I arrived in LA on Sunday afternoon and was on the wide beach in Santa Monica within the hour, getting my feet wet in the Pacific at last. I'm here with a friend, visiting a couple of his friends and then driving up the coast on the weekend to Palo Alto. The last time I was in California was 14 years ago, in San Francisco for a few days with my sister & 2-month-old niece. I loved it, but hadn't managed to return, to SF or anywhere else in this beautiful state. So this is my first trip to LA and it will be my first drive along the Pacific Coast highway.
We rode bikes along the oceanside path past the Santa Monica Pier down to Venice Beach.
Walked along the canals in Venice, with the funky little houses (varying architecture) and overflowing flower gardens. The canals were dug in the marshy land in 1905 to build a resort town.
Went into numerous shops, upscale yet artsy, took some good photos, drank freshly pressed juice. Today after a couple hours on the beach, we biked to Bergamot Station with its cluster of galleries in an improbable industrial area- reminiscent of Chelsea, but more pleasant to walk around. Saw some art and photography I liked, and imagined showing my work there. It feels more possible than it did a few years ago. This increased sense of possibility is due both to my growing confidence in what I am making, the positive reactions of others to my paintings- and my thoughts behind the work. The feeling of "... and why NOT try?" which I didn't have before.
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