I already used Shur-Line‘s mini rag rollers for my decorative painting business before Hosting Fresh Coat then becoming Shur-Line’s spokesperson (2007-2010; a great run!) and a huge fan of their brushes and teflon coated trays. My favorite brushes are 1 1/2″ square and angle. (Thank you, Paul and Shur-Line team)

And I can’t live without Fits-All Paint Can Spout (see the yellow and blue plastic thingies at the back of the counter?). I’ve used these for years to keep paint cans clean which keeps the paint fresh longer and the mess to a minimum. LOVE these things!

These and more fav tools have helped me paint things like this dresser for the DIY videos I produced last Summer…

and later this landscape in my living room.

These stripes on my piano…

This painting that just sold yesterday (yea!)

Decorative finishes, like this one, from my decorative painting days…

And this cute little night stand I’m taking with me to my Art reception at Kaffeehaus this Saturday in San Mateo from 6-9. (hope to see you all there)

Feels great to have the tools and the team that makes everything I do easier and more fun.

Val is preparing some nice little hors d’oeuvres and selected a lovely vino for a complimentary bite and beverage. (more drinks and food are available for purchase after that)

And I’m putting final touches on the pillows and things to accompany my art. Here’s just a glimpse of what will be at the show…

See you there:

Kaffeehaus

92 East 3rd Avenue, San Mateo

Saturday May 18th 6-9pm

I’ve been on a mad dash getting ready these past few days, for my art show at Kaffeehaus in San Mateo.

Val, the owner, invited me to add more art to the walls…

and then I went with friend and photographer, Sarah Deragon, to the Alameda Flea Market and found some treasures…

Like this chair from the DEA’s office in Los Angeles…

And this cute little nightstand…

So, I just had to add them to my list of things to do and see how I can transform them with my paintings (can’t wait to show you!). That’s right, I’m creating a pop-up shop complete with the art, pillows and furniture.

Somehow it always gets done (right, Lane and Mom?!) and the best part is that when all is said and done, enjoying the event with friends and family makes it all worth while.

It’s true, there have been several unashamed announcements and invitations about this show, so thank you for indulging my excitement and for the positive responses already flooding in.

See you there!

The more I get out and walk, but more I love morning light. Here are some shots from a recent walk.

Oh! Before we start, I have to shout out to Sarah Deragon of Portraits to the People for her ‘iphoneography 101′ class! Her info and guidance was like a sweet salve on this frustrated photographer’s iphone. Thank you, Sarah!

Okay, here we go…

Do you see it?

And a couple of blocks, or so, up the street- there it is again.

And again!

Yarn Bomb! I’ve seen this in Europe, but San Mateo? really?

Wait- there’s more!

A lot more…

I’m re-naming this street Tube Sock Alley- we’ll see if it holds up… get it? holds up?

Wait- how’d they’d cover this PARKING sign?!

San Mateo has officially been bombed and I love it! It’s more friendly, easier to clean up, and always makes me smile. Can you say that about graffiti?

Here are more incredible attacks, including my personal favorite- the tank covered in a blanket with a pompon on the end of the barrel AND the accompanying article by the Twilight Taggers about how to do it! Seriously, could you really raise weapons against humanity with a pink cozy on your weapon? I see a whole new kind of revolution coming on and I love it! Have a great weekend, everyone.

Two of my pieces have already sold!

Originals are available along with a few pillows. Prints can be ordered as well.

I’m offering a 10% discount for that night only on all purchases, so let me know if you have any questions or want to meet that the cafe for a preview.

I know. I live here and often berate myself for leaving the greener pastures, er uh, brighter lights of ‘the City’ for this.

So, to adjust my attitude, I invited (perhaps begged) some friends to join me on a food crawl up B Street, an unassuming little boulevard of international restaurants- mostly individually owned- here in downtown San Mateo.

That's my brother-in-law Andrew, sister Paige, and friends Meghan, and Carrie warming up at the Downtown Tiki Lounge. (I think I owe them something for making the trip out here, but shhh, maybe they'll forget)

From the Tiki lounge we headed straight for adventure at Street Food, a Chinese restaurant, firing up a long list of skewers.

(thanks for ordering the bbq squid, Andrew. I just love chewing through rubbery food)

("fish balls and cilantro rolls, eh?... ok, we can do this")

Next up, Peruvian faire at Las Americas…

The food was delicious but this was such a ‘hole-in-the-wall’ situation that when Paige asked to use the restroom she was directed through the liquor store next door.

I think you had to be there to fully understand why she documented the event...

and why, in an effort to stay focused on the benefits of living in San Mateo, we won’t speak of this further.

