friday field trip (from the sketch book).

june 2011

nice, france

it is definitely starting to turn sandal weather ! i love this season, where skimpy shoes and little frocks are my daily costume. i'll be back in the south of france soon and i look forward to seeing (and buying) the new 2012 french sandal ware.

friday field trip (from the sketch book).

june 2011

nice, france.

my idea of the PERFECT pizza.

friday field trip (from the sketch book).

march 10, 2012

emeryville, california

this is a key from the key project.

i used china marker + water color on this drawing.

(click on the image for a closer look)

friday field trip (from the sketch book).

march 7, 2012

berkeley, california

this is the B in my alphabet series. it was done with charcoal, pastels, and water color. i'm trying to bring a little more color in my life, though for me, "color" means vague, muddy and subtle.

friday field trip (from the sketch book).

july 2004

stockholm, sweden.

i fell in love with stockholm while i was in sweden, attending the wedding of my friend lotta jansdotter. we stayed at this fabulous hotel called RIVAL. and right across the street was a beautiful cemetery. i find that most cemeteries tend to verge on the scary and creepy side, but this one was quite sweet and picturesque, with rows and rows of beautiful organic shaped and colorfully muted tombstones. stockholm is now one of my all time favorite cities. it is so lovely and inspiring and full of impeccable design as far as the eye can see.

friday field trip (from the sketch book).

july 2004

arezzo, italy

one of my top 3 favorite countries has to be italy (tuscany, to be exact). tuscany is so luscious and rich with culture . . . the FOOD, the colors, the people, the art, the landscape. i could easily spend a year eating and sketching my way through tuscany . . . (a girl can dream).

friday field trip (from the sketch book).

2010

emeryville, california

i have a *thing* for great leather bags. i can't seem to get enough of them. this one, that i bought from neiko designs, is one of my all time favorites. it's a great size, super sturdy, and it smells nice.

friday field trip (from the sketch book).

december 2011

berkeley, california

this is from a new series of work hot out of the kiln. i want it to resemble a page out of my sketchbook. as you can clearly see, i was always the kid who couldn't stay inside the box. in fact, i recently saw the father of a childhood friend of mine who told me that growing up, i was like a wild indian . . . i'm not sure what he meant by that, but i'll take it as a compliment !

friday field trip (from the sketch book).

2005

oakland, california

this chair was at yoshi's in jack london square.

friday field trip (from the sketch book).

2005

san francisco, california

this was in my clay sketchbook.

friday field trip (from the sketch book).

may 4, 1993

the south of france

i sketched this in 1993 on the road from spain to the south of france. i can remember that trip explicitly. that was the year i started keeping a travel journal, only because i had lost my camera on a train (which was a fortuitous mishap). on monday, i leave to go back to the south of france for the month of june. if you want to follow along on my journey more closely, check my facebook fan page here, i will be updating frequently.

friday field trip (from the sketch book).

2010

emeryville, ca

it's true. i love a squeeze of lime (or lemon) on almost everything. i keep our kitchen well stocked with these citrus staples. and every time i squeeze one on my food, i look at my husband and he says with a knowing nod, "i know, i know, . . . everything tastes better with a squeeze of lemon."

friday field trip (from the sketch book).

2010

berkeley, california

friday field trip (from the sketch book).

2010

berkeley, california

my studio hair-do (or shall i say hair-don't) involves many barrettes, clips, and bobby pins. my pet peeve is having hair hanging in my face while i'm working, especially when my hands are covered in clay or glaze. but luckily, there is a multitude of cute hair accessories out there, and i am never without a pocket full of them.

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

2010

berkeley, california

i love containers, especially glass jars with a lid. i save every jar that enters our home. pickle jars, juice jars, jam jars, mustard jars, . . . i often buy something that i would never even use or eat only because i want the jar that it comes in. my husband doesn't fully understand why i need so many jars, but he is pretty good about saving them for me, and maybe one day he WILL get it.

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

2010

berkeley, california

i used to love the sound of my aunties playing mahjong. i can still hear the clanking of the bone tiles and the chitter chatter of the women. it brings back such fond memories. later, when i learned how to play mahjong myself, i realized what a fun game it was and could completely understand why they would stay up all night playing. i even inherited my family's old set. mahjong, anyone ?

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

2010

berkeley, california

here is a bright tart to brighten up this dreary weather (which i do love). i am not a big fan of the sweets (unless they are drenched in chocolate) but i really love to draw cakes and candies and pastries. i could easily spend hours in a bakery, just me and my sketchbook. to me, they are like beautiful little jewels perched behind their glass cases. and it's one of the few places where i am actually drawn to the colors.

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

2010

berkeley, california

yixing teapots are so beautiful in their simplicity and functionality. my sister, who lived in china for a number of years, has a huge collection of them. did you know that traditionally, some Chinese would pour the tea from the spout directly into their mouths ? i love that visual.

though i fully intended to start my hiatus this year, i have been immersed in the studio working on collaborations with diva, jess, and terrain. i've never collaborated before, as i am the proverbial lone potter, but i am finding huge satisfaction in it. who knew ?

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

november 2010

emeryville, ca

this is one of my favorite breakfasts (which i've been eating ever since my doctor reprimanded me). i do NOT like to eat real strawberries . . . i find those little pits quite annoying when they get stuck in my teeth, plus they are often too tart. BUT, i have ALWAYS loved fake strawberry flavoring. as a child, i would inevitably gravitate towards the strawberry soda and the strawberry milk. so for me, strawberry flavored kefir is the perfect way to start the day. i am also very excited about ODWALLA'S new strawberry protein monster drink. the flavor of it brings me right back to my childhood . . . and it's packed with protein, to boot !

(i also love these)

friday field trip (from the sketchbook).

july 2010

the gold country, california

i bought this old army bag at an antique store in sutter creek. i think it was used for holding some type of ammunition ? i love the super thick canvas and the green color of army gear.