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Barbara Falconer Newhall

Veteran journalist Barbara Falconer Newhall riffs on life as she knows it.

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shopping stories

Shopping at the Berkeley Potters Guild — Three Artists, Three Visions

August 7, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

By Itsuko Zenitani, two round, fine porcelain ceramic bowls with ceramic lids-\that appear to be straw. At the Berkeley Potters Guild. Photo by BF Newhall

Lots of wonderful stuff to see at the Berkeley Potters Guild the other day. The work of three potters in particular, each with a distinctive vision, caused me to pull out my trusty point-and-shoot and click away. Read more.

 

Sculptor Patricia Bengtson-Jones — Connecting with the Cosmos

July 31, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Patricia Bengtson-Jones in her Berkeley, CA, studio. To the left is a fountain cast from the base marble of "Kento Warrior." Photo by BF Newhall

The mythology of prehistory continues to beckon to sculptor Patricia Bengtson-Jones. The Berkeley, California, artist has been exploring stone, bronze, steel and glass for decades — and a few weeks ago I had a chance to explore her studio. Read more.

Judy Seidel: Click Here for an Eyeful of Her Life-Affirming Paintings

July 24, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

"Diptych," by Berkeley, CA, Painter, Judy Seidel is two jig-sawed pieces of wook painted abstractly with red, green and yellow shapes. Photo by BF Newhall

Some artists seem to be able transfer the way their minds work onto paper or canvas. And of those artists, every once in a while, it’s a mind that you’d like to spend more time with. I’m thinking of abstract painter Judy Seidel. Read more.

Institute of Mosaic Art — A Berkeley Spin on an Ancient Art

July 17, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

"Holy Cow" a mosaic with ceramic tiles and cow & angel figurines by Marcy Schaff, $155, at the Institute of Mosaic Art. Photo by BF Newhall http://BarbaraFalconerNewhall,com

The Institute of Mosaic Art left its creative mark on facades all over Oakland’s Jingletown neighborhood before moving last year to Berkeley. Visitors are welcome to stop by, and on a recent afternoon there was plenty to see: mosaic lemons, mosaic limes, a mosaic bird — and a mosaic bundt cake. Read more.

Amazing Places: A Walk Around Oakland’s Jingletown

July 3, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

a car entirely covered with mosaics parked in Oakland, CA, Jingletown neighborhood. Photo by BF Newhall

Is Oakland the next Brooklyn? Lots of people are saying so. As rents and living expenses skyrocket in San Francisco, thanks to the tech boom, hipsters and artists are relocating across the Bay to Oakland. Read more.

Oakland’s Jingletown: Arts, Crafts, Cool Kitsch — And Cookies

June 26, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Bright green letters spell out the word "art" on a black background on a sign for East Bay Open Studios. Photo by BF NewhallIt was a lovely afternoon for wandering in and out of artists’ studios in Jingletown, Oakland, California’s vibrant, up-and-coming arts neighborhood, earlier this month. More than a dozen neighborhood artists had opened their doors for the annual East Bay Open Studios. Read more.

To the Himalayas and Back — In a Day and Duty Free

May 18, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

An array of wood carvings of gods and goddesses including buddha and ganesh on display table at Himalayan Fair Berkeley, May 2014. Photo by BF Newhall

Bay Area residents — it’s not too late to catch this year’s Himalayan Fair at Live Oak Park in Berkeley. Today’s the second and last day of the annual celebration of the cultures of Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and North India — and a terrific shopping opportunity.

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ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Shanghai Chic — It’s All About the Shoes in This Skyscraping Town of 24 Million

By Barbara Falconer Newhall Young people are flocking to swashbuckling, get-rich-quick Shanghai. Come back soon to see what they’re wearing on their feet. I’m just back from a two-week blitz tour of China and am off to Austin for a Religion Newswriters Association conference tomorrow. There will be plenty to share when I get back. […]

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TO MY READERS

Please feel free to share links to my posts with one and all and to quote briefly from them in your own writing, remembering, of course, to attribute the quote to me and to provide a link back to this site.

My Oakland Tribune columns, btw, are reprinted by permission of the Trib. With the exception of review copies of books, I do not accept ads or freebies of any kind. Click on the "Contact" button if you have questions. Enjoy!

 

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