Better Things to Come

The darkening days of December always portend better things to come, the first being our Winter Solstice celebration. This will be our 4th consecutive marking of the return of our sun.

Join us on December 21st for seasonal song, libation (including Anchor Steam’s Christmas Ale), and John Campbell’s wondrous plum pudding. Though the actual time of the solstice is 2:23 pm, the festivities here at FOG will commence around 4:00 pm.

Our other seasonal tradition will be the offering of the 2019 Tidelog which is a must-have for all us OB worshipers.

In a related note, we sadly read Steve Rubenstein’s obituary of Carol Schuldt, a grand nature spirit soul, Earth Mother and eternal mermaid of Ocean Beach. “She loved the sun, so let’s welcome it back.”

Join us on December 21st for seasonal song, libation (including Anchor Steam’s Christmas Ale), and John Campbell’s wondrous plum pudding.

We all miss Carmen.

Stephen Fox's Opening

Fox in the Box was the name of the show. And was there ever a mad scramble. We’re talking a line at the register!

Stephen Fox

Front window

Standing room only for Stephen’s talk.

Eye candy everywhere.

Inhaling Barbara’s food.

Celebrating Carmen's Life

photo by Tim Thurman

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Quite a few dogs attended.

Carmen’s toys in the window

Another toy in Anne’s pocket

… And Closing Anne’s Show

The warmest gathering of FOG friends and family ever.

Please Join Us Sunday

our first date with Carmen, 12/1/2007 chez Davick

Dear Friends of FOG,

We are going to celebrate the end of Anne’s Farther Out show this Sunday, November 25, along with a celebration of Carmen who peacefully died this morning on our bed at 7:30 - her big heart finally gave out. She has been our best friend for the past 11 years, so please join us.

3-6 pm

Yvonne Daley's Book Reading

Thank you, Yvonne, for reading to us from your new book, Going Up the Country – also from Octavia Boulevard – and for the incredible conversation that followed.

Anne's Birthday Party

photo by Starr

Cards.

Presents.

Blue City Jazz

Playing For Frances and Valerie from their new CD.

Singing Happy Birthday to Anne…

And then it’s time for cake.

I want the piece with all the icing. (This was before Jain appeared with the overflowing platter of phenomenal chocolate chip cookies.)

Lots of laughs in the gallery this evening.

40,000 Years Ago and Now

“Farther Out” is Anne’s 4th show at FOG, and presents her most fulfilling and satisfying work to date. With five of the pieces created in 2018, she has been refining and deepening her artistic vision to startling effect.

An illuminating article in the New York Times recently dated certain hand stencils and drawings of animals in mountain caves in Borneo to at least 40,000 years ago. The stencils and drawings remind me very much of Anne’s work, and connect her to this rich tradition of figurative art.

These early humans used art to communicate, build communities, teach and uplift, and remind us that artistic expression is the essential ingredient of what it means to be human.

So come on over to Anne’s “cave” and experience for yourself the genuine connection between her paintings today and theirs 40,000 years ago.

If you come tomorrow, Friday, between 4 and 6, you can have some cake and wish Anne a happy birthday. Blue City Jazz will provide live music.

And don’t forget, on Saturday at 3 pm we have a wonderful book reading by Yvonne Daley.

Next week, we’ll be open on Thanksgiving Day.

–Peter

Kaiha guards the door

Anne's Talk

If you didn’t get a chance to hear Anne’s talk at her opening, watch it here! The password is Far Out

Video by Starr Sutherland

Farther Out: Anne Herbst's Opening

We were all starstruck by this bright and beautiful opening.

Anne with Sea Star

Who bought the first painting? There’s a clue to your right.

Anne describes how Nova came to life…

The level of detail in Anne’s paintings

Meanwhile, out back…

A most heart-felt talk

Cliff Dwellers revisited

Anne reveals her painting process for Starstruck.

Jeanie and Peter bring it home.

Hanging Anne's Show

Our own Anne Herbst’s annual November show will open this Saturday the 3rd, from 1-5 pm.

