This morning, as I began to climb Bankers Hill, I casually glanced into this tattoo parlor and was immediately horrified.
Just inside the window, a poor skeletal artist was attempting to apply ink to a sadly bony customer. Not much progress was being made.
Seriously, I believe this funny window display was created for Halloween!
I promised even more photos of the amazing chalk art creations at Little Italy’s 2013 Festa event. Many of these pics show artists at work, applying vibrant color to the drab asphalt of a downtown San Diego street. Enjoy these images!
Andy Warhol might’ve painted mopeds in this fashion!
Expressive faces. This was one of my favorites!
I also love these exotic masks and faces!
What could be more Italian than Pinocchio?
Even though it’s a bit creepy, I like this one. It really appeals to the imagination!
Among the talented artists were many young people. Impressive!
It seems the Minions had a sneaky, dastardly scheme. It was to tilt the Leaning Tower of Pisa!
Here are more photos of the Italian chalk art, properly called Gesso Italiano, at today’s 2013 Festa event in Little Italy. I’ve got so many great pics, it’s hard to choose which ones to show. Oh, well. I hope you like these! (Make sure you check out my previous post.)
Three blocks of a city street in San Diego’s Little Italy became the canvas for chalk creations! Lots of classical images, as one might expect from a celebration of Italy . . .
I bet Walt Disney himself would’ve been delighted by this colorful chalk art Jiminy Cricket!
This humorous piece seems to be named Dogue Italia. That’s one elegantly dressed dog!
More beautiful artistry . . .
A striking portrait. You’d think this was an exquisite painting hung in a museum!
I have even more photos coming . . . so check back soon!
Wow! I just finished a leisurely walk through Little Italy’s great 2013 Festa event, and by far the most amazing part of it was the chalk art competition! I learned that Italian chalk art is called Gesso Italiano. There were 62 colorful entries, taking up three full city blocks! I got so many great photos I’m going to break it all into several blog posts. Here comes the first batch!
All the artwork was fantastic!
It was fascinating to watch the many artists at work. I wish I had such talent!
Lots of people converged on San Diego’s unique Italian Festival!
Recreating a masterpiece with chalk.
I love this cool pic. One of the amazing chalk creations depicted another act of creation: that of God! The Sistine Chapel’s ceiling seemed to be transported to the asphalt street. Bystanders were invited to lie down and become part of Michelangelo’s divine masterpiece!
Stay tuned for more!
A whole variety of street performers, entertainers, psychics and artists can be found along the path that separates Seaport Village from Embarcadero Marina Park North. It’s a lively scene, especially during the summer. I snapped a great photo of a portrait artist sketching the faces of a couple who were seated together. Some of the artists seem more skilled than others; some paint, some draw, some do cartoons and caricatures.
The following pic is from another sunny summer day…
…
Just steps from the Seaport Village carousel and Ben and Jerry’s you’ll find a henna tattoo artist. They must’ve been out to lunch when I walked by. But it was interesting to check out the display of possible designs and the table full of colorful materials.
Another pic taken on a day the artist was at work:
And then, one day, I took another stroll through Seaport Village…
Click to follow the Cool San Diego Sights blog on Twitter or Facebook!
This large mural on the Arte Building on Sixth Avenue has become iconic in downtown San Diego. It was painted in 1989 by artists Kathleen King and Paul Naton and conveys a strong pro-multicultural message. Time has somewhat faded the once bold mural, but it still catches the attention of those venturing through the heart of the city.
Just walking along yesterday, I had to pause for a few moments to enjoy these kids playing string instruments by the USS Midway aircraft carrier museum for the passing Labor Day crowd. San Diego’s Embarcadero usually has a number of fun street performers, especially down by Seaport Village, but they were out in full force for the holiday weekend!
These three kids are talented musicians!
UPDATE!!!
Walking past Seaport Village on a fine Sunday afternoon in March, I happened to see this amazing musical family again! And I learned their official name: the De la Motte Strings! Here’s their Facebook page!
ANOTHER SIGHTING!
AGAIN!
I spotted this growing musical group in Balboa Park in late 2018!
I took this fun photograph near Anthony’s Fishette. A spray paint artist had placed these colorful pieces of artwork out for passersby to admire and hopefully purchase. These appear to be smaller renditions of the more elaborate “space art” productions that I’ve seen in the past. In addition to a few cosmic planets, I see several outlines of the Coronado Bay Bridge, a Buddha, a Mario, a skull and crossbones, and a variety of cool faces.
I really like how these images, weighed down on the sidewalk with small rocks, combine in a fantastic mosaic. The colors are intense and the effect is bold!
UPDATE!
I spotted the same artist displaying his work on some grass near the convention center during 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. I learned his name is William J. Dorsett. Cool guy! Check out his Mind Magick Creations website!
…
Take a look at the deliciously, crazily, wonderfully picturesque Studio 13 in Balboa Park’s always surprising and colorful Spanish Village! This quaint little studio is both funky and folksy, a wild mixture of creative artistry!
You know, I wouldn’t mind living in such a happy place. Perhaps in the middle of a green meadow with unicorns grazing nearby…
Cool San Diego Sights! 