The distinctive Victorian roof of the Hotel del Coronado, a top San Diego resort and tourist attraction, appears in the letter S in a North Park mural.
I walked through North Park today with my camera. I had intended to continue up to Normal Heights and walk along Adams Avenue, photographing lots of street art, but I got distracted! I’ll head that way another time.
Meanwhile, stay tuned, because a whole bunch of super cool North Park street art is coming up! (I think North Park probably has more street art per city block than any other San Diego neighborhood.)
To get things started, check out this cool mural that caught my eye while I walked along 30th Street. Using the magic of the internet, I now send it to you! Greetings from San Diego!
Balboa Park’s iconic California Building and bell tower appear in the letter G in the same colorful North Park mural.Greetings from SAN DIEGO! It’s a postcard painted on a building wall! This cool urban art is on 30th Street, just south of El Cajon Boulevard in North Park. Images in the eight letters include the Ocean Beach Pier, La Jolla Cove, the U.S./Mexico border, and the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster at Belmont Park in Mission Beach!
This cool urban art was created in 2016 by New York graffiti artist Victor Ving and Ohio photographer Lisa Beggs. They have been traveling around the United States in an RV painting these postcard-like murals!
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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!
I’d like to bring two talented artists to everyone’s attention. I met them during my walk around San Diego yesterday. They show their colorful works of art on the sidewalk. I had spoken to Carlos several times in the past; I spoke to Juli for the first time and learned a little of her story.
Carlos often hangs out on the Embarcadero, right next to the Star of India. His fantastic Eagle Warrior appears to me to belong in an art gallery. (Click this image to enlarge it!)
Carlos hangs out next to the Star of India, right near the ship’s figurehead. He usually has a whole array of stone and wire creature creations on display. Many of them are antlike. They’re all a lot of fun.
Yesterday he had something absolutely amazing on the sidewalk. You can see it in my first two photographs. He has made several such figures using resin, acrylic, and in this case some some quartz crystals. I looked very closely at his Eagle Warrior and was completely blown away. To me, this piece appeared to belong in an art gallery!
Carlos is very friendly and interesting, with many wise things to say about life and the world. He has lived in San Diego for a long, long time. If you happen to walk along the Embarcadero, and you see some art on the sidewalk that matches what I have described, you’ve probably found him! Say hello!
Close look at jaguar and serpent at foot of Aztec warrior, an amazing work of resin, acrylic and quartz by San Diego artist Carlos.
And now, a small colorful work of art by Juli:
A small but beautiful work of art, painted by friendly Juli. You can find her sometimes on the Embarcadero, sometimes on Broadway by the Santa Fe Depot.
At times I have seen Juli along the Embarcadero, painstakingly using a small brush to paint her fantastic crystal-like watercolor creations. But yesterday I spoke to her for the first time. She was hanging out on the sidewalk just south of the Santa Fe Depot. Take a look at her work!
Juli is quite knowledgeable about the art scene and has travelled all around the country. Many of her friends and acquaintances know her as Tree. She recently came down to San Diego from San Francisco, and is working to recover from a difficult situation. Her attitude is of unbounded optimism!
If you’re ever walking about San Diego and you spy her small but very distinctive works of art, take a close look! They’re pretty amazing!
These wonderful small pieces of watercolor art were created by Juli, who also goes by the street name Tree. She recently came to San Diego from San Francisco. (Click this image to enlarge it!)
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! Sometimes I meet really interesting people! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
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Surfer walks past a community mural in Ocean Beach. The mural project was begun by OB artist Rich James in 1999. During special events, residents each paint a square in the mosaic artwork.
Just some more cool photos of colorful signs and street art taken while walking around Ocean Beach. I’ve arranged them in no particular order. Enjoy!
Cool street art mural on the side of a building near the foot of the OB pier. Artist Celeste Byers collaborated with Aaron Glasson.A small totem pole and some geraniums.Surfing street art on OB utility box shows a view down the barrel of perfect wave.Motorcycle graphic on repair shop wall.A mermaid holds a shell full of ocean gifts. A mural in an Ocean Beach alley above a dumpster.Images of breaking surf high on a building wall.Candy and goodies depicted on a colorfully painted Beach Sweets sign.This octopus on Newport Avenue seems to enjoy beer and pizza. One can grab a lot with eight tentacles!A pelican, pizza and ale.Ocean Beach Surf School truck parked by sand features cool surfer art.A splash of urban art on the side of the Hodad’s building.Another of the many community murals in Ocean Beach. This one depicts underwater sea life.What appears to be a tropical island scene on a utility box in OB.Art along a sidewalk shows lush vegetation and the OB pier.Three parrots take flight.Surfboards lie in wait beyond open door of the groovy USA Hostels Ocean Beach.Street lamp on Newport Avenue features palm trees.Car with surfboard drives down Newport Avenue past hair salon and tattoo parlor street art signs.Don’t believe the hype! You are already beautiful. Music, expression, love.Volkswagen bug appears to have emerged from the 60s, with peace signs and psychedelic designs.Ocean Beach community mural features bicycles.The OB Christmas tree near the beach is a focal point of this cool community mural!
