Yesterday I spotted some fun new murals in the process of being painted at Sheldon’s Service Station, a popular La Mesa breakfast and lunch spot. Many years ago this coffee shop’s building was a La Mesa gas station.
A friendly guy at Sheldon’s Service Station said an artist named Kara has been working on the two murals for a couple of weeks. Take a look!
One of two fun new murals being painted on outdoor walls at Sheldon’s Service Station in La Mesa.Funny animals in the imaginative mural include Droopy and tea-drinking pelicans!
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Crushing It. A cool new mural just completed in San Diego’s East Village at the corner of Park Boulevard and J Street.
Last week I noticed a new mural was being painted on a building wall in East Village. I glimpsed the preliminary outlines as I passed by on the trolley, which was heading along Park Boulevard just south of the Market Street station.
Well, today I observed that this very cool mural has been completed! You can find it at the intersection of Park Boulevard and J Street. Apparently titled Crushing It, this colorful spray paint art was created by Carly Ealey and Christopher Konecki of Cohort Collective, a group of local artists who have awesome urban artwork all over San Diego!
It appears to me the local artists Carly Ealey and Christopher Konecki of Cohort Collective have crushed it!Lots of old wrecked cars are piled up behind that Rant’s Demolition neon sign!A beautiful female face has materialized on a building wall in downtown San Diego!
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In the morning I took the trolley down to Chula Vista and walked to the harbor. I’ve blogged on several occasions about Bayside Park and the adjacent Chula Vista Marina, but I had never explored Chula Vista Bayfront Park on the south side of the harbor, near the boat ramp.
I found a peaceful, grassy place with inviting paths, wide views of the South Bay, and a couple fascinating works of public art. And some wildlife, too!
Come with me as we walk from the tall ship Bill of Rights around the south end of the California Yacht Marina and finally to Chula Vista Bayfront Park.
The schooner Bill of Rights, based in Chula Vista, can be chartered for fun adventures. It often participates in San Diego’s annual Festival of Sail.Relaxing by the picturesque marina on a quiet, peaceful morning.Flags fly near the California Yacht Marina, located at the south end of Chula Vista’s pleasant harbor.The California Yacht Marina building appears inviting.Circling around the marina toward the boat ramp and adjacent grassy park, where you can see some trees.A quiet morning walk in San Diego’s South Bay.A person sitting on a bench in Chula Vista Bayfront Park enjoys some shade. Nearby boats float gently on the water.A boater heads into the marina, toward the tall ship Bill of Rights.The fishing pier of nearby Bayside Park lies to the north across Chula Vista Harbor’s entrance. I see the Coronado Bay Bridge and downtown San Diego in the distance!These three abstract sculptures on the grass near the walking path are titled Konoids, by Kenneth Capps, 1984.An osprey in its nest out on San Diego Bay.Sign in Chula Vista Bayfront Park describes the osprey, a large raptor.Ospreys like to dive for fish. They are year-round residents of San Diego Bay.An unusual sculpture. Powering the Arts, by artist Micheal Leaf, 2015. It stands next to the blue water at Chula Vista Bayfront Park.Sign describes how Powering the Arts was once a cylinder atop the now demolished South Bay Power Plant.A cool, unexpected sight in San Diego’s sunny South Bay!
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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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Rabbits have been created to commemorate the history of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, which once was nicknamed Rabbitville.
A “hop-up” art gallery can be found in the Gaslamp during 2017 San Diego Comic-Con! This fun Rabbitville exhibition, located at 453 Fifth Avenue, features a roomful of large colorful rabbits created by local artists! Their artwork celebrates the rich, unique history of the Gaslamp Quarter and San Diego.
You might recall we saw the Willabee rabbit at the Jacaranda Spring Thing, when I blogged about it here. Well, now you can enjoy a whole warren of art bunnies!
Swing on by during Comic-Con (through Sunday) and check them out!
People attending 2017 San Diego Comic-Con look at an artfully painted rabbit outside the Rabbitville “Hop-Up” Gallery.Honoring the Disdained: Carp Jumping Dragon Gate, by artist Tasha Hobbs. Art that honors the contributions of Chinese immigrants in early San Diego.Alonzo Horton is the father of modern San Diego. He journeyed to San Diego in 1867, then purchased the area now known as downtown and called it New Town.The Stingaree was a red-light district filled with prostitutes and gamblers, including the famous Wyatt Earp, who would run three gambling halls in San Diego.
Steampunk author Jack Tyler is writing an exciting novel about San Diego’s infamous Stingaree. I blogged about it here!
It’s an exciting read. Check it out!
Mirrored Rabbit, by artist Mario Herbelin-Canelas.Ordinate, by artist Rebecca Nuvoletta. This rabbit celebrates the visions of a distant future in the founding of New Town.Willabee, by artist Matt Forderer. This rabbit has traveled through time to collect historical images of San Diego.Against All Odds, We Thrive! by artist Sarah Soward. Alonzo Horton’s passion and vision for San Diego is celebrated.Diego, by artist Monty Montgomery. The colors and shapes on this rabbit are visual impressions of experiences on the streets of San Diego.
