So you think you can paint

One of the challenges I've set myself is for someone to agree to let me surf their couch while travelling.  So I've set myself up a profile on couch surfer (yes, I also realise there's AirB&B).  To date I've learnt that a), there's a lot of men seeking men in San Francisco and b) you need a witty and engaging profile and be verified by as many people as possible so that the surfee doesn't get freaked out by the surfer.  I'm not at this stage yet (the verifications), but looking at the activities on the couchsurfer website I saw a free evening during the week, 'So you think you can paint', where there's an array of canvases put up and you can paint away with cheap beer etc.


I was keen to check this out and headed downtown.  The CS website indicated 11 people attending, so I thought it'd be an intimate affair and we'd stroke out chins and wonder at the creations forming in front of us.  I've only really painted one thing in the past 20 years, this being my skateboard when I was 19, so was looking to rehash that design.  Unfortunately (or fortunately), the event was open to all and sundry, and all canvases had been taken by the time I arrived.

I quickly realised after a number of moments that my skateboard motif probably wasn't going to cut it and headed to the bar.  At the bar, and in my constant search for material I met a lass who runs a sustainable design festival twice a year, the Urban Air Market.  The idea is a market solely based on integrating sustainability considerations into mainly fashion designs, this can range from considerations regarding the type of dyes, to the type of fabric, or base material of the product.  Another potential story in my ongoing quest for material.