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This blog now features thousands of photos around San Diego! Are you curious? There’s lots of cool stuff to check out!
Here’s the Cool San Diego Sights main page, where you can read the most current blog posts. If you’re using a small mobile device, click those three parallel lines up at the top–that opens up my website’s sidebar, where you’ll see the most popular posts, a search box, and more!
To enjoy future posts, you can also “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.
Mural painted on the north side of 600 B Street, home of the San Diego Union Tribune. It depicts a man sitting on an actual wall reading a newspaper. Loose windblown pages transform into colorful butterflies.
A mural is being painted on the north side of the building at 600 B Street, a high-rise that is the new home of the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper. The large mural overlooks a fenced park-like space that once was the playground for a downtown child care center.
I saw the colorful new mural behind scaffolding this morning while walking to a nearby trolley station. The artwork cleverly depicts a person reading a newspaper, while “sitting” on a wall that juts from the building. The man doesn’t seem to notice that windblown pages are rising skyward, transforming into butterflies.
The image is quaint, almost nostalgic, as if it were lifted from the pages of a treasured children’s book. Undoubtedly the San Diego Union-Tribune is the inspiration for this mural. It’s a funny choice of images, considering the fact that physical newspapers seem to be gradually fading away. But whatever the digital age might bring, the written word, like language itself, will live on…
UPDATE!
Here’s a photo I took after the mural was completed:
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
A cool work of art pieced together in Balboa Park’s Spanish Village. Anyone can do this!
My weekend walk in Balboa Park took me through Spanish Village Art Center. For a few pleasant minutes I paused to watch artist Kathi Vargo piecing together collages and unique assemblage at a table in the middle of the patio. Anyone passing by was invited to join in!
I learned that Kathi offers Paint and Paper Play classes where absolutely anybody can learn to create mixed media collages. If you’re interested, visit her website!
Kathi Vargo was having a fun Paint and Paper Play Collage Workshop in the middle of the Spanish Village Art Center’s colorful patio.All sorts of objects can be used to assemble this unique artwork.Applying some paint to a strip of material.Creating art expands the mind, enriches the spirit, and is just plain fun!You can make this!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
A walk through Liberty Station in Point Loma is always pleasurable. A photographer can find scenes of art, fun and life!
My walk yesterday took me to one of my favorite places in San Diego . . . Liberty Station! The historic old Naval Training Center San Diego in Point Loma has been converted into beautiful courtyards, shops, museums, art studios and more. It’s a lively but leisurely place where one can simply sit on a bench in a park and enjoy people, fountains, flowers and sunshine. It’s also a perfect place to walk randomly about to make new discoveries.
Here are a few fun photos my camera captured!
Two people on the North Promenade in the middle of the Arts District at Liberty Station learn how to take great photos from a personal instructor.These Star Wars stormtroopers were caught near a parking lot without their helmets. They appear to be quite human and friendly! I believe they were getting ready to provide entertainment for a special event in the big grassy NTC Park.Colorful banner outside the San Diego Watercolor Society Gallery. Their amazing International Exhibition is underway and will be open to the public through October 31.A small collection of paintings can be enjoyed inside the entrance to the old Naval Training Center San Diego’s command building.Art displayed in the NTC Command Center was created by artists who have studios inside several old barracks at Liberty Station.Window into one artist’s studio. Artists, museums and cultural attractions now occupy many of the historic Navy barracks at Liberty Station.A fun sculpture graces the North Promenade at Liberty Station. Flowers, by John Dupree.Families and kids love the small USS Brave boat bench at Liberty Station. Wood art by Jonathan Allen.Photo of entrance to the Dorothea Laub Dance Place building in Liberty Station.Lavendar Ballerina by Jori Owens, one of many paintings on display in the main hallway of the Dance Place San Diego at Liberty Station.Blue Ballerina, a painting by Jori Owens.Red Ballerina, a painting by Jori Owens.A busy Saturday at the new and very popular indoor Liberty Public Market.Flowers add color and life to Liberty Public Market, one of many places to visit at Liberty Station.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of fun photos for you to enjoy!
This morning I walked through Chicano Park. It had been a while since I last wandered among the park’s many famous murals. My camera was searching for no one thing in particular. But I couldn’t stop admiring the many expressive faces that have been artfully painted: faces from our Hispanic community that contain a whole range of emotions, including pride, hope and resolve. The expressive faces reflect humanity and inner beauty.
I’ve blogged about this amazing collection of outdoor murals (the largest in the country) on several occasions, providing a little more information. Today, I simply present a few photos of painted human expression.
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This blog now features thousands of photos around San Diego! Are you curious? There’s lots of cool stuff to check out!
Here’s the Cool San Diego Sights main page, where you can read the most current blog posts. If you’re using a small mobile device, click those three parallel lines up at the top–that opens up my website’s sidebar, where you’ll see the most popular posts, a search box, and more!
People walk through the breezeway between MCASD and the Santa Fe Depot. Three large portraits address the theme of political and domestic violence.
