visiting an Oakland landmark

Went with my girls to see the Oakland Ballet & the Oakland Symphony perform the Nutcracker at the Paramount Theatre. The theater is a fabulous example of art deco. Above are some rough sketches from the walls in in the lobby and the theater proper.

Memory sketches done during intermission. The set designers did a great job of carrying the art deco theme onto the stage. After a while I began to look, not so much at the dancers themselves, but the negative spaces  highlighted by their moves. 

Today's memory sketch

As my family will tell you, I'm pretty good at sketching just about anywhere. Today, I unpacked my folding bike from the trunk and rode for a couple of miles along the path beside The Great Highway, across from Ocean Beach. The weather was perfect, the path was not crowded, and my sketchbook remained in the trunk. Even I have my sketching limits, and being behind the steering wheel (or column) is my biggest. I've been thinking about the ride ever since as the above image will attest.