Big, fun, expanding mural in Chula Vista!

A very big, very fun outdoor mural is gradually being painted on the east side of La Bella Cafe & Games in Chula Vista!

Check it out!

I believe several artists are involved in this project.

On the smaller perpendicular wall, more fun imagery was painted a while back by artist Shirish Villaseñor. For a better look at that section of the artwork, click here and view the first two photographs.

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

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Finished mural from Chula Vista Lemon Festival!

I took this photo yesterday during a walk through downtown Chula Vista. The lemon tree mural on Third Avenue has been completed!

I saw the artists working on the mural during the Lemon Festival last month and shared photographs of them smiling. See those photos and learn more about the awesome artists here!

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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Racing Thoughts painted in a North Park alley!

This cool mural was painted several months ago in a North Park alley during the North Park Music Fest. The large mural, titled Racing Thoughts, was created by Carly Ealey and Christoper Konecki. Their awesome street art is all over San Diego.

Racing Thoughts can be viewed from the sidewalk on the north side of University Avenue, just west of 30th Street. It’s directly opposite that fierce panda mural which I observed in the same alley a couple weeks ago.

Capturing a single image of the long mural was impractical, given the narrow alley, so you’ll have to visualize the mural’s entirety from multiple photographs:

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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Debut of new Esco Alley Art murals in Escondido!

This afternoon a wonderful event in downtown Escondido celebrated the debut of new public art. The 2023 season of the Esco Alley Art project unveiled twelve colorful new murals by local artists! These new outdoor murals can be found in the alley just south of Grand Avenue, between Juniper and Kalmia Streets.

A good crowd turned out to see the new artwork and meet the artists. Many activities were enjoyed by families, including a photo booth, music and a kids art station. The event also celebrated Escondido Mayor Dane White’s birthday!

It was thrilling to see so many people excited by these new additions to the long alley. Earlier seasons of Esco Alley Art placed dozens of other murals in the same alley, starting two blocks to the west of these. Unfortunately, the murals of the 2021 season will soon be removed, as the renovation of a building at that location gets underway.

I learned all of the artwork is donated freely to the Esco Alley Art project by the artists. The murals depict many different subjects, reflecting the diversity of Escondido itself. In this one magical alley the visions of many inspired people come together.

There are plans for many new seasons of art, with future murals perhaps filling other alleys!

Learn about all of the murals created so far by checking out the Esco Alley Art gallery page here. Better yet, head to downtown Escondido to experience all of this amazing creativity with your own eyes!

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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!

New public art keeps appearing in Escondido!

It seems new public art keeps appearing non-stop in Escondido!

This Saturday, a dozen brand new Esco Alley Art murals will debut at 4:00 pm in the alley south of Grand Avenue between Kalmia and Juniper. The public is invited!

And, of course, this same Saturday the big Grape Day Festival will take place in Grape Day Park near the Escondido Civic Center. I’m sure lots of art will be on display. I plan to be there, too!

I still have some photographs on my computer from my last Escondido adventure about a month ago. They are of murals that were painted on two walls bordering the walkway between the California Center for the Arts, Escondido and a parking lot to the north. The murals were created by @LovePaperPaint. The artwork celebrates many things one can experience at this regional cultural center.

Here are the mural photos:

You can see the murals that previously decorated these same two walls by clicking here!

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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Painting a fierce panda mural in North Park!

A very cool mural is now being painted on one side of the Shank & Bône Vietnamese restaurant in North Park! Up on a cherry picker, Thao Huynh French of Mindful Murals was spray painting bold color around two large, very fierce panda bears! She saw me and waved!

You’ve seen Mindful Murals artwork on my blog several times over the years. It’s always great and often inspirational!

I learned this awesome panda art got started about a week ago. It’s a collaboration with Los Angeles artist Aaron Martin.

As we spoke for a moment, Thao (@thaofrenchart) explained that the adjoining mural LAHAINA LOVELETTER, depicting a rooster, was by her partner in art Kolten French (@koltenfrench)!

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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Fun street art and signs from various walks.

This morning, before I head out to watch the big stickball tournament in Little Italy, I’m going through hundreds of old, unused photographs stored on my computer. All are from various past walks. A few of the photos are so old I’ve forgotten when and where they were taken!

Here are the fun pictures of street art and signs that I’d like to share. It would be a shame not to post them!

A very colorful East Village mural.

He who plants a garden plants happiness.

Sunshine on a Little Italy window by @artbysoup.

Sunshine, surf and surfboard in Oceanside behind the Regal Cinemas.

Voted #1 ice cream in the world by my daughters.

Street art by Jorge Mendoza.

dreamer @nestmurals

Oceanside chalk art on a sidewalk.

Long live the rose that grew from concrete -Tupac Shakur

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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Restoring many murals in Chicano Park!

About a week ago I was privileged to be shown many outdoor murals that are currently being restored in world-famous Chicano Park. What I observed were artists and volunteers working on the Chicano Park Mural Restoration Project 2023.

New color and vibrancy were being applied by many brushes. Preserving these historic murals, which speak vividly of struggle, resilience, and accomplishment by members of the Chicano, Latino, Mexican migrant and Indigenous communities, is an important undertaking. Chicano Park has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

Over 15 murals are to be fully restored in collaboration with the original artists. In the next photo you can see Mario Torero, who painted many of the Chicano Park murals.

I encourage anyone in San Diego who has never experienced Chicano Park to swing on by and wander among the monumental artwork. History, culture and decades of activism in the pursuit of civil rights will make an unforgettable impression.

I was amazed when I learned a group of three artists that painted a mural in 1977 as young women are now restoring their beautiful mural, almost half a century later! They call themselves Mujeres Muralistas. Watch an interview of the artists here. You can see their inspired work in my final two photographs!

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!

More creative, colorful Murals of La Jolla!

The thirteen-year-old Murals of La Jolla project is in constant flux. Older murals vanish, amazing new murals suddenly appear on buildings, along streets, in alleys. According to the official website there are currently 16 murals on view and the project has commissioned 45 artworks to date.

During my walk through the Village of La Jolla a couple of weeks ago, I spotted some murals that I hadn’t previously seen or photographed.

Here they are!

Ocean Front Property in Arizona, Rosson Crow, 2022.

The Scripps Gill Loggia, Rex Southwick, 2023.

Ebony on Draper and Girard, June Edmonds, 2021.

Paintings Are People Too, Monique van Genderen, 2020.

Eclipse (Playtime), Isaac Julien, 2020.

Resurgence, Chitra Ganesh, 2022.

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!

Author faces behind La Jolla Warwick’s bookstore.

Do you recognize some of these faces? They belong to authors who’ve participated in events hosted by La Jolla’s legendary Warwick’s bookstore. Some of the authors are very famous!

During my latest La Jolla walk, I noticed this collection of many faces printed on canvas in the alley directly behind Warwick’s. Upon doing some Googling, I noticed there was an article in 2021 concerning the mural. The twenty author illustrations were created by local artist Lori Mitchell.

Read the article here.

I increased the contrast of these photos because the artwork appears to be a bit sun-faded.

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!