Steinhart, Barbara Tonnesen, Dieter Tremp

The show provided me with some much-needed positive action to help take my mind off of the unfolding political situation.

One of Stephen Namara’s signature pieces for this show.

HERE/NOW PHOTO GALLERY

CDMX ARTWEEK

In front of the hotel with Barbie, aka Babs.

Immediately after Here/Now wrapped up, I took off for CDMX (Mexico City) ArtWeek. Our second year in a row, we visited multiple Art Fairs and met up with artist friends (Lisa Lightman, Jean and Mark Brodie, Jillian Chin, Jillian Knox, and Stephen Wagner) from The Bay. Stephen just started an art gallery/food tour business in CDMX! I also enjoyed a dinner with my Mexican cousins, Daniel and Iris. Iris Epstein is a fine art photographer and writer.

Jillian (Jean and Mark’s cousin who lives full-time in CDMX), Jack (my husband), Mark and Jean Brodie (SF artist-friends) at an Artweek gallery event featuring furniture-shaped cakes and pink Paloma cocktails.

A Gallerist, Stephen Wagner, Jean and Mark Brodie at our first stop in Zona Maco

Petaluma artist Lisa Lightman holding Barbie, with Jean, Jack, and Mark at Zona Maco.

The fairs at CDMX are spread around this giant city for almost a week. You can’t miss seeing the upscale, arty visitors, and there’s more than the usual amount of English spoken, while reservations and admissions can be difficult to acquire.

Just a four hour flight from SFO, and what a different world. It’s vast yet manageable, with so many neighborhoods to explore. This is a gorgeous time of year, dry, with ideal high elevation temperatures.

The fairs are Zona Maco, Bada, Material, and there are more…plus so many fantastic galleries, museums, markets, and sites to see. We also attended an art talk/show, dinner party hosted by SF’s Incline Gallery and the chef/stylist Jillian Knox. It was a fun mix of SF and CDMX folks. We took public transportation to get to this party, which is a must to experience, especially during rush hour. There’s some really terrible traffic in CDMX, but there’s also crazy crowding on buses. Ubers are cheap and easy for us. The overall prices have gone up a bit, as happens when there’s an expat invasion (there is). Mexico City feels quite safe (people always ask me!). My only complaint is the broken up sidewalks which are treacherous and too easy to trip over when looking around at all the sites. The food, as always, was simply delicious. And we brought mole paste home from the market again.

CDMX SLIDE SHOW

ART AROUND TOWN

I attended FOG with a posse of friends and swung by a few opening receptions (just to see some folks and be seen). We experienced some of the resurgence of SF’s Mid-Market neighborhood at JCM’s Gallery plus a new video gallery nearby.

I saw the SECA recipients show and the Amy Sherold show (again) at SFMOMA, to hang with with friends and celebrate a birthday. I visited the Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) for what might be a last visit. I have many fond memories of CJM – such a wonderful museum and a part of my life and our city, but for now they are closed indefinitely. So many museums are in trouble, so we must do all we can do to support them.

I’m super excited about Tony Wessling’s new gallery! After years in SOMA as Radian Gallery, (where I’ve shown several times), Tony has moved downtown to a lovely new storefront at 39 Grant, called Wessling Contemporary. There was a grand opening, and Mayor Lurie attended and gave the gallery an award.

We hit another Grand Opening, for the new location of ICA SF, now in the old financial district of SF. It’s a big, gorgeous space. Mayor Lurie was there too.

In the meantime, I was invited into several group art shows: two shows at SFWA: Facing Forward and Heart Beats; plus a show curated by Joseph Abbati at SF City Hall, in the President of the Board of Supervisors office, Rafael Mandelman. Mayor Lurie came to the opening night. I was asked to jury a figure show for April for SFWA Gallery. This is a first for me.

And I continue to study photopolymer printmaking at GAW with Mark Brodie.

The reception for Tony’s new gallery, Wessling Contemporary, which just moved to downtown SF.

At FOG with Tony Wessling and Usha Shukla.

SFMOMA fieldtrip with Usha and Tachina in front of one of the best known works by Amy Sherald.

Video art at a new gallery, TnT Art Lab, just around the corner from JCM.

At an opening at Jonathan Carver Moore’s gallery.

ART IN CITY HALL

I have three pieces in this City Hall conference room. You can make an appointment to visit the through April 2025. It’s thrilling walking around City Hall at night, and having my figurative work hung there, in our President of the Board of Supervisors conference room!

Group photo of artists with Supervisor Rafael Mandelman (center) and Joseph Abbati, Curator.

Here I am in Mandelman’s conference room with my three pieces.

Me, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Artist Debra Reabock, Mayor Daniel Lurie (and a photo bomber in the rear).

FACING FORWARD & HEART BEATS

At the SFWA reception for Facing Forward.

Heart Beats: Ignited (Lael) at SFWA Gallery, in February 2025.

Heart Beats: Miranda’s Heart at SFWA Gallery, February 2025.

PRINTMAKING AT GAW

I just made another photopolymer print at GRAPHIC ARTS WORKSHOP (GAW), working with Mark Brodie. The piece shown here includes Chine collé – an added sheet of pink Japanese rice paper from a box of my father’s paper samples I’ve held onto for decades. Join me for a class?

Christina in her Studio, is a photopolymer print made with chin colle rice paper, rolled black ink, and hand-painted pink ink applied to the plate. Edition 1/1, sold.

Work in progress, laying in the papers for another Chine collé print.

BAY AREA ART FAIRS

SUPERFINE ART FAIR 3/7-9

Fort Mason, SF, CA

ART EXPLOSION SPRING OPEN STUDIOS 4/11-13

744 Alabama Street, SF, CA

Opening Reception - Friday, 7-10pm

Open Studios - Sat & Sun, 12-5pm.

As usual, I will be offering seasonal refreshments and special art merchandise.

SFART FAIR 4/17-20

Fort Mason, SF, CA

STARTUP ART FAIR 4/18-20

I am participating in StartUp! It’s at Hotel del Sol, 3100 Webster St, SF, CA

Socks and coasters are the best gifts!

Acrylic blocks are a cool art motif, available in 2 sizes.

MORE ART MERCH

Socks, bags, and coasters are some of my most popular art merch - look for a wide selection at my Open Studio. Or, order yours directly from: https://www.redbubble.com/people/Srkirshenbaum/shop?asc=u

This acrylic block (in 2 sizes) is a new product I’m adding to my RedBubble art merch.

It’s an image from my nature photo series, Easter Sunday. https://www.redbubble.com/i/acrylic-block/Kaleidoscope-series-Easter-Sunday-by-Srkirshenbaum/149015597.P5BX3?asc=uMARK YOUR CALENDAR

DON’T MISS!