Suffice it to say, we were all happy to move on to Kingfish, an upscale Louisiana style restaurant in this iconic art deco building.

(You can't see it, but the oysters, cornbread and burrata were all big hits here at Kingfish! The martini was awesome too- olives count for food, right?)

(I love the art here too)

We headed for a new Hofbrau next, but it was closed so we ended our crawl, appropriately, at 31st Union, a delicious little farm to table (of course) bistro for people like us who can’t help but ‘heart’ California.

(another of the many art deco building dotting downtown)

and by now, we’re not even taking pictures at all- I ‘borrowed’ these. That’s what happens when you get to the ‘crawl’ part. And, we didn’t even make it to the Indian, Italian, Japanese, Thai, Mexican, or Irish spots on B street!

So, if you’re coming to San Francisco and have even just an extra half day or so, come to downtown San Mateo (caltrain stops right here!) and fill your belly with your friends. Or call me, I’ll do the crawl with you. San Mateo is definitely (finally) growing on me

You’ll see familiar pieces, new works and pieces I’ve been completing for my painting-a-week challenge. Original pieces are for sale and prints and pillows will be available for order.

Contact me if you’d like to be added to the invite list. info@shannonkaye.com

This little owl may seem like a strange painting from me, but it’s part of a really cool project I worked on this weekend. Here’s the scoop:

Founded by Nancy Ballard (on the left contributing her painting talents as well!) Rooms that Rock for Chemo provides hospital oncology centers with colorful uplifting makeovers provided by volunteer interior designers, artists, and all around cool people…

like my friend, Shannon Geis, a talented Decorative Painter , who recruited me, Colin, Vernon, and a few other friends to help her paint a play room for a Children’s Cancer Treatment Center  makeover at Oakland Childrens Hospital. Shannon rallied everyone from volunteers, maintenance crew, and hospital staff to add their unique touch to the community mural she designed just for this space. She and another fantastic artist, Lynne Rutter, started off the room with the big elements and came back in when everyone was done contributing to bring it all together with detail work and final touches.

I painted the owl she gave me and then took on three magnate paint squares with decorative frames. (I used it on Fresh Coat, so I know this material well- even the roller gets heavy loaded up with metal infused paint!)

In the midst of her own design contributions, Cora Sue Anthony, from HGTV, jumped onto the mural with us too! Thanks, Cora Sue!

I was only there for one day. It’s the people who spent the week and weekend on this magnificent makeover, and those who are committed to this incredible organization and oncology centers everywhere who are rocking the world.

Great day. Thank you, Shannon Geis and Rooms that Rock for Chemo!

I’m so excited to share with you my first Color in the City pen pal, Isabelle Boucq,

who sent me a glimpse of her neighborhood, the Sentier, in Paris!

I met Isabelle Boucq, an accomplished writer, at a unique little house party in Berkeley (thank you, David!) where she showcased several California musicians who contributed to a movie which she also worked on called California Dream by Cameron Hughes. We’ve been corresponding every since, so I asked her to send me a brief description of the part of Paris she calls home along with a few photos. I added a color palette, of course, and can’t wait to check out her arrondissement myself! ‘Til then, here’s what she sent me about her Color in the City worthy life….

The Sentier, in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, is not an area where you will bump into many tourists. Known as the garment district since the 19th century (several scenes from Balzac’s novels are set in the area), it is a succession of wholesale stores displaying the coming season’s fashion.

The neighborhood is perpetually out of sync, showcasing warm coats and heavy sweaters in the summer and light dresses and capris in the heart of winter.

For a while in the 90s, it became known as the Silicon Sentier, a desirable area for French start-ups attracted by the telecommunication infrastructure originally set up for the nearby Bourse, the stock exchange, in Palais Brongniart.

Cheap rent for large spaces increasingly vacated by sewing workshops also helped attract high-tech companies including Yahoo. Despite a slow decline, the neighborhood is still a lively hub with delivery trucks regularly backing up traffic in its network of narrow streets, some of them named for French military victories in Egypt in the 1790s (rue du Caire, rue d’Alexandrie, rue d’Aboukir where Napoleon briefly lived). Pakistani men stand on street corners and squares waiting to get hired to do odd jobs.

This year, peachy, rosy colors are the dominant colors in the windows of the Sentier.

Isabelle Boucq studied journalism at the University of Oregon, obtaining a master’s there before the digital revolution.

For the past 15+ years, she has written for French and American publications about high tech, business and travel among other topics. With her husband and two sons, she lives alternatively in Paris and in California.