Tag: street art

Two cool murals in an Ocean Beach alley.

Spiritual revelation is suggested by many eyes and mandalas in an Ocean Beach mural. This cool street art can be experienced in a little-visited alley. The whole can be glimpsed from any place where you stand.
Spiritual revelation is suggested by many eyes and mandalas in an Ocean Beach mural. This cool street art can be experienced in a quiet alley. The whole of this world can be glimpsed from any place where you stand.

Each life has an infinity of roads not taken. Robert Frost touched upon regret with his famous poem. But, you know, every road that is taken contains an abundance of life, if we choose to see.

Yesterday, during the Ocean Beach Street Fair, I ventured, by chance, through a seldom-visited alley. And discovered two amazing murals.

And then I moved on. Chances are I won’t go that way again.

Hope, flying saucers and flaming green hair, part of a second mural on two walls in the same alley.
Hope, flying saucers and flaming green hair, part of a second cool mural in the same alley.
Guys load empty kegs during the Ocean Beach Street Fair.
Guys load empty kegs during the Ocean Beach Street Fair. Day-to-day work, surrounded by wonder.
Swirling, blooming beauty painted in a nook. A mermaid is perched above flowers.
Swirling, blooming beauty painted in a nook. A mermaid is perched above flowers.
I see a lot of names. I assume these are the beautiful mural's creators. I might never meet them, but their art has touched me.
I see a lot of names. I assume these are the beautiful mural’s creators. I might never meet them, but their art has touched me.
This alley that is seldom taken contains untrod flowers, and life, and no regrets.
The human world contains many alleys. This one contains a glimpse of untrod flowers, and surprising life. We turn a corner right or left, and continue the journey.

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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!

To read a few thoughtful stories I’ve written, click Short Stories by Richard.

Funny beach street art in Mission Valley!

Breezy bird street art on Mission Center Road depicts funny beach scenes.
Breezy bird street art on Mission Center Road depicts a funny beach scene.

Four months ago I shared some colorful street art that I found on several electrical boxes in Mission Valley. You can revisit that blog post here. As you can see, one of the images was a sketch of a gull at a beach carrying away a bag of chips–a humorous work in progress. Well, that work is now completed, as well as another side of the same box!

Just a note–the colors were light, so I had to increase the contrast in the photos quite a bit.

All that and a bag of chips!
All that and a bag of chips!
A wacky gull, pelican and sea lions add humor to a drive through Mission Valley!
A wacky gull, pelican and sea lions add humor to a drive through Mission Valley!

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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!

Carefree street art on Shelter Island Drive!

Sailboats are painted on the side of the building at 2608 Shelter Island Drive in San Diego.
Sailboats are painted on the side of the building at 2608 Shelter Island Drive in San Diego.

Today I headed over to the San Diego Wooden Boat Festival on Shelter Island. As I walked to the festival down Shelter Island Drive, I noticed several works of sun-splashed, carefree street art! Here they are!

The beautiful mural shows sailboats racing on the blue ocean.
One side of the beautiful mural shows sailboats racing on the blue ocean.
The artwork reflects the beautiful marinas and busy boatyards around Shelter Island on San Diego Bay.
The artwork reflects the busy marinas and boatyards around Shelter Island on San Diego Bay.
Electrical box on Shelter Island Drive has two seagulls.
An electrical box on Shelter Island Drive has two seagulls.
Make that three!
Make that three!
The water off Point Loma in this painted street art seems to glisten and sparkle.
The water off Point Loma in this painted street art seems to glisten and sparkle.
One side of a utility box shows the back of a young boy playing on a bench with a toy boat.
One side of a utility box shows the back of a young boy playing on a bench with a toy boat.
One side of the same box. We now see the side of the boy who is holding his boat.
Another side of the same box. We now see the left side of the boy who is holding his boat.
And now the front. All four sides show the same happy scene. Some fun 3-dimensional street art on Shelter Island!
And now the front. All four sides show the same happy scene. Some fun, creative 3-dimensional street art on Shelter Island!

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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!

Street art fights domestic violence, sexual abuse.

No means no.
No means no.

Many panels of street art can be seen on a construction site fence in East Village. They address diverse issues, promote civil rights, condemn social wrongs. They all speak to the human heart. They all concern love. Real love.

I don’t know who painted these panels. All are simple, but extremely powerful.

Most of the artwork opposes domestic violence, sexual exploitation and abuse.

Domestic violence is horrific.  It’s a hidden crime that damages too many lives.

San Diego has a terrible sex trafficking problem. It’s an issue some of our city leaders are trying to address.

Here are a few photos.

There's nothing super about domestic violence.
There’s nothing super about domestic violence.
Stop human trafficking.
Stop human trafficking.
Not all monsters are in the dark.
Not all monsters are in the dark.
Sometimes people wipe away their tears so you can't see them.
Sometimes people wipe away their tears so you can’t see them.