Showcase

A curated group show at City Hall through April 2025. See the diversity, creativity, and cultural heritage of Bay Area artists in a show hosted by Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman in City Hall, Room 268. Artists: Susan R. Kirshenbaum, Nick Maltagliati, Luke Andahazy, E Dyer, Richard Turtletaub, Bill Samios, Aphien Aquino, Tanya Wischerath, Debra Reabock, Laura Mitsu, Don Hershman, Megan Broughton, Joseph Abbati, Uel Renteria, and Paul Morin. Curated by Joseph Abbati. 

BE SURE TO VISIT

Heart Beats

A juried group show at SFWA Gallery. Through February 2025, 647 Irving St, SF, CA

SUBMIT YOUR ART

Go Figurative!

I’m the Juror for the upcoming SFWA Gallery show. This is an all Bay Area Open Call Show for April 2025. Ooops, it just closed…

MARCH

Happy Women’s History Month! Let’s make some noise. And stay in touch!

Cheers,

Susan

xox

Susan R. Kirshenbaum, Artist & Curator

415.425.3632 (text to visit my studio)

Art Explosion, 744 Alabama St, #209, SF, CA

www.cherrypits.net

https://theinvisibilitycollective.com

https://linktr.ee/SusanRKirshenbaum

Here’s a new piece I made recently originating from a life drawing of art model, Luke, at The Academy’s monthly drawing group.

WHAT, NYC - AGAIN?

Susan R. KirshenbaumComment

NYC - SF - Europe - SF - NYC - HOME

Since September I’ve been on the move. Now settling in again in time for the holidays, when staying home feels like a luxury.

Here I am in front of the Met after a short visit to the Mexican print show and the shop.

Our moulting roommate takes good care of stray protein roaming our friend’s NYC apartment. Watch your step!

NOVEMBER IN NEW YORK

Starting from the last fall trip to the first trip of the season, our most recent short trip was to NYC again. And it was shortly after our last visit which I wrote about in my latest blog about NYC ArtWeek.

This time we celebrated our ex-Bay Area friend’s wedding for several days. We stayed with old East Coast friends where we hung out in our pjs drinking coffee or cocktails into the day and late into the night (where the gecko lives). We celebrated with our Bay Area friends at their multi-day wedding events and snuck in a tad of museum-going, including the Met and the Guggenheim, and the gorgeous Viennese cafe at Neue Gallery. We enjoyed a lovely cool, crisp, fall. I love people watching in NYC more than anywhere else in the world.

Home in SF now (where it has been a lovely, crisp, clear fall with some much needed rain) and sticking around until Feb 2025. It’s all about recuperating, getting back to work, and moving ahead despite post-election trauma.

NYC AT A GLANCE

BACK IN THE BAY

The air smells fresh and the streets feel uncrowded. I’ve returned to weekly walks in the park, our black cat Nigel, the art studio, our book group, lunches and dinners with friends, the ongoing Invisibility Collective, much re-capping and redirecting from the election, and checking out the latest art shows.

We’ve been museum-going here too, and attended the SFMOMA member’s party – which was a crowded bash - but we had a chance to take in a packed viewing of the Amy Sherald painting exhibition. The next day we visited the surprising and important Mary Cassatt exhibition at the Legion of Honor, which is always a gorgeous destination for photo shoots and views. We saw the Tamara de Lempicka exhibition at the DeYoung. Much of her work is graphic, strong, and sensual. Admittedly my knowledge of art history is not what it should be, so when I see exciting exhibitions they’re educational as well as inspirational. These last two women artists, different as they were in style they both painted figures and portraits – and are quite powerful and innovative. These independent feminists invented and re-invented themselves. All three of these SF art museum shows will be open into 2025, so don’t miss this wonderful assortment of women figurative painters.

Autumn light through the Legion of Honor Museum columns. A favorite SF photo site.

SEEN IN SF

EUROPEAN TRAVELS

In October we visited Spain and England and reconnected with old friends and favorite museums, while also investigating new cities and regions. Our old pal Tina, an American we know from Napa and our time in Spain together has resettled on the beautiful Balearic Island of Mallorca. We’d never there been and were surprised at how much we loved it. It’s the perfect landing place for our friend. Next we explored Valencia, the third largest city in Spain and new to us. This was before the storms and floods hit. We ended our time in Spain with a road trip from Valencia to Girona before we headed to visit our friends in London.

Sexy architecture in Valencia, filled with wonders.

ROMANTIC GIRONA

Visiting Girona, Spain (Catalonia) where we lived in 2004-2006 is bittersweet. We miss our old chums in this beautiful medieval city, but we don’t spend much time there anymore. We had a long leisurely outing to a country restaurant, which is a typical Sunday activity, and it was spectacular. We also visited our very favorite beach town, Sant Marti d’Empuries, where we enjoyed a fantastic feast of tapas while sitting across from the ancient church. Hanging out with friends in their homes and favorite restaurants and wandering the narrow stone streets is what I enjoy the most there.

IN AND AROUND GIRONA

MAGNIFICENT MALLORCA

In Mallorca we toured around the island sites, ate and cooked delicious dishes, swam in the sea, took in the vistas, checked out the markets, and visited an outdoor sculpture garden and indoor collection. It is considered the capital of cycling in Spain.

This is “Tina’s beach” on a seaweedy day, but the water was warm enough to swim and the color – turquoise!

INVIGORATING VALENCIA

Mallorca and Valencia are two new areas of Spain for us, and I definitely recommend them both. Somehow we managed to miss the devastating storms that hit the region right after we left. Staying in the historic quarter with its elegant architecture, we took on Valencia by foot, bus, taxi, and Uber from neighborhood to neighborhood. Valencia sports a busy harbor and a beach that resembles Miami with its wide white sand for miles. It boasts a bustling boardwalk lined with seafood and paella restaurants, for which the city is famous. We went to multiple sites and museums, but were floored by the impressive Arts and Sciences area with its ultra contemporary museums and water-filled grounds. We watched a mind-blowing immersive underwater film in the Hemisferic. We lunched in the Science Museum where we were served by a robot. On the opposite end of the spectrum of museums we toured the intimate Silk Museum which became a new favorite for me. We watched a live silk-making demo and learned about Valencia’s critical role in the history of the silk trade. There is some leftover anti-tourism in Spain from their overly busy summer, but I think that overall these places are happy to have the trade continue into their off season. Late fall is a great time to visit.

