Northern California weekend

Inside Tackle your gift list with a stroll clown Clement Street Check out an epic Southwest trail A Sierra Foothills weekend

Jaffe says pop art today has a more urban feel, with artists like Britto, Bansky, Mr. Brainwash and others drawing inspiration from the cities around them."(Emerging collectors) want to be part of somebody's journey," Throckmorton-McDowell says. "It's exactly what they're living reflected in art. Oftentimes it's the case that they never even knew that it would exist in a format that they could afford."This wreath by San Francisco's Studio Choo (studiochoo.com) is made from "bits and bits" of items picked up while walking after a big storm. Pine, fir, rosemary, magnolia leaves, succulents, and berries are wrapped into the wreath. TIP: Supplement the wreath with items found at a floral market. For complete wreath-making directions, visit sunset.com/wreath"Pop art comes from pop culture, and pop culture comes from pop art," Britto says. "It is a universal language that people can all speak. There are a lot of things that artists try to express themselves that the average person doesn't understand ... But when somebody shows a Coca-Cola or something that is part of everyday life, (viewers) can say, 'Oh, I get it."'Quirky little secrets like pairing a 40-year-old port with a bowl of breakfast cereal are things people would never share with others, and Nelder wants people to question those urges to conceal.In a season that's often predictable, mix it up with a rosemary nest place setting and a centerpiece of forest finds (take care with wild mushrooms; many are poisonous). TIP: Rosemary stalks should be long and tender enough to curve into a bowl shape. Add kumquats for a splash of color.5. Let someone else do the wrapping"Part of the making of a hero is the objectification of something," Nelder says. "To objectify is to make it into something more specific and personal to the viewer. The viewer projects their experience, and that experience makes the object important or not."cotoneaster"Happiness is the most important thing in people's lives. That's why there is so much money spent on things. Everyone is trying to find happiness," Britto says. "As an artist, I want to introduce things you can look at that will put a smile on your face."Use a piece of found driftwood as a rustic backdrop to moss, small evergreens, and succulents. TIP: Fill crevices in the driftwood with enough soil to anchor your plant tableau firmly.It seems like a tall order for a box of breakfast cereal, but for Nelder and other pop artists, it's items like Cheerios, a multicolored horse, a dark and twisted carousel and a Playboy Bunny that reflect pop culture back to viewers in new ways.

Clement St. runs from Arguello Blvd. west past State 1.

Author: Rachel Levin