Artist’s Talk at 2 pm

The Far Out Family

First row: Carmen; second row: Anne, Peter

The Bombay Sapphire Gala

As we know, Anne Herbst's painting, 21st Century Horse, was selected as a regional semi-finalist in the Bombay Sapphire Artisan 2018 Competition. All the semi-finalists were exhibited last night at Minna Gallery, and Anne was radiant.

THERE’S STILL A FEW MORE HOURS TO VOTE.

With enough votes, we can send Anne and her painting to the finals. Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/2BBbuGb

FOG Friends

We’ve had so many friends surprise us this week:

This is Kit among the koi…

And Noah’s pals Sunny and Sophie…

And of all people, Jim, my Yale suite mate, and his companion Beverly.

So please drop in yourself! -Peter

Noah Phyllis Levin's Opening

Noah in front of Atherton Garden

Lots of new and old friends greeted one another at Noah’s opening of Pools, Ponds, and Beyond.

photo by Alexa Jo Weiss

Lots of looking, lots of talking going on. A fascinating artist’s talk during which we absolutely grilled Noah with questions, and she answered every one.

photo by Alexa Jo Weiss

Noah with Anita Nichols

photo by Alexa Jo Weiss

We Celebrated!

We had the best Equinox party. A fun group of old and new FOG friends, song and talk, art and snacks. A few bottles of wine, too, to welcome in the new season.

Celebrate the Equinox With Us!

There are a couple of alluring events coming to FOG this weekend and the next. We’ll again be celebrating the change in seasons at FOG on Saturday, September 22, from 4-6 pm. The Autumnal Equinox actually arrives at 6:54 pm for the punctilious amongst us - and you know who you are.

Jeanie and I will serve up our seasonally appropriate ditties, and there will be libations and treats. So let’s gather as a community in welcoming our new season.

On Thursday, September 27 from 5:30-7:30 pm, we will be hosting a meet-and-greet for Gordon Mar, our local candidate for supervisor. He’ll introduce his ideas and thoughts for our district - and I think you will be impressed. Come a little early and you can hear Jeanie and me at our regular 5 o’clock sing-a long slot.

Both events will be taking place under the magic spell of Darryl Sapien’s spectacular show. 

Darryl Sapien's Opening

The artist beside MELENCOLIA.

Is it time for the talk?

YES! Sound the foghorn!

Darryl gave a fascinating talk, explaining how he finds objects, brings them to his studio, and holds them hostage  – sometimes for years – until they tell him what they want to be. The piece of art below was inspired by a discarded WELCOME mat, and is called WORN OUT WELCOME V.

from Darryl's website: "My studio work concentrates on transforming found and appropriated objects into three dimensional paintings or assemblage. Every object I incorporate into an artwork has a story to tell, and every story dictates the work’s final form. Each object suggests a unique metaphor and initiates a chain reaction of thought, image, language, and material. In painting an image on a three-dimensional found object I seek to create a dynamic synergy between the image and the object’s former function. I like to think of the process as a dialog between myself and the object I’ve chosen to work with. The finished work should awaken a dormant potential, with image and object converging into a unified statement amounting to more than the sum of its parts."

Go Outside and Play!

FOG will be closed Labor Day weekend and will reopen thursday, September 6.

Let's Send Anne to Miami

Anne Herbst's painting, 21st Century Horse, has been selected as a regional semi-finalist in the Bombay Sapphire Artisan 2018 Competition. 

We have the power to send Anne and her painting to the next level – Miami Art Week – by voting for her!

If we can get together enough votes, Anne's work will be exhibited at SCOPE in Miami Beach, and at the Artisan Series Finale Celebration in December. (This is where the National Grand Prize Winner will be chosen.)

VOTE HERE!

We're allowed to vote once a day, from Aug. 22-Oct. 26. Let's do this!

21st Century Horse   oil on canvas   32" x 42"   2017

21st Century Horse was inspired by the drawing above, 20th Century Horse, that Anne did 50 years earlier when she was six years old.