A SLIVER OF VALENCIA

LIFE IN LONDON

I could live in London for awhile – in order to spend many more hours in the museums and indulging in delicious spicy South Asian food (balanced out by cream teas). Fall is a perfect time of year – with colorful foliage but still green and blooming. We stayed at our friend’s newly renovated home, took short neighborhood walks to breakfast and cocktails, long walks to exotic restaurants (pubs serving great Thai food!) and saw a not very good play called Barcelona (which was where we all met in 2005). By odd chance we encountered a disturbing right wing rally while we were looking for the entrance to the Tube, just in front of Parliament, and jolted me out of my revery.

There are foxes roaming around London, and we saw them! I was reading a novel called Mr. Fox, an unusual book which I had just borrowed, and which followed my reading of a new novel titled Bear, another haunting story.

In SF we’re all about coyotes…and while writing this I heard a chorus of coyotes outside of our house.

Art museums are a huge part of being in London. We saw the annual Turner Prize recipients’ show at the Tate Modern (what a lovely museum, which I’d rarely visited); The Barbie Show at The Design Museum (with an extensive permanent design collection and a Tim Burton exhibition simultaneous with Barbie - what fun!); and we spent a whole day wandering though the collections of my all-time favorite London destination, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A).

LOOKING AT LONDON

ART EXPLOSION HOLIDAY SHOW AND SALE

What? Did you just miss my very last Open Studio/Holiday Art Sale of the year at Art Explosion on Sunday, December 8? We toasted to the end of 2024, kind of a rough year.

My pal and fellow artist May Shei visited, posted, and bought a drawing.

My studio neighbor, a wonderful bi-coastal painter, Cat Butler bought my Art Socks.

Art Coasters and Socks are in stock now and make the best gifts ever!

Such loyal art supporters, patrons, and this time Claire bought an Art Scarf.

Art Scarves! Have you seen me wear these? They’re huge and wrap all around you. I have 1 for each outfit.

WHAT’S UP NEXT YEAR?

First off - our second group show at SCA (and third figure show in our series). Now even bigger and better. The photos just below are from Jan 2024. And here’s a sneak peek of the art for the show in Jan 2025.

Our first figure show at SCA - here with my co-curator, Catherine Merrill (sculpture in foreground by Charles Stinson).

At SCA with participating artist, May Shei, in front of her wall of work.

ABOUT HERE/NOW

Here/Now: The Bay Area Figurative Movement Grows is my latest and largest curatorial project, with an expanded group of artists, it’s my third iteration of a group figurative show co-curated with ceramic sculptor Catherine Merrill. There will be an Opening Reception and several more events throughout January at Sausalito Center for the Arts (SCA).

CURATORIAL STATEMENT

Today’s narrative, expressive phase of the Bay Area figurative movement is about reflecting on the world we live in. We are telling stories that reach beyond academic achievement and accuracy. We are truth seeking. Sometimes we embrace the unbeautiful. Or create beauty for its own sake. Our work might reflect on our personal struggles or reflect the tensions that surround our lives. We are presenting a range of select artists who focus on the figure and are living and working in The Bay Area. Each is grounded in the figurative movement yet continues to explore and express their humanity through portrayals of the form in context.

EXHIBITING ARTISTS

Joseph Abbati | Doug Andelin | Isidoro Angeles | Adam Caldwell | Sandy Frank | Tebby George | Mary Graham | Susan R. Kirshenbaum | Calvin Lai | Kim Larson | Catherine Merrill | Stephen Namara | Diane Olivier | May Shei | Sandra Speidel

The Drawing Group: Dwight Been | Henry Bridges | Daisy Eneix | John Goodman | Susan R. Kirshenbaum | Pamela Mooney | Alex Rosmarin | Peter Steinhart | Barbara Tonnesen | Dieter Tremp

SHOW EVENTS

OPENING RECEPTION - Sat, January 11, 3-6pm - Curator Talks, Live Music, and Refreshments

CLOSING PARTY - Sat, Feb 1, 3-6pm - Artist/Author Peter Steinhart’s Book Talk, Roving Art Model “Petarious” (Free Life Drawing), Curators’ Closing Remarks, and Refreshments

NCWCA Member’s Tour - Fri, Jan 24, 11-12, Curator’s Remarks

May Shei Painting Demo - Sat, Jan 25, 2-4pm

Show runs from Jan 8th to Feb 2nd | Open Wednesday - Sunday, 11:00am - 5:00pm | Sausalito Center for the Arts (SCA), 750 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965 (easy parking and ferry access)

SNEAK PEEK HERE/NOW

 

HAPPY YEAR END & CHEERS TO ALL HOLIDAYS!

It’s a wrap! Lots to ponder from 2024, and much to look forward to in 2025.

See you next year!

Warmest Regards,

Susan

xox

CONTACT: Susan R. Kirshenbaum, Artist & Curator | 415.425.3632 | www.cherrypits.net |  https://theinvisibilitycollective.com/ | ALL: https://linktr.ee/SusanRKirshenbaum (links to Instagram, RedBubble, Patreon, Facebook, and more) | My studio practice is at: Art Explosion, 744 Alabama St, #209, SF, CA  - Visit me (but no mail or packages please)!

CUSTOM GIFTS: Order directly my print-on-demand custom art merchandise (I have samples):  Srkirshenbaum.redbubble.com

CURRENT INTERVIEW:  https://canvasrebel.com/meet-susan-r-kirshenbaum

READ MORE: My last NYC-Centric Sept Art/Travel Blog: https://www.cherrypits.net/blog

AND DON’T MISS SF ARTWEEK Jan 18-26, 2025

NYC in September

Susan R. KirshenbaumComment

Alisha, Erica, Rhiannon, Rell, and me

FALL ART SEASON

Tis the season…swinging from sleepy, hot summertime into an exuberant autumn, NYC wakes up and shows off. Back in NYC! What a feast! Full of fairs and friends…with tons of walking and snacking – bagels, smoked fish, pizza, diner food, deli, and a couple of truly elegant restaurants. So much people watching and seeing art. So much, too much, running up and down stairs to catch trains or catch a performer on the move at a show (Life and Trust).

We made it back to The City after canceling our June trip due to kitty health issues. That’s another story. Speaking of stories, I am writing today, on my birthday, very low key, because I feel like I’ve celebrated a ton already, and I will continue to celebrate during my upcoming adventures in Spain and London next month.

Tonight I am doing something I can’t quite imagine, so I have to try it. I’m attending “Draw and Guffaw” at Gallery-O-Rama, where 5 pieces of my work are currently featured in their figure show.

WALKING AROUND THE CITY

We visited Art on Paper, The Armory, CLIO, and Spring Break. We looked around MOMA (and dined there), Neue Gallery, and Fotografiska.

