Tag: artwork

Beautiful mosaics of Encinitas Up Close: south side.

In Encinitas, incredibly beautiful public art decorates the underpass of Interstate 5 at Santa Fe Drive. The project is called Encinitas Up Close. Fifty three colorful mosaics, created by local students and professional artists, greet those who pass under the freeway.

I photographed these 3′ by 5′ mosaic panels the other day during my walk in Encinitas. The joyful images reflect themes that are popular in this beach community. The ocean, nature, sunsets, people, surfing, pets, skateboarding, sunshine, history, places…

In this blog post I’ll share photos of the 27 mosaics that line the sidewalk and bike lane on the south side of Santa Fe Drive. I’ll share the north side mosaics in a second, upcoming post.

My photographs are raw and unedited–many taken in the dim light of an underpass shadow.

Koi With Lotus, by Lucy Stefanko.

Nautilus, by Joyce Schleiniger.

Woody At The Beach, by Kathryn Weiss.

Unleashed, by KAROB, Katherine and Robert Bender.

Swami’s Sunrise, by Liz and Luke Hoffmann.

Bird Of Paradise, by Gary Timinsky, Debe Hersey.

7 Day Weekend 1, by Tyler Adams Hawkins.

Asintmah, Native American Earth And Nature Goddess, by Silvia Wiedmann.

Face Of Existence, by Joyce Schleiniger.

Spiny Lobster In Tide Pool At Swami’s, by Timothy J Lueker.

Sea Lavender Above The Tracks, by Layla M Gunn, Deana Coveney.

Koi In Shimmering Waters, by Jessica Imaz Horton.

Bullet In The Back Country, by Timothy J Lueker.

Memorial, by Mike Upton, Jerm Wright, Erin Grady, Karl Ensberg.

Ruby The Shark, by Pietro Martinez.

Skateboarding Into The Sunset, by Lynn Adams.

Blooming Encounter, by Macall Deaver, Papa Faj.

Sun, Sea And Lotus, by Bereket Denslow, Isabella Parrales.

Carla The Poinsettia Calavera, by Morgaine McGrath, Julia Miller, Ariella Pacheco, Daniel McGrath.

Seagull And Moonlight Palm, by Todd Anderson.

Daisy The Whale, by Pietro Martinez.

Oceanna, by Cheryl Tall, Anila Saier, Elizabeth Joy Mueller, Mary F McCarthy.

Aquascape, by KAROB, Katherine and Robert Bender.

Golden Hour, by Liz and Luke Hoffmann.

Octopus, by Crystal and Evan Sandoval.

A Shard Of Whimsical Music, by Gillian Shaver.

Hummingbird With Hibiscus, by Lucy Stefanko.

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Fun art outside Logan Avenue Galeria de Arte!

I enjoyed a long walk around Barrio Logan this morning and what did I discover? Some super fun artwork!

Both of these were painted outside LOGAN AVE Galeria de Arte.

The first mural, depicting a fierce jaguar, was created in 2022 by Miguel Falcon and Armando Nunez: the gallery owner and the curator.

The second work of art was painted above the gallery’s front entrance by Connie Perez in 2021. Frida Kahlo has seemingly turned into a colorful multi-scoop ice cream cone! Perhaps that’s because the ice cream shop Nevería Los Mochis is located inside the gallery!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Youth exhibition at San Diego Museum of Art.

Young Art 2023: Comfort and Calm is a free youth exhibition now on view at the San Diego Museum of Art until May 15, 2023.

I’m always amazed by the local talent that appears every two years at the museum’s longest running art program–almost a century now! Students from regional schools around San Diego and Tijuana have selected work displayed in SDMA’s Galleries 14 and 15.

This year the theme is Comfort and Calm. In an age of COVID-19, barbaric war, political hatred, talk of the world’s end, and addictive, omnipresent social media that provides a deluge of shallowness, nastiness, confusion and absurdity, I can definitely understand why young people would seek comfort and calm, and how artistic expression can provide that refuge.

The artworks you’ll see are not only very well done but inspiring. Thank goodness, the human spirit is resilient.

You can freely access Galleries 14 and 15 from a corner of the May S. Marcy Sculpture Court and its Panama 66 restaurant. Look for the following sign and head through the nearby doors that lead to museum restrooms.

Enjoy a few examples of this great youth art…

Sunset, Thrace Hollmann. Torrey Pines Elementary School, Grade 4.

Along the Border, Katelyn Wang. The Bishop’s School, Grade 12.

Spring Rain, Joana Jiang. Francis Parker School, Grade 11.

Look Around, Carley Chen. The Bishop’s School, Grade 10.

Sunset Fields, Ivory Rose Foley. Gillispie School, Grade 4.

My Nature, Olivia Dooda. Johnson Elementary, Grade 2.

Hilltop Home, Hadley Lischke. Gillispie School, Grade 1.

