Gallaghers Place

Posted on October 20, 2026 by Mary C

There are two large murals on the walls of Gallaghers Place, a short alley in central Melbourne. They were both painted by two artists working together, Mike Makatron and Conrad Bizjak. Each presents a scene where Melbourne has been overrun by nature at some point in the future. This seems to be a common theme in Makatron’s work – there is a mural in Brunswick where a kangaroo is hopping down an abandoned street (and another old Melbourne tram).

below: This is one of the murals

Gallaghers Place in Melbourne, an alley with tall buildings on both sides, murals by Mike Makatron and Conrad Bizjak on one of the walls.

below: Melbourne City Hall overgrown and now surrounded by what looks like the start of a jungle.

Part of a mural in Gallaghers Place in Melbourne, by Mike Makatron and Conrad Bizjak, overgrown abandoned city, Melbourne city hall

below: A Melbourne tram with some very strong looking vines growing over it as well as in and out of the windows.

Part of a mural in Gallaghers Place in Melbourne, by Mike Makatron and Conrad Bizjak, overgrown abandoned city. A Melbourne tram with some very strong looking vines growing over it as well as in and out of the windows.

below: On the other side of the laneway is this mural:

below: There are houses up high in the trees, a waterfall, and a large turtle

Part of a mural in Gallaghers Place in Melbourne, by Mike Makatron and Conrad Bizjak, There are houses up high in the trees, a waterfall, and a large turtle

below: It’s not an ordinary turtle. It is often said that a turtle carries around it’s house, i.e. the shell on its back. In this case, the turtle is carrying more than one building… a few houses? a larger house and a barn or two? a small village? And of all things, a violin lies in the grass.

below: Houses connected by stairs and bridges…. large decks… and even a swing off one deck.

urban art mural, houses built high up in the trees, connected by rope bridges and ladders

mural with large green leaves by a set of stairs leading to a coffee shop

broken top of a grey stone column in a mural with names of the artists on it, Mike Makatron and Conrad Bizjak

part of mural, lots of tropical type leaves surrounding a real danger sign

below: Signs – a mix of real and fantasy. Don’t park your motorcycle here. “Right turn from left only” is illegal in most places but in Melbourne, where they drive on the left, it is known as a hook turn. Hence, this is a very Melbourne sign. The glass cone in the background is the Cone at Melbourne Central.

part of a mural with signthat says right turn from left lane only

Melbourne city street sign, blue, Gallaghers Place

Photos taken March 2025

“people” I encountered in Montreal….

Posted on October 19, 2026 by Mary C

Random sightings around Montreal

below: A portrait on pink accompanied by a gorgeous bird and a few flowers in a mural by Melissa Falconer

A portrait of a black woman on pink painted brick accompanied by a gorgeous bird and a few flowers in a mural by Melissa Falconer, on side of Baguette & Brochette shop

below: The remains of a mural by Phlegm

part of a mural by phlegm, black and white

below: Framed and topless Fractal Juice

graffiti, fractal juice, framed picture of person with colours shifted so that it looks like it is in multiple copies. Person has black hair and many red and yellow flowers in hair, topless, with white fabric draped over one shoulder

below: No faces here, instead two bodies merged into one, “Liberté” by Franco Fasoli (aka Jaz), 2015.

two bodies merged into one at the shoulders, no heads or necks, two silhouettes of bulls behind them, called Liberte, mural painted by Jaz, a k a Franco Fasoli. Arms and legs have tattoos, both wearing blue shorts

below: A face in purple and blue, by Philippe Mastrocola and Melsa Montagne

mural, large face in shades of pink, blue, and purple, by Melsa Montagne and Philippe Mastrocola

below: Part of a larger mural originally painted by Scaner in 2014. It was fixed up in 2018 by Zek One and Axe Lalime.

Part of a larger mural originally painted by Scaner in 2014, skull showing, a skeleton with clothes, upright and walking. Wearing blue jacket, white shirt, and red tie, also wearing a hat

below: Call me Daniel

very red background, street art is black line drawing of a person with no hair on top of head but long hair doen the back, open mouth screaming, with text call me Daniel

below: The top part of “Ne m’oublie pas” (“Don’t Forget Me”), created by artist Kezna Dalz during the 2024 Mural Festival

very white man with red lips and eyes closed looking upward, a halo over his head, wings on his back, in a mural by Kezna Dalz

below: Bottom of the same mural

bottom part of n'oublie pas mural by Kezna Dalz, two people

below: Incomplete and unfinished, Damaged, one-eyed man who doesn’t look too pleased – perhaps it’s the squiggles that have taken over his forehead.

black and white and grey shades, realistic image of an older man with a mustache but one eye and top of head is missing

below: Osheen Siva painted this large portrait with its radiating long blue hair and blue lips.