We walked The Highline and attended the launch of a brand new art space, The Williamsburg Biannual. We tramped around the Lower East Side galleries, and shopped in the West Village and SOHO.

As usual, I tried to gauge what is trending at these galleries and art fairs. Happily, there was a surprising amount of figurative work. There’s still plenty of: fabric, stitchery, sparkles, gold leaf, plus cut, collaged, and constructed paper. I was looking for and found many beautiful boxed sets of prints and altered book art. Participatory video and photography (selfies encouraged) were there in abundance. My favorite is still the Art on Paper fair, but the other shows surprised me with lots of wonderful work. I keep an eye out for art that I simply like, would consider buying, or would curate into a show…we played the game of “if you had a budget of xx, what would you buy/collect?”

We hung out with cousins, old friends from NYC in the 80s, were hosted by more old friends from our travels, and newer friends who joined us for the fairs – from SF and Pittsburgh, including The Invisibility Collective.

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY: FOTOGRAFISKA

FOR CONSIDERATION: FIGURATIVE WORKS

THINGS I LIKED THE LOOK OF

CATCH A BREATH BETWEEN

We returned last Thursday night, in time for my Art Explosion Open Studios, which started on Friday night, allowing a very short time to be with both of our cats, who have been unwell. On Saturday night, after the vet explained the situation, we had to put down our older cat (just 16), Reginald, due to sudden-seeming ravaging cancer.

Meanwhile, it was my Open Studios, and I spent time there as planned. But it all just felt pointless.

This week my artworld is gearing up (again) for Artspan Open Studios and last night was ArtLaunch. We’ll get through this, including our younger cat Nigel, who is sorely missing his lifelong buddy.

Maybe that’s why I am home writing my blog, surrounded by so many flowers, instead of out and about on my birthday.

That said, this morning I went to the annual Flower Piano event held in the SF Botanical Garden, followed by breakfast at Art’s, an old school Korean joint in the Inner Sunset.

Yesterday I popped out briefly to watch the ceremony at SFPL in the Civic Center, a dedication of a piece of public art by Lava Thomas, a large sculpture of Maya Angelou. Our friend and Invisibility Collective colleague Mary Graham also worked on this important project. There’s a photo below.

Now I have to gear up for our next trip, which is soon. No complaints! We’ll visit friends in Mallorca, Girona, and London, with a side trip to Valencia.

I’ll be back in time for SF’s Day of the Dead Altar Celebration, where I’ll build an altar with Rhiannon. Last year we honored our fathers who’d passed. Maybe this year, at least for me, I’ll pay a tribute to my cats. After all, it’s the year for childless cat people.

REMINDER TO PLEASE VOTE!

DON’T MISS THESE UPCOMING EVENTS

Show Stopper, 2358 MKT Gallery (Castro) | Closing 9/29 - I have a piece, The Birds, in this curated group show. It’s my first time showing at this gallery.

Unbound Figures: Human Vessels, Gallery-O-Rama | Closing Reception: Oct 6, 4-6pm | 1920 Polk St, SF - I have 4 large pieces hanging from the ceiling from my Banderas series, and one piece, Bed of Roses, on the wall, which is the same work used in the gallery's promo piece! This is an exciting new gallery.

SFOS Open Studios, Sept 28-29, 11-5pm | Art Explosion, 744 Alabama St, #209, SF | Artspan Exhibition at SOMARTS - During SFOS my studio will be open both Saturday and Sunday. It's packed with luscious art and a fresh batch of small items including my RedBubble merchandise. Don’t miss more of my art installed on the hall walls. I'll be giving Procreate demos, and serving up sweets and bubbly. 

Root Division Benefit Auction & Exhibition | Auction: October 24, 2024 | Root Division, 1131 Mission St, San Francisco, CA - I have a piece, Stone Fruit, in Root Division's Annual Benefit Auction Exhibition! Come see the show when it's up from Oct 8-24 and support Root Division by bidding in the auction on the 24th! More info here.

Giving Flowers, ACCI Reception Oct 5, 4-6, Live Music Oct 19, 4-6, Through Nov 10 - I have a piece, Tapestry, in this juried group show in Berkeley. It’s my first time showing at this gallery.

Festival of Altars, Potrero Del Sol Park, Sat, Nov 2, 10-11pm - The invisibility Collective will create a beautiful altar again this year and I will be there all day.

NEW WORK

My Women and Nature series continues, but every now and then a man appears…or a different shape like a circle.

***

Signing off for a couple of months (back 10/27/24)!

Susan

xox

Susan R. Kirshenbaum, Artist & Curator | 415.425.3632 | www.cherrypits.net | https://theinvisibilitycollective.com/ | ALL: https://linktr.ee/SusanRKirshenbaum | Art Explosion Art Studios, 744 Alabama St, #209, SF, CA

Order my print on demand custom art merchandise: Srkirshenbaum.redbubble.com

Adventures in Southeast Asia

Susan R. Kirshenbaum1 Comment

Sunset shot out the window in Bali.

Waiting for the cremation procession to begin, in Ubud, Bali, April 2024.

WHY WE RETURNED

Half a life-time ago we traveled around SE Asia for several months. We made friends in Bali with folks we’ve been traveling with ever since. This was a reunion trip, of sorts. We added on Singapore, which was new to us. In the past it didn’t seem so interesting to us as travelers – too cleaned up and rigidly regulated. I’m glad we visited this time.

Bali and Java were return visits, with lots of new experiences added, as well as the expected shock and awe at all of the changes. Now there are so many cars, scooters, paved roads, foreigners (including sooo many Yoga practitioners)…And yes, much of the land and the fields are filled in. This time, our laundry wasn’t dried on the grass for all to see – in the area surrounding our rice field huts – but at a conventional laundry, smelling of strong soap.

Don’t ask me about beaches in Bali, as I’ve never been to them and never intend to. Like the Balinese, I prefer believing that the sea is filled with sea monsters and it’s best to look inland toward the mountains and rich green rice fields. I’ll head to the sea elsewhere. The hotel swimming pools were perfection.

Dripping with beauty, humor, and art, there are so many reasons to visit, get to know and understand the people, places, languages, and cultures.

This is a selection of images from dance performances, our Ubud hotel room and pool, a coastal restaurant, public art, temples and ceremonies, holy offerings, an antique shop, and that Bali-Aussie sense of humor, street vendors (heads piled high), a holy spring water ritual. We witnessed so many romantic scenes of beauty, strength, hard working, friendly people, with a sense of humor and lightness and brightness. The lush greens and cement grays are punctuated by hot colors – pink, lilac, orange. Everything is drenched, like the flourishing rice fields, in an intense, dripping wet heat.