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Two terracotta female figures stand at Heritage Plaza, near the intersection of San Diego Avenue and Hortensia Street.
A number of fine sculptures by artists T.J. Dixon and James Nelson can be spotted around San Diego. During a walk down San Diego Avenue in Old Town, I paused to photograph their 1995 sculpture of two life size female figures in terracotta. If you drive down the street past Heritage Plaza, it can be easy to miss them. Here’s a look…
Plaque reads Sculpture by T.J. Dixon and James Nelson. Tile by Mark Emery.Graceful female figure sculpted with lifted head and smile.The second terracotta figure.Art can represent essential human truth.
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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!
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 share and enjoy!
Normal Heights is home to lots of creative street art and other cool sights!
Here come lots of photos of street art in Normal Heights. I captured these while walking east along the south side of Adams Avenue, from I-805 to 35th Street. Then I crossed the street and walked back west to the bridge that spans the freeway.
(Please note–I haven’t included some artwork along Adams Avenue that I’ve already blogged. Check the related links at the bottom of this post, or use the search box.)
Here we go!
A smiling face painted on a transformer box along Adams Avenue.Big lips.A big eyeball.An animated red fire extinguisher chases and douses a flame on the wall of All County Fire.A classic car and tire tracks painted on a utility box on the sidewalk in front of Tire Depot.A tropical island scene.A cool cat.A skull in sunglasses above palm trees and flowers.I think I’m quite ready for another adventure. Bilbo Baggins. (A favorite book!)Stenciled mandalas line the sidewalk not far from Pilgrimage of the Heart Yoga.A mosaic composed of many different tiles graces the front of some shops along Adams Avenue in Normal Heights.Marquee of old Adams Avenue Theater, which is now home to Discount Fabrics.Fabric art in windows of the old theater, where movie posters were once displayed.Colorful terrazzo design at entrance to old theater.Two faces watch people walking down the sidewalk.Colorful designs attract attention.A series of fun utility boxes.A snow-capped mountain peak on the side of a newspaper box.Real wrenches have been affixed to this utility box near an auto repair shop!On the other side is this nostalgic graphic showing some car culture history in Normal Heights.Colorful plant life painted in the city.One wall has a mural with a couple of surprises flying behind a bush: parrots!And behind another bush is this human form, sitting among small flowers!These smiling flowers want you to have fun at the Adams Avenue Recreation Center!Now I’ve crossed Adams Avenue at 35th and am heading back west on the north side. Check out the cool mural near the rooftop of Humphrey Appliance.This box has some really good artistry.A mysterious face on another side.Butterflies are flitting about the wall of Mariposa Ice Cream.Two fantastic female faces, by talented muralists Gloria Muriel and Amanda Lynn. You’ve seen the distinctive work of each artist elsewhere on this blog!A beautiful face in a tropical setting.A bright design has emerged from human imagination.I love this box! Check out the face that seems to peer from behind bricks.Eyes peer from one corner of the top.Another side.Many colorful stick figures around the planet Earth.Painted scene of a painted scene in Normal Heights.
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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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A unique work of urban art on a car wash in Normal Heights. It speaks to the struggles of combat veterans.
Painful. Hopeful.
Those two words might describe some artwork on the side of a car wash in Normal Heights. You can find this thought-provoking mural near the corner of 33rd Street and Adams Avenue.
A nearby plaque invites curious eyes. Thank you for your service, it reads.
The mural is the work of seven post-911 combat veterans. A project of Combat Arts San Diego, it helps to spread awareness about the therapeutic benefit of creating art. And it shows the unconditional love that is provided by service dogs.
Creating art helps us to sort through conflicting thoughts and emotions. Art is an outlet for pent up pain. Art connects people. Art stirs the heart. Art provides meaning. Art offers hope.
This mural was created by seven combat veterans working with Combat Arts San Diego. Art-making benefits those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.Art over fear.A warrior. A jumble of emotions. Isolation. A true best friend. Hope.
UPDATE!
Wow! Shortly after posting this I received additional info concerning this great project and a group photograph of those responsible!
I learned:
“There are hidden things in the art piece. If you look hard enough you can see Army written and Navy and others… If you look at ART in the middle on the left you will see from the A…rmy attached to it. Then on the right towards the bottom you will see the N in friends…you will see Navy… In (the word) Isolation – the A..ir Force is on the A. Just below the O in Isolation you will see some letters D E S P..if you look close at the S you will see a U in the bottom of the S and then the MC on the other side of the S. Look close.”
I also learned that the San Diego Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution raised funds for the project from their National Society.
The following photo includes Elizabeth Washburn, the leader of Combat Arts, two Vets who worked on the mural, and a few smiling local members of the D.A.R.
Group picture with artists, Elizabeth Washburn, and San Diego Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution members. Photo provided by Kathleen Winchester.
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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!
Dearly Beloved, a purple mural in Normal Heights that remembers Prince and his music.
This afternoon I walked along a good stretch of Adams Avenue in Normal Heights. There were cool sights on almost every block.