Warmth, Ava O’Connor. Westview High School, Grade 12.

Sleepy, Gabriella Hernandez. Chula Vista High and School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Grade 12.

Have you noticed electrical boxes around downtown San Diego that appear like special works of art? Many of these boxes were painted in 2021 for the San Diego Museum of Art’s previous Youth Art exhibition.

You can find those photographs by clicking here and scrolling down.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

National City students create community murals!

Students in San Diego’s South Bay, participating in the Community ARTS program of A Reason To Survive, continue to beautify National City neighborhoods. I stumbled upon an example of this during my latest National City walk!

Colorful wildlife murals decorate a fence that encloses a San Diego Gas and Electric natural gas riser facility at the corner of Palm Avenue and 4th Street.

The stylish artwork is bold and really good. The young hands that painted the panels are not only learning about art, but are assuming roles of leadership as they work to create positive change in the community.

The project is a collaboration between SDG&E and A Reason to Survive (ARTS). I found one article concerning the partnership here.

Enjoy my photos…

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Parrots appear in San Diego for Margaritaville Hotel!

Two enormous parrots are now being painted outside downtown’s Solamar hotel. Why? The property will soon become Margaritaville Hotel San Diego Gaslamp Quarter!

I spotted the new artwork this morning, then returned in the afternoon for more photographs. Several painters were on two suspended platforms creating the huge, colorful murals.

The new Margaritaville Hotel will have a Jimmy Buffett theme. Sunny and laid back. Just like San Diego.

According to its website, the converted hotel will debut this July.

Parrotheads rejoice!

UPDATE!

A week and a half later, this is what I saw…

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Cultural leaders in a National City mural.

Last year locally and internationally renowned artist Mario Torero painted four murals for the San Ysidro Health building in National City, at the intersection of 8th Street and D Avenue.

The colorful faces depicted in these outdoor murals belong to labor and civil rights leaders: Cesar Chavez, Larry Itliong, Dolores Huerta, and Martin Luther King Jr. The faces of these cultural icons are rendered in Torero’s distinctive style.

Torero, co-founder of Chicano Park, is famous for his socially conscious artwork. You’ve likely seen his work elsewhere around San Diego.

I photographed the four postage stamp-like murals during a walk through National City.

Cesar Chavez mural by Mario Torero.

Larry Itliong mural by Mario Torero.

Dolores Huerta mural by Mario Torero.

Martin Luther King Jr. mural by Mario Torero.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Drywall screw artwork honors Veterans!

Take a look at this very unique three-dimensional art that honors military Veterans. It’s made of painted drywall screws!

I saw this patriotic artwork today during my visit to the USS Midway Museum. The display was getting a lot of attention on the aircraft carrier museum’s hangar deck!

The artist is Chief Joe Pisano, who has served many years in the Navy Reserve. I learned he now has an exhibition at Liberty Station. His “The Art of Immortalizing Heroes” is located inside the NTC Command Center, near the new Nautical History Gallery and Museum, which I visited here.

Joe’s display today included several flags that he created using thousands of drywall screws. The texture and wavy appearance of the flags is fantastic.

I noticed much of his artwork brings attention to POW/MIA and homeless Veterans.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

North County artists exhibit in Balboa Park!

An exhibition by the North County Society of Fine Arts can now be enjoyed in San Diego’s always amazing Balboa Park.

Paintings by over twenty NCSFA member artists fill Gallery 21 in the Spanish Village Art Center. The exhibition, titled North County Creates, continues through March 14, 2023.

Anyone in San Diego who loves art should swing on by the gallery to enjoy the many fine pieces. And there are friendly artists with whom you can chat, too!

Today I was fascinated by a variety of painting styles as I visited the gallery. I noted that nearly all of the pieces are for sale, just in case you’re looking for something beautiful.

I also noticed small works of colorful art available for a suggested donation of twenty dollars. Donations support the organization’s high school scholarship fund.

Very cool!

Pathway, by artist Doris Bertch.

Mirror, Mirror, by artist Minnie Valero.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Kids art at Algo Bueno in Chula Vista!

Check out all the fun art on a wall at Algo Bueno in Chula Vista! The artwork was painted by local kids!

I was walking around yesterday when I saw this colorful wall at 354 Church Avenue where Algo Bueno (Something Good), an outdoor eatery, is located. The area was fenced off, so I took zoom photos and sharpened them.

This great art was designed and created by students from Chula Vista Learning Community Charter Middle School.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Nautical Neighbors swim through Oceanside!

An exquisite stained glass mural titled Nautical Neighbors was installed last summer in the heart of Oceanside.

All the abundant sea life swimming through the mural was designed and created by Don Myers and assembled by the citizens of Oceanside.

You can see this very beautiful public art at the intersection of Mission Avenue and Ditmar Street, across from the MainStreet Oceanside downtown information center.

Enjoy these photos!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!