Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to conquer it.
We now live in a very difficult time. The coronavirus pandemic has shut many of us indoors, darkened our days, made the future uncertain.
So I’ve decided to post these photos of inspirational street art. Reminders that hope persists. That there is love, and beauty, and a future that is always full of promise.
These examples of inspirational street art were all photographed during past walks around the city.
The only thing stronger than fear is hope.Live free like a butterfly.Let’s be friends.Happiness is the art of making a bouquet of those flowers within reach.I love you more than you’ll ever know.Be true.Lose your dreams and you will lose your mind.A smile among beauty.One love.Faith. Hope. Peace. Love.Be humble you are made of earth. Be noble you are made of stars.Happiness and sunshine.I am possible.Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.True love is a returning… Love awakes the child in you…Hand in hand.Love.Smiling faces.Keep going!Keep going.
…
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 photos for you to enjoy!
One of many great works of art a group learns about during a guided mural walk in Pacific Beach.
Today I was lucky to go on a really cool guided mural walk in Pacific Beach! The tour was led by Leslie Dufour of beautifulPB, which is a volunteer organization formed by PB residents and businesses who are working to create a sustainably beautiful Pacific Beach. You can learn more about beautifulPB by visiting their website here.
During the walk, I learned that the folks of beautifulPB have a PB Murals program, and they’re looking to add even more public art to their already colorful community.
The murals we saw today were all fantastic, and there were many that I hadn’t seen during my various Pacific Beach walks over the years. We even got to meet one the artists, Kathleen King. She painted an iconic PB mural that you will see in my upcoming photographs, plus the landmark America’s Finest City mural in downtown San Diego!
After the fascinating presentation our group embarked on a looping walk of perhaps a mile or less. Future walks featuring additional murals are planned!
Thank you to Yerba Mate Bar & Empanadas, where we paused to enjoy some vegan treats that were really delicious! They intend to turn their outdoor courtyard space into a Pacific Beach arts center. Very cool!
Okay, let’s see some photos! Read the captions!
Our group heads through the beautifully painted walkway of Randall’s Sandals, where the long mural opens up for all to see.We learn about the history of murals beside the work of muralist Jared Blake Lazar.Mural by @MatthewMillington depicts a very colorful Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent diety of ancient Mesoamerican people.A mermaid mural by @LovePaperPaint (Katie Gaines) is inspired by the traditional La Sirena image in Mexican LoterÃa.This female superhero mural was painted by artist MDMN (John Moody) during a past San Diego Comic-Con.Our group meets prolific artist Kathleen King, whose 1988 mural was painted from a 1943 photo of Garnet Avenue, looking west toward Crystal Pier.Nearby plaque explains this mural depicts the corner of Cass Street and Garnet Avenue as it was in 1943.The historic brick building in this iconic PB mural still stands on the street corner.And here is that building!John Lennon with a daisy in his eye. A cool mural on the side of Five Guys that was painted in 2006 by Steve Gorrow, Creative Director of Insight Clothing.Left side of fantastic shark mural at Even Keel Tattoo, by artists Nate Banuelos and Kyle Walker.Right side of the same mural, which contains romantic, sea-themed elements.Learning about one of Pacific Beach’s many beautiful, creative murals during a guided walk!
…
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 phone or 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.
Sculpture of two people holding hands on sidewalk.
Yesterday, as I walked past the National City Public Library, I paused to look at some fun art on the sidewalk. Then I noticed a wise quote in many languages printed on a monumental wall at the building’s front entrance.
In many languages: I always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of Library. Jorge Luis BorgesFun street art near the library.
Las Aventuras de Dehdohz en Casa.Read.Many faces.
…
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 photos for you to enjoy!
One of my walks today was an easy loop through National City, which included a stretch of the Mile of Cars.
I ventured up National City Boulevard, north of Mile of Cars Way, wondering what I might discover. I knew I’d pass many car dealerships and parking lots filled with thousands of vehicles. But would I see any street art?
The few examples of art that I found were colorful and very cool!
…
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!
Today I took two short walks in the South Bay. One of my modest adventures was near the Imperial Beach Pier.
I noticed that on Seacoast Drive, across from the pier, Bibbey’s gift shop now has two very cool murals, one painted on the south wall and one on the north. Both are super creative and contain all sorts of abstract characters, including kooky surfers, a mermaid, and what appear to be faceless underwater ball players!
That mural with elements from pop culture that I blogged about almost six years ago here seems to be long gone. Only the shark remains at the building’s southwest corner–an updated and rather fierce version!
…
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 photos for you to enjoy!
I recently noticed a new spray painted mural in University Heights on the south wall of Park Boulevard Liquor and Deli. It has replaced another mural which I posted several years ago here.
The artists for this very cool street art appear to be: HASLER, SHARK, BRAVE and T-BONE.
…
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!