A small parking area between El Zarape Restaurant and Dink’s Barbershop has been enlivened with three works of street art that I really like. I’m not sure if the female depicted in the second mural represents someone in particular. The face looks familiar. If you recognize her, please leave a comment!
A small parking area between buildings on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights contains three works of art.This rusty metal sculpture leans like a lazy old fellow against a white fence.A beautiful female face and a blown feather.
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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!
Photo taken from the intersection of La Mesa Boulevard and Spring Street shows a small stretch of The Village.
On Sunday morning I took a short walk in the heart of La Mesa. The most fascinating stretch was through the historic area of the city known as The Village. I walked up La Mesa Boulevard from Spring Street to Legacy Park, then back down along the opposite sidewalk.
Not only is this stretch full of local history, but it’s home to the La Mesa Walk of Fame, which honors individual contributions to the city by accomplished and generous residents. In my photos I’ve included a few notable plaques.
The Village on a Sunday morning was very quiet, with a smattering of locals eating breakfast or an early lunch in the small eateries that I passed. The Village, with its plain, practical buildings from a bygone era, feels very modest. It doesn’t strike me as a place that attracts hipsters–more a cherished place for families and ordinary folk and people like me who enjoy a slow Sunday stroll.
I took photos. Please read the captions for a few explanations of what I saw.
The City of La Mesa Walk of Fame can be experienced on both sidewalks along La Mesa Boulevard, between Spring Street and 4th Street.Bill Walton graduated from La Mesa’s Helix High School. He was inducted into the NBA basketball Hall of Fame as one of the greatest players of all time.Walking through the Village up La Mesa Boulevard. The buildings are modest but retain local history and many memories.The La Mesa Craft Corner on a quiet Sunday morning.A nice lady with some Fourth of July crafts smiles for my blog about San Diego.The Lookout is public art project in Legacy Park, the small triangle where La Mesa Boulevard, 4th Street and Allison Avenue meet.The Lookout was created by a family of artists–Jesus Dominguez, Mary Lynn Dominguez and Amy Dominguez. It depicts the colorful history of La Mesa.Closer photo of The Lookout at Legacy Park. Eight mosaic panels made of tile show historical events in La Mesa from 1912 to 2012.At the center of The Lookout is the John B. Reed Centennial Time Capsule, to be opened in 2062.Legacy Park also includes a memorial clock and a bronze sculpture of the Helix snail. The 1939 U.S. Post Office Building is seen in the background.Children are encouraged to ride this fun bronze snail!Felix the Helix. The story goes that Rufus King Porter named Mount Helix after the Helix aspersa, a European garden snail that was discovered locally.Now I’m walking back down La Mesa Boulevard on the other side of the street. A small slice of Americana. The modest shops and buildings recall a simpler time.La Mesa Historical Society plaque shows a prosperous Lookout Avenue circa 1929. The street was renamed La Mesa Boulevard in 1940.Family and a flag bench in front of Amethyst Moon, a specialty gift shop in The Village of La Mesa.The are many plaques in the City of La Mesa Walk of Fame. This one celebrates James Culbert, inductee into the National Sprint Car Racing Hall of Fame.Another plaque celebrates Dr. Ellen Ochoa, graduate of La Mesa’s Grossmont High School and the first Hispanic woman astronaut.A photo of the Heller Building, now home of an escrow company.La Mesa Historical Society photo of the Heller Building in the 1940s. It has housed many businesses including Gilbert’s five and dime and Culver’s drugstore.Maxwell’s House of Books adds life to The Village.It is a tie between men to have read the same book. Ralph Waldo EmersonOld photo on AT&T building appears to show telephone company worker in the undeveloped hills of La Mesa many years ago.The Village is a modest few blocks in the city. Full of history and memory, it provides a taste of days when La Mesa was a small American town.
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A small urban park located on the 8300 block of La Mesa Boulevard contains murals that celebrate people helping people.
Yesterday I discovered a very special park in San Diego’s East County city of La Mesa. The small urban park is called Walkway of the Stars. You can find it in the historic heart of the city, a stretch of La Mesa Boulevard called The Village.
Civic-minded volunteers who have worked over 10,000 hours for the community are celebrated with stars embedded in the park’s walkway. Colorful murals on either side show people helping people.
Come with me and we’ll take a look…
City of La Mesa Walkway of the Stars, in recognition of our community volunteers.One mural in the park shows youth working to clean up graffiti.One mural behind a small succulent garden shows musicians in a public concert.Volunteers in the community help to teach swimming.A volunteer coach teaches baseball.A closer look at humanity in one mural.I believe this mural depicts the annual La Mesa Flag Day Parade.Clowns bring joy.Volunteers help to keep La Mesa parks beautiful and friendly.Lots of dogs and a smile.Painted dog on a utility box seems to have jumped out from the bustling mural.One mural pays tribute to volunteer law enforcement.This pedestrian walkway has been transformed into a landmark known as the Walkway of the Stars. The park and its murals honor La Mesa volunteers who have 10,000 hours or more of service.Walkway of the Stars provides a public “Thank You” to dedicated citizen volunteers who make La Mesa a better place to live.
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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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