A bagful of marigolds sits on a concrete step in Bali. The bag is a classic black and white pattern. The flowers are ready to be carefully placed around the temple for a full moon ceremony. These are decorations and offerings to the Hindu gods are ubiquitous in SE Asia (and in the San Francisco Bay Area and Mexico during Day of the Dead celebrations).

WHY BLACK AND WHITE

Everything goes back to the Balinese philosophy of balance called Rwa Bhineda. This philosophy of balance and harmony can be found everywhere in Balinese everyday life and it is symbolized in the black and white trademark textile of Bali. This textile is called saput poleng. Saput means ‘blanket’ and poleng means ‘in two tones’. In the cloth there is an equal number of alternating black and white squares. Together they symbolize the coexistence of opposites and the ultimate goal of harmony. Some of the saput poleng cloths will also include some grey or red squares. The gray squares symbolize the transition between black and white or the transition between good and evil and the red squares symbolize energy and passion.

At Threads of Life we enjoyed a textile talk by the co-owner, William. Much more than a shop, they also hosted our 3-day natural dye and batik resist workshop.

Day #1 in Ubud we were lucky to experience a once in a lifetime event – an important royal funeral cremation ceremony and procession.

THE CREMATION PROCESSION

We had a bird’s eye from a cafe’s second floor, but we occasionally dove back into the crowd for the full experience. With over 60,000 people thronging the streets to watch and/or participate, our two friends got jostled, but as in large crowds when knocked over they were pushed right back upright!

Amazing to see all the important people arrive in limos, dressed in their finest, and the crowds of tourists, some were dressed and covered in lovely, correct Balinese ceremonial attire, while others remained clueless, in skimpy clothes.

The body is ready for cremation after the procession where it’s carried through town inside the bull.

BEAUTY

I couldn’t get this word out of my head. While we were on this trip I read the book Beauty is a Wound, and highly recommend it – its historical fiction and its magical realism helped me change my own thinking to understand Indonesia’s culture a little better, including some of the differences and similarities between Java (a Muslim island, and the capital) and Bali (Hindu, and a more recent addition to Indonesia). The country was unified to speak one language. Bahasa Indonesia is the official language of Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,508 islands that is the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, with a total population of nearly 242 million. Over 300 different native languages are spoken in Indonesia..

Bali connotes different things to different people. Our trip was about art and culture. People go there for yoga and beach retreats though. So for those who believe it must be ruined by its popularity, it is not.

The traditional culture and rituals appear to be intact. The people are genuine and sweet, and their ingrained attention to beauty is ever-present. Fresh food and flower offerings and meals carefully wrapped in banana leaves are intrinsic to Indonesia. What an incredible sense of color and composition! You see it everywhere, from food and textiles to offerings and architecture. Large and small, attention to detail is still foremost.

ACTIVITIES IN BALI

We visited tiny villages, family compounds, temples, fresh water springs, artists’ studios, art residencies, local artisans, farms, museums, day and night markets, and we watched dance performances. We heard artists’ talks and demos, and we had well-informed guides at each spot. We traveled comfortably by bus, van, and even by horse and buggy.

We enjoyed many gorgeous, festive meals and tasted lots of strange new foods and drinks. I loved a vivid blue-purple tea and water, made with butterfly pea flowers. The most unusual drink I tasted was a coffee made with live coals, served street side. I explained how to make cocktails to several servers – which was an amusing way to engage. Throughout all this is was steamy hot and often rainy.

I saw this world through a veil of sweat. I don’t do well in humid heat, as you may see by my deep red face.

Our dyed pieces were hung out at the studio of Threads of Life, a large indoor/outdoor space with dye plant gardens. We had to wait for the air to oxidize our newly dyed and batiked fabric to evaluate what to do next.

DYING, BATIKING, AND WEAVING

Our Threads of Life three-day natural dying and batiking workshop started us out with three colors: red-brown (plants), black (mud), and indigo (plants). We mixed up the dyes, then dipped, dried, and dipped multiple times. This process was interspersed with tie dying (with coins, marbles, and string), then batiking – drawing with hot wax and/or using large metal stamps. We made our own textiles to take home. It was messy, difficult, and a great learning experience – all led by local men.

WEAVING IN BALI

We had the opportunity to visit a number of weavers and learn about the different techniques and types of weaving. As with most of our educational adventures we were offered the chance to experience weaving hands-on, on various types of looms. I’d experienced backstrap weaving in art school way back when, but I was remembering that on my first trip to Bali I started learning about textiles from Alida, who is a long-time textile collector.

VILLAGE VISITS

We spent several days visiting tiny, traditional Balinese and Javanese villages. We were shown around by the village leaders and guides. In one village we watched two women making food items – tempe and crunchy snacks – in their homes. In another village we were invited to play Gamelan.

We watched while artisans carved books and masks, created shadow puppets, spun thread and wove it into one-of-a-kind textiles. We had an adventure at a coconut farm, watching the process from tree climbing to cooking and serving us coconut sugar and sampling virgin coconut oil. We stirred the pot over a flame outdoors, cooking it down the old way, and it tasted delicious. We toured their orchards and gardens, sampling fruit off the trees. We were shown how to weave reeds that make the containers for offerings and food. Like so many lovely hosts we met, they cooked a meal for us too.

We observed preparations for a full moon temple ceremony with a huge array of offerings including ducks. We descended a very long, steep set of stairs to be blessed in cold rushing water from a holy spring. We visited a lovely colonial compound housing a huge collection of masks and puppets.

Charming village woman had us into her rustic home to show us how she makes these crunchy snacks.

MEETING ARTISTS

We visited an art foundation with artists-in-residence, a few exhibiting artists, an artist’s studio, a beautifully curated shop-restaurant-gallery compound, a design shop with household goods made of handmade paper, stone, metal, and fabric, and more. Our travel group included many artists and curators, a museum registrar, and a costume designer. Most folks were coming to Bali for their first time and mainly live in the Seattle area.

At the the art foundation we saw the most artistic shadow puppets I’d ever seen, being used as inspiration for a sculpture project by this artist: https://www.saatchiart.com/imams. The artist couple who we spent time with founded their own art foundation and serve in art residencies there as well. One of these artists is Mella Jaarsma, where we saw her current project ready to ship to a show: https://mellajaarsma.com/. We also attended a Balinese artist’s talk and demo, show below, at Threads of Life.

A traditional Balinese artist with his own style, gave an ink painting demo at Threads of Life.

Mella, the Dutch artist in residence (wearing black in the middle) with her finished floor cloth piece at her feet.

