Susan R. Kirshenbaum

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AUGUST: PORTALS

SPAIN’S WINDOWS, WALLS, FLOORS, & DOORS

Yes, this is another Spain travel photography post. It’s the last one for the next couple of months leading up to my Open Studios show on October 26-27 at Pacific Felt Factory in SF. I think I have become obsessed with doors, windows, hardware, floors, and painted surfaces. I’m crazy about them and over the last year I’ve been adding them as layers to my drawings to create collages. I like the way they add a back story with depth, mystery, and complexity to my figures.

WINDOWS ON WORLDS

A lunch stop driving along the Pilgrim’s Route (Camino de Santiago)

Catalan village window #1

Catalan village arch opens out to farmland

Abandoned building

A museum hotel along the Pilgrim’s Route (NE Spain)

Catalan village window #2

Village window with metal screen and cut outs

Costa Brava village B&B

TEXTURES

…to create this found wall as a painting

Look closely - see the writing?

CARVED

A fresh addition - an angel carved into concrete.

The opulence of Santiago de Compostela

GHOST SIGNS

Love the “s” on the wall of our friend’s home, a one-time winery next to a Roman road

Ghosted signs indicating what must have been there

Bread bakery

This is a night club

INFORMATIONAL SIGNAGE

Can you read this?

Shows it all…

Says it all…

DISINTEGRATING FACADES

Old fishing boat

This door was blue

Wear and tear over the centuries leaves a lovely distressed finish on this once-white village door.

Going back to nature

Violet flowers sprout around Santiago (it rains a lot).

Faded red = pink

Frightening message

Found composition

Fav faded green

Abandoned (in Old Jewish Quarter in Sos del Reyes Catolico)

Soft patina on metal

Disintegrating…

WELL MAINTAINED

A manicured French house of ultramarine blue and rose pink with a creamy background. Yum!

Plum red!

No - not here 2x!

Scallop shells and bold brass stars

Charming entryway

GREAT GRATES (& IRONWORK)

Deco, I think

Artistic grate set into floor-level window (Pyrenees).

Verdigris entryway

TILE & MOSAIC WORK

Mosaic tiles set into exterior walls, 20th Century, Pyrenees

Pharmacy floor in Santiago de Compostela

BLACK & WHITE SERIES

Hair salon

Reflections

Overgrown and abandoned

OVERGROWN

Hobbit house

NEW WORK

Here’s a new piece combining collages with my photos and my drawings.

GRAFFITI & STREET ART

Sete stairway

Girona exterior

Octopus on a construction site

Interesting spelling

Layers of buildings and garffiti

Many layers and colors here

LSD squirrel

Powerful black and white graffiti art

LOOK UP!

Looking up at Gaudi row (BCN)

Looking up at Gaudi row (BCN)

He looks like he’s strangling but I think it’s a mechanism to hold him upright (Santiago de Compostela).

Significant wall carvings on the Pilgrims Trail (Santiago de Compostela).

Beautiful, realistic, and surprising statues adorning an old building (Sete)

EVENING LIGHT

Rose-colored stone captures rose-colored light.

Sunset walk along the Roman Wall in Girona.

Village church

GORGEOUS PLUMBING

Imbedded ceramic pipe for plumbing

LOCKS, KNOCKERS, & KNOBS

A gorgeous shade of plum and perfect round knocker.

When you see the scallop shell you know you’re on the Pilgrim’s Trail.

Door hammer

Tiny delicate hand knocker on big, plain metal door

Eyes + hands

ANIMAL KNOCKERS

Charming dog door knocker

Cool horse door knocker

ROPE MOTIF

EXHIBITIONS

> SFWA | Aug - Juried Group Show: "Memories" (SF)

> Rite Spot | Sept-Oct | One-Person Show | "The Poster Series - Graphic Nudes" | Happy Hour Reception Mon, Sept 9 | 5-8pm (SF)

> The Mosser Hotel | Five New Works | Sept-Feb 2020 (SF)

> SFWA | Sept - Two Juried Group Shows: "Language & Letters" & "Hot Colors" | Reception Oct 10 (SF)

> Artspan SF Open Studios - 12 Artists | Oct 26-27 | Pacific Felt Factory | 2830 20th St (btw Bryant & York) | Mimosas on Sunday 11-1pm (SF)

> Artspan | SF Open Studios Group Exhibition | SOMArts | Oct 12 - Nov 3 | Reception Oct 10 (SF)

REMINDER!

Please send me a few lines about your experiences with Barbie so I might include them in my ongoing project. Thanks! srkirshenbaum@gmail.com

“Barbie on the Cusp” continues. Phase 2 includes “Barbie Takes a Trip to Spain” imagery and will be shown at Open Studios October 26-27 (SF).