portrait by Osheen Siva, mural in Montreal, brown person with long blue hair, green lines on neck and shoulder, blue lips,

below: SNIKR’s paint roller girls

building with two murals, on upper floor is a woman with a paint roller, by SNIKR, lower floor has portrait of the young woman with a paint roller as well

below: Mural on the lower level seen closer.

building with two murals bySNIKR, mural on the lower level seen closer. young woman with large collar on her jacket, paint roller over her shoulder

below: I think that the signature says Lea but I am not sure. What I am sure of is that he/she has a strange imagination!

two halves, divided horizontally, upper half is painting by Lea, purple sky, man with small hat, smiley face on front of his shirt, smile on his face, but with hands that look like snake heads

below: “C’est compliqué” (It’s Complicated) by Sara Erenthal. Unfortunately the bottom part of the mural has been painted over. Originally there were two figures within the body of the woman (see next photo)…..

part of mural by Sara Erenthal, woman with surprised expression on her face, black line drawing but with red mouth

bottom part of mural, two figures sanding together

below: All wrapped up.

painting on a wood fence, probably male character with head wrapped in white bandages, blue shorts up to chin, big mouth,

below: Take the iconic I ♥ NY and transform it into a love letter to Montreal.

I love anything to do with Montreal graffiti

below: Tasty treats and curly straws.

man sitting on bench beside a food shop, with mural on outside wall, line drawing of people with drinks with curly straws, and one dog,

below: You’ve seen the signs that say “Beware of Dog”, well, here we have Beware of Old Bald Man!

doorway covered with graffiti including a bald wrestler on the door wearing bootss

below: She has six hands, two of which are holding a skull. She also has a very long (and ugly) tongue. Not the kind of person (creature?) that you would want to run into in an alley – even if she does have some similarities to the Hindu goddess Kali. Kali is associated with time, destruction, death, and the Divine Motherhood; she is the power of creation and destruction. I guess that she needs six hands after all. Painted by Bibi Una.

below: Obscured by fragments of those left behind.

eyes, from an older piece of street art where the lower parts of the face have been papered over with other graffiti, now torn

below: Sad button eyes

graffiti in Montreal on a red brick wall including a sad character that looks ike a stuffie with stitched mouth and tummy, sad face mouth, one eye is an X and the other eye looks like a button that has been sewn on

below: Happy faces

scrawl graffiti in blue and red including a couple of happy faces on corrugated metal fence

below: Rage5 stencilled on five heads covered

5 stencils in a row, woman in black head scarf, necks covered too, with rage5 on each head, graffiti in Montreal

below: mmm

graffiti of man farting. body looks lke Homer Simpson but head is different

below: It vaguely looks like a person….

drawing in black with red scribbled over it, that looks vaguely like a person, graffiti

below: A tiny man under a red heart

two pieces of graffiti on a wall, one is a tiny man and the other is a red heart

below: “I’m feeling blue – may be the skeleton is too, he’s been scrolling so long on his phone he doesn’t realize that he’s now dead.

slaps on the back of a sign, a blue square with text that says I am blue.

below: A big toothy grin and a sticker from peau-bleus

below: FUQU and a wrench (probably profane but c’est la vie), wings and devil horns.

sticker graffiti, character with fuqu on front

below: “I’m grateful you’re alive” … I am also grateful that you have found your way to this page!

sticker graffiti, white with words written on it, I am grateful you are alive

Photos taken September 2024

Scream, Temple, and a face

Posted on October 15, 2026 by Mary C

A look at a few more Montreal murals.

below: “Le Cri” (The Scream) by Scribe (2020)

mural by scribe, large face with blood shot blue eyes, wide open red screaming mouth ith teeth, and little characters in front, some faceless ones marching and others running. runners include a house with legs, a hamburger with legs and an egg shaped globe, also with legs

below: The egg (that could be a globe?) and the cheeseburger ran away.

two creatures running, one looks like an egg and the other has a body like a hamburger with cheese escaping

below: “The Temple” created by Mylène Chabot, Marie Gosselin, Benjamin Picard, and Mathias Vouters on Rue Duluth

mural in soft colours, temple in an urban setting

below: It looks like nature is reclaiming the city

weeds and vines in real life are growing over part of a mural painted by Mylène Chabot, Marie Gosselin, Benjamin Picard, and Mathias Vouters

part of a Montreal mural called the temple

below: Also on Duluth is this large metallic looking face that was painted by Alex Bacon in 2023 as part of Mural Fest. She (he?) seems to be sleeping.

mural by Alex Bacon on Rue Duluth in Montreal, large face that looks like its sleeping, also painted to look metallic, chrome like

