(no subject)

We had a lovely museum trip to Golden Gate Park. The Conservatory of Flowers is a curious place. It's much smaller than i expected. Somehow the grand building across the green just seemed more massive. Realistically though, how big can a Victorian greenhouse be?

The humidity was impressive:cold glasses and camera lenses condensing the moisture out of the air immediately. Disney, i think, has spoiled me, as i expect more, bigger, better in exhibits like this: i remind myself that it is their one sample plant of cinnamon. There isn't some massive behind the scenes industry with plants that can be rotated in and out on a days notice. And with that reminder, there are other considerations that one doesn't see in the highly managed locations like Disney. They have a hundred year old philodendron, for example, and other exhibits have mosses, orchids, and vines all twining together in complicated webs. The plants have been there for years, it seems to me, and they are remarkably well established.

After that we went to the cafe at the de Young, and found a terribly long line. We decided to use the "grab and go" option and sit outside. It was a perfectly reasonable option: even though it was overcast and cool, it was quiet enough to talk comfortably, and i had a smoked trout salad that was absolutely delicious.

From there, an exhibit of modernism where i found myself mostly looking at the "how" of the works: how the color was applied, how the boundaries between objects were suggested. There was a gemlike Miro that delighted me and a few other Surrealist works.

I was watching a young woman take notes, her paper notebook and her iPad and -- having read about the iPad Notability application -- i wanted an iPad. I wanted it as an art palette, a sketchbook.
I mentioned this to Christine, but as we walked back to the car, the desire passed.

I had a perfectly miserable sinus headache on the drive home, but enjoyed watching the landscape and a peculiar line of clouds: small low altitude puffs, all alone, crossing the San Andreas fault around Edgewood. Our route home was not usual, and Christine announced we were making one stop. I assumed we were going to Chipotle for dinner, but no: Best Buy. I dashed into the restroom and came out to find Christine had already asked to have the iPad pulled down from the cage. Eeep!

I knew we had a little windfall sitting in the bank, so i knew we could make the purchase, and we did. I am a little abashed at the extravagance: we have so many digital devices, but i did enjoy sketching and drawing in the evening.

I suppose the truly responsible thing would be to pass on the art supplies i have stashed in boxes here and there -- colored pencils, crayons, markers -- only keeping the tools i know i might want to use for particular projects (gouache & the calligraphic inks).

I have lifetimes of interests: i need to ensure i am able to engage in them deeply instead of flit, flit, flit.