Artist, designer, and Japanese papermaker, speaking about their work in their showroom.

A pile of fabulously painted shadow puppets being studied at the art foundation/residency.

A village master working on his shadow puppets.

At the art residency/foundation where this artist (right) is sculpting with tanned cow hide.

NATIONAL TREASURES – TEMPLES

Borabudur and Prambanan are two of the most important historical and religious sites in the world, yet many people haven’t heard of them. We visited them 34 years ago, and again on this trip, taking us back to Java (East of Bali) and in and around the major city of Yogyakarta. We had some wonderful guides and the tourism and care of the sites has been refined, including sandals specially-woven so as not to damage these ancient sites. Our guide was extremely well informed and articulate, telling us the stories represented by these well-preserved, sophisticated stone carvings and wall paintings. We stopped at a few smaller temples nearby. Traveling with friends in the know makes a big difference from the days when we were just winging it on the cheap, without a guide and just our Lonely Planet SE Asia book.

Additional ancient temple sites we visited were Candi Mendut, Candi Pawon, Kalasan Temple, and Candi Brahma. Each site unique in its way, and all with incredible carved narratives, and sometimes painted stories. I remain a huge fan of the complex, realistic carvings at Borabador.

Our day at Prambanan was accompanied by a prolonged downpour that flooded the grounds we waded through. The original carved downspouts are proof that the temple construction was made for such intense rain storms. Umbrellas were useless. The Seattle crowd felt right at home!

BORABUDUR: Built during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty, the temple design follows JavaneseBuddhist architecture, which blends the Indonesian indigenous tradition of ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of attaining nirvāṇa.[3] The monument is a shrine to the Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. Evidence suggests that Borobudur was constructed in the 8th century and subsequently abandoned following the 14th-century decline of Hindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese conversion to Islam.[4] Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then the British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians.[5] Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was completed in 1983 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, followed by the monument's listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[3] Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world,[6][3] and ranks with Bagan in Myanmar and Angkor Wat in Cambodia as one of the great archeological sites of Southeast Asia. Borobudur remains popular for pilgrimage, with Buddhists in Indonesia celebrating Vesak Day at the monument. Among Indonesia's tourist attractions, Borobudur is the most-visited monument.[7]
PRAMBANAN: The temple compound, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia and the second-largest in Southeast Asia after Angkor Wat.[1] The Prambanan temple is the largest Hindu temple of ancient Java, and the first building was completed in the mid-9th century. It was likely started by Rakai Pikatan and inaugurated by his successor King Lokapala. Some historians that adhere to dual dynasty theory suggest that the construction of Prambanan probably was meant as the Hindu Sanjaya dynasty's answer to the Buddhist Sailendra dynasty's Borobudur and Sewu temples nearby, and was meant to mark the return of the Hindu Sanjaya dynasty to power in Central Java after almost a century of Buddhist Sailendra dynasty domination. Nevertheless, the construction of this massive Hindu temple signified a shift of the Mataram court's patronage, from Mahayana Buddhism to Shaivite Hinduism.

SEEN ALONG THE WAY

People, signs, temples, fields, roadside shops, drivers, vehicles, vendors, cats, birds, and walls – glimpsed from a car window, from a horse carriage, or walking by, there were so many sites that grabbed my attention. Here are a handful of images including some walls I’d love to turn into paintings.

NEW FAVORITE MUSEUM

We took an excursion to Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets just outside of Ubud, a new favorite museum. It is in a cluster of elegant buildings both colonial and traditional, set amidst gorgeous grounds, with an extensive collection. These are just a few favs below. Masks are made to express. Here’s an example of the expressive masks used in Balinese dance performances, often with an open mouth area to speak through.

SINGAPORE SITES

Singapore is an ideal stop over on the way to Indonesia. I’d avoided it for fear of its strict government regulations, but I love this region. Singapore is a small, dense republic with a parliamentary system of government. It’s an interesting example of an independent sovereign state that separated from a larger country, Malaysia. Signage in SE Asia is quite strong. We saw forceful signs in both Singapore and Indonesia. But there are still old, charming, funky, arty parts of Singapore, including many wonderful murals. There are wonderful public works of art, architectural gems, a lit-up river cruise and gardens for night viewing. Cultural and religious diversity abound, so there are mosques, temples, and great food districts. There are upscale galleries and shopping.

Incredibly, we learned that most of the population live in public housing “With more than 1 million flats spread across 24 towns and 3 estates, the Singapore brand of public housing is uniquely different. The flats spell home for over 80% of Singapore's resident population, of which, about 90% own their home”.

VERDANT

What I enjoyed most in Singapore were the acres of public gardens, both the Orchid Garden (private) and the Botanical Garden (public). It rained hard on us there, but so what? It was intensely hot and humid and gorgeous, with dripping plants, it was simply scrumptious.

We didn’t see them in action as they don’t enjoy being out in the rain!

These were the only otters we saw!

FELLOW TRAVELERS

There were lots of new folks to meet on this trip. As in all of our travels with Alida and Christopher, many friends are fellow arts professionals. A few of the artists who came on this trip:

Cappy Thompson is a Seattle-based painter: https://www.cappythompson.com/objects/vessels-color

Marita Dingus makes her own clothes and textile-based sculptures and dolls out of found materials: https://www.travergallery.com/artists/marita-dingus/

Kelly Lyles (we first met at Miami Art Basel) is an artist, designer, and art car star. Like Marita, we were treated to her daily art outfits: https://www.kellyspot.com/

Here we are at Borabudur - note our special sandals to help preserve the stone.

BARBIE COMES ALONG

What’s my ongoing Barbie series about and why is she with me? My on-going series Barbie on the Cusp continues to grow and change with me. Each trip since my art residency at Pacific Felt Factory with Black and White Productions under my mentor and friend Rhiannon Evans-MacFadyen (my art coach since 2016-on), I’ve since taken Barbie with me traveling.

Although Barbie started out as a vehicle to tell my story about my realistic fear of impending adulthood, she has become my buddy, partner in crime, and has helped me enlist friends and strangers to participate in our drama. I shot the picture below, while one of the folks working at our hotel art directed me.

Barbie received this gift in Java, a Vespa just her size, made of weighty metal from a stall at a temple site that also had lovely crafts, masks, and puppets.

Thank You!

…For perusing my long, image-laden blog! Just so you know, this isn’t simply a travelogue, though it is partially that. What you’re seeing here is my fuel, my inspiration, and it reflects one of the main ways I want to spend my time – and I do! Travel gives me new experiences which I can savor and translate into my art and every day life. It holds me in its sweaty palm, while I sit in the chill of a windy, cool San Francisco summer.

