Downtown San Jose

When I moved to San Jose almost 11 years ago a friend took me downtown one evening to show me around.  It was a bit of a culture shock compared to what I was used to seeing in San Francisco. Every year since then however the downtown area has improved with better restaurants, hotels, and other urban improvements. My favorite section is by the Plaza De Cesar Chavez off of Market Street. This is a central gathering area for many especially during the holiday's when there is Christmas in the Park, something my family enjoys each year. You have the Fairmont Hotel, The Sainte Claire Hotel, The Montgomery Theater (where we go twice a year for the CMT productions), The Tech Museum, and The San Jose Museum of Art. I have been a member of The San Jose Museum of Art for several years now. I usually bring my son with me to check out their new exhibits and to do the hands-on projects in the lower level.

As a member of the art museum I also get invited to events. One of my favorites was the "Booze and Brushes" where you paint on a small canvas any subject that you want while sipping wine. I painted a still life of pastries and a latte from a photo that I took in the Left Bank of Paris. I have it hanging in my office space at home. I think it would be fun to do a pastry party invitation. 

The latest event at the San Jose Museum of Art was a "Members Day" for the Rainmond Strapran exhibit just last week. This exhibit was very exciting and inspiring. He was influenced by California life style and light.  He lived in Northern California his whole art career. His paintings are purely Californian. They are based on reality and imagination done in a full prismatic spectrum. Strapran was influenced by French Post-Impressionism, such as Cézanne's still lifes, which I love! The monochromatic colors in all of his still life compositions have a Picasso feeling to them with either warm or cool colors. His paintings of fruit still lives have movement in them and a horizon line. I just love it! This would be a great exhibit for an art class field trip to study still lives and color theory. 

Strapran was also inspired by California marinas both in northern and southern California. He did several landscape, architecture, and marina paintings in Antioch, Aptos, Benicia, Santa Monica, and Sea Ranch. I was really drawn to these painting for his use of all the blue hues mixed with grays. I think these were my favorites in the exhibit. He referred to the paintings as kept ghost towns. People were obviously there at one time, where their expensive indulgences were left behind in the form of docks and boats. These scenes lack action or excitement. No one is out sailing and boats remain anchored or tethered. His paintings have an eternal state of quiet to them. Along with being a painter Strapran was also an actor. "Strapran speaks quietly, he works quietly and he makes fundamental statements quietly too". This exhibit made me want to go home and paint more and somehow incorporate my paintings into stationery for my Etsy shop. 

After the art exhibit I browsed around the art museum gift shop which has great decor items, gifts, art items, books, stationary, and journals. I enjoyed looking at the fun journals with inspirational quotes such as "Unplug every day". I have always loved collecting journals to write my thoughts in.  I was told that I should add more stationary with quotes to my Etsy shop. This has been a trend with stationery for the last few years. Here is one that I have in my shop with one of my favorite quotes, "What Ever The Question Is Chocolate Is The Answer". Also another big trend that I have been drawn to is fancy water bottles such as the brand Swell water bottles. I love mine which is in metallic matte grey. I carry it around as an accessory and to keep healthier by drinking more water. I was excited about the colorful display of water bottles they had in the gift shop which lends itself to a great color palette. 

After the museum I ended my downtown San Jose day with an Al Fresco lunch at "San Pedro Market".  This marked opened up a few years ago in downtown and it has become a hot gathering spot. This is the first time I have been there during the week in the day and it was packed with business people. I love the outdoor space with a great patio area to hang out in. I went inside and picked up some shrimp tacos from "Loteria Taco Bar". Their tacos are great! They have a variety of tacos with fresh ingredients. It was yet another a great adventure day in a local Silicon Valley area!