San Francisco-cable cars, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate bridge

 This 16 X 20 oil painting preserves a memory from our July trip to San Francisco for our daughter's and new son-in-law's wedding reception. We stayed at the Mark Hopkins hotel right up the street from this intersection.  From here we took the cable car to the waterfront. The view includes the bay, the bridge, Alcatrz, the hill and the cable cars. I knew this was a spot I wanted to paint! When there were 2 cars I quickly snapped a photo (hoping not to get run over). The cars were always stuffed with passengers and it took several coming to the stop to get up in line far enough to board. I wanted to give the sense of overflowing cars, beautiful weather and the feel of the city. I eliminated a buiding and some of the complex details on them to keep the focus on the cars and to make the composition work. The flags on the building add  color help lead the viewer into the scene. Given the dark days we are experiencing in 2025, I chose a high key palette to brighten up the painting and the mood. Our family time together on this trip is a memory I want to preserve.  I love San Francisco.