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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!

Dreamlike street art in Normal Heights.

Arresting street art in Normal Heights. A snarling wolf.
Arresting street art in Normal Heights. A snarling wolf.

Dreams seem to have materialized on a cluster of electrical boxes at the corner of Felton Street and Adams Avenue in Normal Heights.

Some of the street art is tranquil and crystal-like. Some of the images are like visions from a nightmare. Others are fantastically distorted–almost but not quite human!

Take a look–if you dare!

A nightmarish skull.
A nightmarish skull.
More skulls include an upside-down peace sign--sometimes a symbol of death.
More skulls include an upside-down peace sign–sometimes a symbol of death.
A wraithlike figure seems to be in pain.
A wraith-like figure seems to be in pain.
Hands and fingers create an eerie seemingly inhuman skull.
Hands and fingers create an eerie, seemingly inhuman skull.
An abstract flower has a peace sign right-side-up. Perhaps an affirmation of life.
An abstract flower has a peace sign right-side-up. Perhaps an affirmation of life.
Colorful designs like snowflakes on an electrical box seem like visions in a beautiful dream.
Colorful designs like snowflakes on an electrical box appear to be visions in a beautiful dream.
Someone peers at the stars.
Someone peers at the stars.
Perhaps life is but a dream. A woman seems to grow from something odd but elemental.
Perhaps life is but a dream. A woman seems to grow from something swirling and elemental.
Crazily distorted faces.
Crazily distorted faces.
Many human expressions, but completely unreal. I think I've seen these weird creatures in some of my dreams.
Many human expressions–but fantastic and weird. I believe I’ve seen creatures like these in my dreams.
Who is that in the middle? Perhaps you or me.
Who is that in the middle? Perhaps you or me.

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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!

Cool street art in two alleys on National Avenue.

Bold faces peer from a wall in one alley on National Avenue.
Bold faces peer from a wall in one alley on National Avenue.

Yesterday I walked from East Village into Barrio Logan.  I headed southeast down National Avenue, making my way to the Chicano Park Day celebration. And look what I discovered!

Two alleys on National Avenue northwest of Beardsley Street contain some street art murals that absolutely blew me away!

Check them out!

Cool graffiti in Barrio Logan includes butterflies and a Mesoamerican pyramid.
Cool graffiti in Barrio Logan includes butterflies and a Mesoamerican pyramid.
A beautiful blue face and symbols on Mexican papel picado.
A beautiful blue face and symbols on Mexican papel picado.
More colorful graffiti on another wall.
More colorful graffiti on another wall.
A jaguar leaps from an amazing street art mural in San Diego's Barrio Logan neighborhood.
A jaguar leaps from an amazing street art mural in San Diego’s Barrio Logan neighborhood.

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More cool artwork I’ve randomly stumbled upon!

Symmetrically painted figures practice yoga under crescent moons as the sun rises. Cool street art in downtown San Diego.
Symmetrically painted figures practice yoga under crescent moons as the sun rises. Cool street art in downtown San Diego.

Here’s another batch of colorful art. As usual, I stumbled upon these cool discoveries while walking around the city, perhaps on one errand or another. Most of this fun urban artwork was photographed in downtown San Diego…

More cosmic yoga street art on another side of the same transformer box.
More cosmic yoga street art on another side of the same transformer box.
Boldly painted colors on a row of electrical boxes in Little Italy.
Boldly painted colors on a row of electrical boxes in Little Italy.
This super cool car made of colorful wires recently appeared at The Garden Project of the New Children's Museum.
This super cool car made of colorful wires recently appeared at The Garden Project of the New Children’s Museum.
The Eiffel Tower has magically appeared inside a shop on Sixth Avenue!
The Eiffel Tower has magically appeared inside a shop on Sixth Avenue!
Fun utility boxes near Pantoja Park feature lots of artistic flowers and birds.
Fun utility boxes near Pantoja Park feature lots of artistic flowers and birds.
Natural scenes painted in a big city.
Natural scenes painted in a big city.
Downtown street art. I love you more than you'll ever know.
Downtown street art. I love you more than you’ll ever know.
I love this carved wooden bear bench! But for the life of me, I can't remember where I photographed this! I think somewhere near Petco Park . . . maybe.
I love this carved wooden bear bench! But for the life of me, I can’t remember where I photographed this! I think somewhere near Petco Park . . . maybe.
I stumbled upon these rocketing pie slices in Hillcrest!
I stumbled upon these rocketing pie slices in Hillcrest! I’m not sure if these spaceships belong to the strawberry fleet, rhubarb fleet, or the cherry fleet. But I’m certain they’re piloted by the good guys!

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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!