Where the San Diego communities of Normal Heights and City Heights meet, the tears of Chucho water a small human blossom.
Perhaps you’ve seen the piñata character Chucho on El Cajon Boulevard just east of Felton Street, on the wall of U-Stor-It, facing a car sales lot.
Chucho is the creation of San Diego born Latina artist/muralist Michelle Ruby, aka Mr. B Baby. There’s a good chance you’ve observed the colorful character in other street murals around the city. You can find more photos of Chucho by clicking here.
The artist, describing her largest mural yet, says the imagery can be interpreted as your pain is what truly makes you blossom. There’s a description of her thinking and philosophy of life on her Instagram page here.
The beautiful mural was painted several months ago.
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An epic, 263-foot mural in City Heights keeps slowly coming to life!
Unity in the Community, by artist Sake, is a work in progress that promises to be one of San Diego’s most amazing public artworks once completed.
I walked along the south end of Teralta Neighborhood Park today and discovered more human faces have taken form since my last visit in January. Work on the enormous mural has been going on for a year or so.
If you’d like to see photographs of San Diego graffiti artist Sake painting the mural, and of the long mural in various stages of completion, click here.
Here is some of that new life I spotted today…
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Have you seen the 60 foot tall mural at the new Found Lofts apartments in Vista’s Arts and Culture District? Joram Roukes, an internationally famous artist and muralist from The Netherlands, painted it a couple months ago!
The collage-like, multi-wall mural contains many elements, including a mountain climber, and images that represent the culture of the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians. The frog and the coyote in the mural come from a traditional animal story of The First People: How Coyote Killed Frog. The Luiseño people inhabited this area long before Spaniards established nearby Mission San Luis Rey in 1798.
The very cool mural is located at 516 S. Santa Fe Avenue. You can’t miss it!
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Many additional stained glass panels have appeared in Vista along South Santa Fe Avenue in the past couple years.
It was the summer of 2020 when I last explored the Paseo Santa Fe street improvement project and found an early set of panels along the sidewalk. (You can see those photographs and learn a little more about the project here.)
The panels are numerous now. They show various aspects of life in Vista, California. Many of the small scenes depict local plants or agriculture.
To the best of my knowledge, the artist creating all of these beautiful mosaics is still Buddy Smith.
Given the direction of my walk last weekend, I probably didn’t find every finished panel. But I hope you enjoy looking at these…
UPDATE!
I’ve learned from Buddy, the artist, that there are now 28 finished panels! Super cool!
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A very large floral mural was painted last year in Pacific Beach. You can view it on the outdoor wall of Pastiamo, a pasta restaurant on Turquoise Street just east of Mission Boulevard. A bee flying over colorful flowers has written let’s grow together.
Mindful Murals must be going strong, because I see more and more of their work all over San Diego. They often paint positive, encouraging graphics at schools.
A friendly lady I spoke to who works at Pastiamo says they plan to serve pizzas at those shady tables!
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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!
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Did these two giant Flat-tailed Horned Lizards escape from the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park? At first glance, one might think so!
On second glance, it’s apparent this great chalk art, below the steps of the Natural History Museum’s south entrance, is a rather realistic depiction of Phrynosoma mcallii, and is super cool!
I learned that this artwork was created several weeks ago during the big EarthFair event in the park. It has survived quite well so far!
The two immense reptiles, which I spotted by chance today, were the production of @sidewalk_chalk_dad. I’ve seen his great chalk art in Balboa Park during other past events.
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A nostalgic mural in downtown Vista, California depicts an annual community parade held in the 1930’s to 1950’s.
One recently restored end of the Vistacado Festival Parade mural, originally painted in 2005 by artist Clayton Parker, decorates the exterior of Barrel & Stave Pour House, near the corner of Main Street and Indiana Avenue.
The parade seems to proceed around the building. There are cool old cars, a marching band, cheerleaders, young baseball players, dignitaries, and even walking avocado mascots!
I smiled when I saw the mural includes an image of Pepper Tree Frosty, which I blogged about yesterday here!
This parade artwork is actually one small part of a much, much longer historical mural that runs 564 feet along Vistacado Lane between North Indiana and Michigan Avenue. The entire stretch of artwork has been recognized as Guinness World Record longest continuous mural!
I glimpsed the very long, somewhat faded artwork down Vistacado Lane during my walk yesterday, and in retrospect I should have photographed all of it. I’ll hopefully remember to do that on my next visit to Vista.