Unusual, thought-provoking works of art are currently on public display in the outdoor breezeway between the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and the Santa Fe Depot. I happened to see them the other day while walking through downtown to catch the trolley.
Close family members who have survived domestic and political violence appear in three large photographic portraits. The photos have been boldly augmented with paint to highlight human resilience and courage. According to a nearby description, these works are part of the FOCUS Binational Exhibition and were created by MCASD’s Teen Advisory Group. The artwork reflects an exploration of strategies for coping with violence and trauma.
This thought-provoking work of art suggests an older gentleman has a complex, deeply personal story to be told.A proud portrait augmented with laurels suggests one woman’s story ends in triumph.An arresting work of art glimpsed in downtown San Diego near the Santa Fe Depot. A strong woman rises from the turbulent ocean. Part of MCASD’s FOCUS Binational Exhibition.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of unique photos for you to enjoy!
Faces peer from a wall near the San Diego River. The very long mural, titled River Life, contains images of wildlife one might find here–or have found here before urban development.
I love this mural in Mission Valley. I remember driving through the intersection at Qualcomm Way and Camino de la Reina years ago, and seeing a whole bunch of people painting wild river animals along the ugly low wall. A little research today tells me that memory was from late 2009.
“River Life” was completed by almost 200 volunteers over four days. The design came from artist Lori Escalera. It’s one of of six murals (so far) that the San Diego River Park Foundation has helped to create. I’ve featured others on my blog. Here are some links if you want to check out more of the beautiful San Diego River murals…
The left end of a long, colorful mural in Mission Valley. Birds of the air and water are featured here. The art was designed by Lori Escalera in 2009.A heron, hummingbird and frog. Down by the beautiful River Trail, just north of where we stand, many different birds can be spotted on the quiet surface of the San Diego River, and in thick reeds and overhanging tree branches.A butterfly, a fox (peeking from behind a transformer box on Camino de la Reina) and a raccoon.Some sort of lizard–perhaps a Gila monster–is half hidden by leaves, while a rattlesnake coils nearby!A jackrabbit and wild coyote.A skunk and perhaps kitten bobcats.I recognize a squirrel, but I’m not sure about the other animal whose eyes seem to be glowing in the dark.I believe that’s a Red-winged Blackbird and a moth.Looks to me like a toad and a beetle. If you can accurately identify these creatures, feel free to leave a quick comment!That looks to me like a turtle–or a tortoise! It’s obvious this blogger still has a whole lot to learn!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of fun photos for you to enjoy!
Unique holographic artwork painted on glass as seen through a downtown San Diego window. Reflections of life on the street are also visible in this photo.
Look what I discovered! These super cool, revolutionary paintings are on display in downtown San Diego. You’ll find them arranged behind the windows of the now closed Gaslamp 15 movie theater, just beneath the old marquee.
When I read the signs near these vibrant paintings, my curiosity was piqued. An inventive gentleman named Liguori has used proprietary holographic paints to create two-dimensional images that seem three-dimensional. The visual appearance changes depending upon the angle from which the artwork is observed!
According to the written description, this method of painting is so unique that it constitutes a completely new art form! My photos through the glass windows don’t really demonstrate the appearance of three dimensions. But my photos do include interesting reflections from the city street! Melded with the colorful art are buildings, people, a bus, cars, and just regular ordinary stuff a person walking down the sidewalk might observe. In a sense, this adds another unusual dimension! Please read the two signs that I photographed. Especially if you are keenly interested in physics and philosophy, and unbounded human creativity.
Do you have questions? Would you like to learn more? Perhaps you’d like to purchase one of these completely revolutionary pieces, which belong to an art movement yet to be named! That’s what the sign says! And all proceeds go to charity! To contact Liguori, use the email that is at the bottom of the signs.
Very cool!
Very cool works of art are on display in downtown San Diego. You can see them in the windows of the now vacant Gaslamp 15 movie theater, beneath the old marquee.Liguori is a successful businessman in his seventies. He took up painting late in life. He developed a totally new art medium. All the proceeds of his work will go to various charities!More examples of Liguori’s dazzling, thought-provoking pieces. Apparently the application of his special holographic paint on glass is an entirely new, revolutionary art form.Bold color stimulates the human mind and imagination. Like the universe (or perhaps multiverse), what is seen depends on the observer’s momentary point of view.Liguori’s work provides a physical manifestation of objective reality. When viewing this holographic art, countless three dimensional images are possible. It depends upon the angle of observation.Abstract art melds with cars, buildings, and bits of everyday experience in one wonderful window.More fantastic artwork. I was unable to take photographs without reflections in the windows. But it makes these images that more interesting!A dim somebody strides through a splash of vibrant color.The cosmos is incomprehensibly enormous and complex. Different wavelengths, angles, points in space and time…different states of mind and a blink of the eye. Objective reality is observed only in tiny slices.
UPDATE!
I’ve decided to walk past these holographic paintings again, and attempt to take some better photos without the street reflections. I’ll post them shortly…
Okay, I somehow got two close-up photos through the windows that are pretty amazing. Here they are…
01 Close-up photo of holographic painting by Liguori.02 Close-up photo of holographic painting by Liguori.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
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