Please visit me this month and next at my studio. I’ll be there several June-July weekends with cava (a lovely brut bubbly), snacks, and digital demos.

Or stop by the SFWA Gallery, in the Inner Sunset, where I’m showing work in “Radiating Pride” followed in July by two pieces juried into “Illuminations” in the main gallery.

In case you didn’t hear, we’ve been caring for two senior, sick cats who continue to amaze us with their multiple lives. They are brilliant companions and earn their keep. Doing better, fingers, crossed.

And in case you didn’t know, I post much of my new work, including art in progress and life drawings, weekly. You can check out my travel photos, exciting food, gorgeous plants, and walks – all in real time. Our aforementioned cats, Nigel and Reginald, make appearances there too. Instagram is my preferred social media. I promise you will still see a lot of top-notch visuals shared there. I love you all (if you’re on this list) and I would love to hear from you.

What Else?

NYC, Spain, Open Studios, more group shows, and two biggies – The Invisibility Collective, which has evolved quite nicely, will launch a group exhibition in Dec ‘24 in SF, and, I will curate another figurative show in Sausalito, at SCA, in Jan ‘25.

A Busy Beginning of 2024

Susan R. KirshenbaumComment

The year began with adventures like this one – atop an old volcano in Maui – and lots of art.

Exploring the Self

I don’t really do self-portraits, but I am keenly interested in exploring identity. At the end of 2023, a friend took a photo of me on the sofa after dinner recently, which I turned into a self-portrait.

Here’s another new piece exploring my identity. It’s an addition to my ongoing series: Women and Nature. The collage contains: a drawing of a huddled pose from a session with the model Sarah, photos I shot of an Italian shop window, an embroidered ceremonial textile (with Hebrew text), and a rose image from Golden Gate Park Rose Garden. It was juried into “Patterns, Shapes, and Textures” in Jan 2024 at SFWA Gallery.

This is my interpretation of the requested self-portrait “assignment” for my drawing group.

“Inside the Shop Window” is a newly produced piece. It’s a 48w x 24h framed metal print, in an edition 1/1.

March is Women’s History Month: Three Shows

“Flirting”, a digital original collage, is my first circular piece, a requirement of the show theme. It’s a 23x23 inch metal print, in an edition 1/1.

NCWCA: 6000 Circle Project

I was invited to show a feature piece in the NCWCA March show at Arc Gallery (SF).

In collaboration with The Calling (Artists Yasmin Lambie-Simpson, Chantelle Goldthwaite, and Sheila Metcalf-Tobin), everyone was invited to participate in the international art initiative, The 6000 Circle Project. The project focuses on the circle as a symbol of balance and unity, a never-ending container of feminine energy and light. The Calling envisions 6000 circles created by a multitude of artists from around the globe. Circles created by NCWCA members and the public are exhibited in the Arc Project Gallery through April 6. NCWCA is the first WCA chapter to kick off this global 2024 exhibition. NCWCA presents a collaborative exhibition honoring the Divine Feminine ​in the Project Gallery at Arc Gallery.

The Drawing Room: Women Rising

The Drawing Room’s “Women Rising” second annual group show included two venues, on both Clement Street and Valencia Street (SF). I showed my piece “Love in Shades of Blue”.

Color is often a theme for me.

A pink coat connection.

Women in pink coats must stick together. Always a great conversation starter, this pink-coated artist next to me had another idea - she handed out hundreds of adorable arty finger puppets at the receptions!

(Sorry but I don’t know her name!)

Joseph Abbati curated the Black History Month show at Senator Scott Weiner’s office. (That’s Scott next to me plus painter friends (left) May Shei and (center) Tiffany Conway.)

SEISMIC SISTERS CURATED WOMAN-MADE

I was selected by this wonderful feminist group to take part in an exciting show in a super-cool venue, Manny’s, in the SF Mission, which was new to me.

Just after hanging my corner.

ABOUT SEISMIC SISTERS

Seismic Sisters elevates and celebrates feminist artists and activists who are shaking things up. We amplify the voices of new leaders and rebels who are shifting culture and changing the landscape. We also give space and r-e-s-p-e-c-t to longtime feminist activists who did the groundwork and are still powering on to create a more feminist future. From girls to grandmas, we need each other, feed each other, and work best together. Seismic Sisters is a mix of clubhouse, news site, and think tank where you come to get informed, inspired, and invigorated to go back out into the world. Our epicenter is San Francisco, but our influence will ripple out beyond the Bay Area.

A recent photo of Randy in his studio.

A Tribute to Randall Sexton

1958-2023

On Dec 10, 2023, Randy passed away at his Benicia art studio. Very much at the height of his artistic and teaching career, this was an unbelievable shock and tragic loss for our community. Randy’s family, friends, students, teachers, artists, art models, gallerists, curators, and the art world won’t be the same without him.

1980’s vintage “art photo” of Randy on his roof in North Beach

I will miss my long-time friend. I would travel to Benicia just to draw a model with him for a few hours. Randy was great to be around – funny, smart, generous, and insightful. I feel particularly bad for friends who were in the midst of his mentorship program, and those who planned to take his international workshops, or hoped to simply spend more time with him over a meal and a beer.

His widow, Carol Neilson, has an ongoing gofundme campaign underway and she is running a studio estate sale in Benicia on Saturdays. Let me know if you’d like to connect with her.

Clearing out Randy’s beautiful studio, his art models were invited to choose a work they’d posed for to take home.

And Springtime Arrives

Sometimes there are happy art-making accidents. This is my house.

Magnolias, daffodils, camelias, rhododendrens, oh my. Another day at my favorite place – the SF Botanical Garden.

VR of me at the current fashion-themed show at the DeYoung.

I love the DeYoung Museum. I see all of their shows. It’s also conveniently right near my home. Don’t miss the fabulous Irving Penn show on now!

This was taken at the year-end Art Explosion Open Studios in my studio (#209). I love my new studio (Sept 2023) and all of our open studio events!

WHAT’S NEXT?

A big trip! I’ll be away most of April – in Bali and Java and Singapore. This is a big year for traveling again…so I’ve pulled back a bit from my many artistic obligations and leaning into adventures!

You can still find me working away in my studio at Art Explosion, 744 Alabama Street, #209, between 19th and 20th in the Mission. Stop by (text first)! I’ll be there frequently in May, July, August, October, November, and December.

We’re having a spring open studio that I’ll have to miss for our Bali trip, but please check it out! ART EXPLOSION OPEN STUDIOS: Opening Reception: Fri April 12, 7-10pm and Open Studios: April 13-14, Sat & Sun: 12-5pm. Art Explosion Studios is an Arts Organization that provides affordable art studios in San Francisco and produces art shows for its member artists. By supplying art space and exhibition opportunities, we enable our artists to explore their talent and interact with the public in a supportive and creative environment. Artists grow and thrive here to create a dynamic art scene in San Francisco.