I learned about the longer mural when I read this article. It explains how the original artist, Clayton Parker, restored the portion you see in these photographs back in 2020.
UPDATE!
I later returned to Vista to photograph the entire length of the world record historical mural. You can see those photos here!
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One seldom observes public art that features poetry. It’s even more rare when the poems are composed by people who are frequently ignored.
Transcending Perception is public art that debuted in Liberty Station back in October, 2020. I hadn’t seen this installation until last weekend, when I walked down a pathway on the east side of THE LOT movie theater.
The images of Transcending Perception, according to the nearby information sign, “were created in a series of workshops that combined theater, poetry, and photography with the intention of ‘returning the gaze’ on both current and historical representations of those who are often excluded or misrepresented in the dominant media…”
This artwork was created by Josemar Gonzalez/Diana Cervera/The AjA Project.
Should you visit Liberty Station in Point Loma, you might want to read these potent words and consider what they mean and why they were written.
We all lead unique lives, with our own experiences and assumptions. It’s enlightening to put yourself in another’s shoes.
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If you’ve ever driven past the Buggy Bath Car Wash in Linda Vista, you might’ve seen this cool abstract mural that looks like a bird in flight. It’s titled Linda Vista Messenger of Love and Light.
The complex, spiritual artwork was painted in 2014 by San Diego artist Gibran Isaias Lopez, aka Isaias Crow. Over the years, I’ve photographed a variety of his murals. Click here if you’d like to see them again.
Here’s a great local article concerning the Linda Vista Messenger of Love and Light!
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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!
The rich culture of our region’s Native American Kumeyaay is honored at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
Near the corner of Juan Street and Taylor Street, the beautiful Iipay ~ Tipai Kumeyaay Mut Niihepok Land of the First People outdoor interpretive area teaches interested visitors a little of the Kumeyaay language. Kumeyaay words for many native animals and plants can be read along the edge of walkways.
During my last visit, I photographed many of the engraved artworks representing wild mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, cacti and trees, and the corresponding Kumeyaay and Spanish words.
If you want to see more of the surrounding area, the Land of the First People opened last year, and soon thereafter I took these photographs.
Incidentally, today there will be a special event held in this corner of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Earth Day will be celebrated! So if you read this in time, and you’re in the area, you might want to come on by!
Milyaapan. Mexican free-tailed bat.Sha-ii. Turkey vulture.Meshalyaap. Monarch butterfly.‘Aahmaa. California quail.‘Ensnyaaw. Coast live oak.‘Aashaa kwilaaw. Northern mockingbird.Hatepull. Nuttall’s woodpecker.Kekhuu. Northern flicker.Hallyewii. Alligator lizard.Iihay halakwal. Salamander.‘Emallk. Big-eared woodrat.Perhaaw. Gray fox.Kwak. Mule deer.Nyemtaay. Mountain lion.E’mull. Shaw’s agave.Ehmaall. Ground squirrel.‘Ewii. Southern Pacific rattlesnake.Waipuk. California kingsnake.Kusii. Jimsonweed.Hattepaa. Coyote.Hampachoka Huumpaashuuk. Anna’s hummingbird.‘Ehpaa. Coast prickly pear.Ashaa hahpaa. Cactus wren.Ku’uun. Red-tailed hawk.Hachehwach. Hooded oriole.Kupally. Blue elderberry.Nyemii. Bobcat.Llyexwiiw. Striped skunk.Para ak hepeshu. Great blue heron.Hantak. Treefrog.Ashaa milshlap. Mallard.
UPDATE!
I took photographs of more words during a later visit…
Hantak sa-ai. California toad.‘Ehnaally. Western pond turtle.Mashhaatiit. Dragonfly.E’pilly. Southern cattail.Meshalyaap heyull. Western tiger swallowtail.Para ak nemeshap. Great egret.Chi ariar tenurr estik. California killifish.‘U’uu. Great horned owl.Nemas. Raccoon.Miskenan. Stink beetle.Kellyemuy. Bumble bee.Hiiwaat. Deergrass.‘Eshpaa ewall nemeshap. Bald eagle.Kilyaahwii. Mourning dove.Tellypuu. Greater roadrunner.Meniish. Scorpion.‘Aanall. Honey mesquite.‘Eshpaa. Golden eagle.Kunyaaw. Black-tailed jackrabbit.Menniih. Tarantula.Muu. Bighorn sheep.
The following are animals that are extinct or no longer found in the area around San Diego…
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