The jars, is an ongoing artwork in progress that is now over 40 years old. There are over 1,200 glass gallon jars that are filled with the flotsam and jetsam of my life in San Francisco since moving here in 1974. Each jar is topped with a fanciful sculptural headdress.

Having worked in San Francisco restaurants for 45 years, I've always asked the bartenders to save for me the gallon jars from martini olives and maraschino cherries.

The jars are filled with my personal histories, stories, and memories. They are time-capsules, spirits, and familiars. I've always thought of them as kachinas. Many of the jars contain historical artifacts, some as far back as the 1700 Spanish days, the 1849 California Gold Rush, and the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire.

A particular focus these days is to label and catalogue each jar. To date, I've now labeled 639 jars, out of the more than 1,200 in the collection.

The 1915 Underwood typewriter that I am using to create the jar's labels. The catalog number on each label refers to more information about the jar in a Microsoft word document on my computer.

Surrounded by over 100 jars, this 12ft. tall, 19th century San Francisco/Nob Hill-themed Christmas tree, is a construction that I created for the lobby of the Huntington Hotel on Nob Hill. It comes apart in five seperate pieces. It was used for three years in the lobby of the hotel during the holidays, but the ownership has changed (twice), and the tree now resides at home in the front room on the first floor of the house built in 1895.

There are over 200 jars that are topped and wearing black headdresses. Those are the oldest jars in this collection, they are the grandparents, and most of them are over 40 years old.

Jar 552 with its headdress

Headdress for jar 552

Jar 559 with its headdress

Jar 557 with its headdress

Headdress for jar 58

Headdress for jar 592

Headdress for jar 85

Headdress for jar 85

Jar 530 with its headdress

Jar 540 with its headdress

Jar 512 with its headdress

Jar 526 with its headdress

Jar 525 with its headdress

Jar 553 with its headdress

Headdress for jar 553

Headdress for jar 513

Headdress for jar 595

The entrance into the lost room

Headdress for jar 559

Jar 511 with its headdress

(L) Jar 593 with its headdress

(R) Jar 98 Homage to Sylvia McLaughlin

Jar 518 and its headdress

Headdress for jar 515

Headdress for 497

Jar 517 and its headdress

Headdress for jar 517

Headdress for jar 516

Headdress for jar 631

Homage to Donnie Tinsley

Jar 508 and its headdress

Sunrise on the last day of April in 2020