Of course I’m planning to curate and participate in more gallery shows toward year-end and into early 2024. Look for updates about the next an Invisibility Collective biennial group exhibition and a third iteration of our Figurative Show.

This was taken at the FOG Art and Design Fair at the beginning of the year.

Look for my updates here:  https://linktr.ee/SusanRKirshenbaum

I am most active on Instagram, so if you follow me there you can see my frequent event announcements, new work, travel and other fun pics.

Another plant and place I am in love with – Pride of Madeira and all the shades they grow in from pink to deep violet, as the bloom along the dock-front path to Fort Mason.

January at Sausalito Center for the Arts (SCA)

Opening night at SCA

Hard work, curatorial responsibilities, a new venue, lots of fresh connections, plus a couple of short vacations…were all packed into the front end of the year.

I co-curated – with fellow artist and curator Catherine Merrill – a large figurative show at SCA in January. We were their guest curators for “Third Generation: The Bay Area Figurative Movement Today”. We selected 18 Bay Area artists to exhibit both two and three-dimensional works. Each artist was invited to show five pieces of their work and each had their own portion of the gallery.

We hosted multiple exhibition-related events. We held an opening and a closing reception with food and wine and we hosted artist and author talks. Peter Steinhart, who wrote The Undressed Art, gave an enlightening talk about why we draw. He also exhibited his drawings in the show. Peter is in my long-time weekly drawing group. There was also live music and a roving art model, the actress Becky Hirschfeld, for everyone to draw.

Patterns! I’m here with my friend, the artist May Shei, in front of her wall of art and her ten foot tall watercolor scrolls!

Exhibiting artist Sandra Speidel is shown here drawing Becky Herschfeld, our model at the closing.

Mary Graham with her paper bag series of portraits.

So much preparation and planning for this show, starting in 2022 to create a smaller version we held at the SFWA Gallery in the spring of 2023. But what a powerful and fulfilling payoff – with great exposure, attendance, sales, and wonderful feedback from the community. The space looked marvelous. Thank you, SCA!

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Joseph Abbati, Douglas Andelin, Madelyn Covey, Jane Fisher, Mary Graham, Isidoro, Susan R. Kirshenbaum, Catherine Merrill, Stephen Namara, Diane Olivier, Sharon Paster, Fernando Reyes, Alex Rosmarin, Randall Sexton (deceased)*, May Shei, Sandra Speidel, Peter Steinhart, and Charles H. Stinson 

See the article by Jonathan Farrell:

California + News  and The Figurative Art Movement of The Bay Area isn’t Dead 

Artist and author Peter Steinhart speaking at the closing reception.

The book was for sale at the closing talk by Peter (right).

The Artists and Curators from left to right: Me, Charles H. Stinson, Peter Steinhart, Diane Olivier, Madeline Covey, Alex Rosmarin (back row), Mary Graham, Sandra Speidel, Isadoro, and Catherine Merrill. Not pictured here: Fernando Reyes, Stephen Namara, Jane Fisher, Joseph Abbati, Doug Andelin, May Shei, and Sharon Paster (and of course, Randy).

The curators and gallery director, Shiva Pakdel, speaking to attendees.

Fernando Reyes and his art wall.

Jane Fisher and her wall of paintings.

Overview of the gallery.

Overview of the gallery.

CURATOR’S STATEMENT

The Bay Area Figurative Movement never died and continues to thrive. San Francisco Bay Area artists and models founded the Models Guild in 1946, and it’s no wonder that we still have such a healthy, lively community, chock-full of dedicated talent. Some of us even flourished during COVID and sheltering-in-place, as we continued drawing, painting, and sculpting on Zoom sessions around the world. What does our figurative community look like? We are artists and models; teachers and students; our styles are anywhere from classical to pop; our techniques are everything from digital to hand-ground pigments; and our community encompasses the very experienced and the relatively new to exhibiting. This exhibition explores a full range of styles and approaches combined with skill and craft. 

A portion of Randy Sexton’s wall.

Stephen Namara’s wall.

Happy artists, curators, venue. Look for more shows I’ll be curating more at SCA in the near future!

Sharon Paster and her corner of the gallery.

An Art Tour attended our artists talks at SCA. The sculptor Charles H. Stinson is shown speaking.

Closing night party. Photo by Doug Kaye.

Maui in the Middle

We managed to sneak away on two short trips – to Maui and Mexico. We were invited to Maui so of course we couldn’t say no to a brief getaway in the middle of the figurative show. Life in Maui presents you with chickens wandering freely and giant turtles lounging on the beaches. It’s another world. A beachfront condo and good friends to hang out with, then it was just us – for a romantic getaway with a full moon.

Green sea turtles lounging in abundance.

Chickens roaming by the beach.

I almost always bring a Barbie on my trips.

Here’s my dirty, old, chopped-hair Malibu Barbie in a hand-made crochet “vacation dress” she was gifted.

ArtWeek in Mexico City

Right after the figurative show ended, followed by a week-long stint helping our friend with Randy’s art estate sale, we hopped off to Mexico City (CDMX) for their annual Artweek. Only six nights there – but it was so dense with all the various art fairs, walking the city, exploring the galleries, visiting obscure museums, and always investigating food and flea markets…not to mention constant snacking and socializing. Upon return we had a few celebrations, including mole mezcal dinner parties and a restaurant reunion with the talented Bay Area stylist and chef of Anything’s Pastable.

Anything’s Pastable

Artweek reunion in the SF Mission with Stephen Wagner and Jillian Knox.

In CDMX we hung out with some Bay Area friends and we went to my cousins house, where we watched the Super Bowl and snacked on pizza while sipping mezcal.

Stephen Wagner, art coach extraordinaire, was hanging out with us at Artweek.

An evening at an historic Mexico City restaurant and a delicious mezcal margarita.

Jack, me, and Jillian Chinn at one of the art fairs held in some beautiful ruins.

On the go through the last day of multiple art fairs and wanderings.

YES. We’re planning to return to CDMX Artweek next year! And we’ll spend more time next time.

Loved this dismembered arm petting kitty sculpture

Here’s a cool use of space – completely covered by small, delicate art.

We walked by this CDMX store-front with beautifully appointed black and white theme inside and out.

We found our delicious mole paste at a stall that also sold beans, pet food, candy, and spices in our neighborhood market.

The amazing mole and mezcal dinner (1 of 2) made upon returning home.