Photos taken September 2024

Springfield in Springfield (the one in Massachusetts)

Posted on October 14, 2026 by Mary C

below: Springfield written large across a wall. I don’t know the city well enough to be able to identify the people and scenes in this large mural. Perhaps you know some of them?

mural in Springfield Massachusetts, with word Springfield in capital letters and in colour, with illustrations inside the letters and black and white images of people and things associated with the city

part of a mural in Springfield Massachusetts, with word Springfield in capital letters and in colour, with illustrations inside the letters and black and white images of people and things associated with the city. Heads or portraits along the top of the name of the city, a steeple, a red and white airplane, a statue of two topless women, a feather in an Inndian headdrress

a pile of books, a bronze statue, and many portraits, part of mural in Springfield Massachusetts, with word Springfield in capital letters and in colour, with illustrations inside the letters and black and white images of people and things associated with the city

part of the Springfield mural, elephant, man playing bass, gold face with gold and bejeweled crown,

two cars parked in front of part of the Springfield mural, Dr. Suess character, cats, football player, dogs,

part of the Springfield mural, portraits in a blobby mouth eith teeth and many eyes

part of the Springfield mural, two women, a wrench,

Photos taken July 2024

24th Street BART

Posted on October 5, 2026 by Mary C

This post is about a Mission District mural that was originally painted in 1975 and recently updated and renovated (2023). It is located at the 24th Street BART station. In it, many strong and determined (but not very happy) men hold up the tracks that keep the BART trains running. A silver train travels the line. Faceless red figures wait underneath the tracks – the ‘hoards and masses’ who depend on public transit. In the background, the multicolored towers of downtown can be seen.

part of a mural at 24th street Bart station, a train is running on elevated tracks that are held up by men, faceless red people wait under the tracks, colourful city buildings in the background

In the original, these faceless people were brown.

The three original artists were Michael Rios, Richard Montes, and Tony Machado.

In the background, the multicolored towers of downtown San Francisco.

Photos taken February 2025

Sharks vs Tiger

Posted on October 4, 2026 by Mary C

A gang of sharks against a tiger….

below: One of the sharks wears yellow rimmed glasses and has a lip piercing. It also has a lot of pointy teeth!

part of a mural by Persue, Dave Persue Ross, sharks vs tiger, shark with yellow sunglasses and a piercing - gold hoop

below: Most the the Sharks vs Tiger mural at street level along the bottom of a building at 15th and Valencia. It was painted by Dave Persue Ross (creator of Bunny Kitty)

In Mission District of San Fran, on 15th street, a mural by Persue, Dave Persue Ross, sharks vs tiger

below: A hammerhead shark joins the fray.

part of a mural by Persue, Dave Persue Ross, sharks vs tiger, hammerhead shark with weapon, blade on a stick,

below: This is the tiger. He is holding a Bunny Kitty who in turn has a spray paint can in it’s hand. Tiger is wearing a cap with a San Francisco Giants logo. … but oh! … I am not sure he knows there’s an octopus lurking behind him – an octopus with at least one sharp knife!

below: Whose side is the turtle on?

below: Not a hopeful sign…..

Photos taken February 2025

last of Salem

Posted on September 30, 2026 by Mary C

Continuing to “finish” sections of this blog – today it’s Salem Massachusetts.

below: “Make art or die trying”.

Salem street art, graffiti sticker that says make art or die trying

below: “Super Dali” by Brazilian street artist Sipros (aka Wellington Naberezny)

young Dali with long curly mustache, oversized black glasses, and a cape like superman in a mural by Sipros, in Salem Massachusetts

below: Beside Dali is a spiral vortex in blues and oranges by HoxxoH, (aka Douglas Hoekzema)

HoxxoH mural in Salem, circles like a spiral vortex in yellow, orange, and blue

below: Golden 305 aka Cristhian Saravia

below: mmm

part of Golden 305 mural in Salem, pink unicorn, yellow cat, blue face with a yellow halo, alien in a small spacecraft

below: Unicorn love

part of a Golden 305 mural in Salem, pink unicorn with rainbow cooured horn, with pink heart, button eyes

below: “The Queen of the Block” by artist Mr. Cenz,

Mr. Cenz mural in Salem, woman's face on a building adjacent to one whose facade has been painted in graphic geometric shapes

below: “Si Se Puede” (translates to “if possible”) by Annadidathing aka Anna Dugan, and Yenny Hernández

below: Along the river path, by Chor Boogie aka Joaquin Lamar Hailey

mural in Salem, along the river path, by Chor Boogie aka Joaquin Lamar Hailey

below: It looks a llot like fences intertwined, but the title is “Creciendo Juntos” (Growing Together) by artist El Cekis

mural by El Cekis, in salem, bluish green leaves growing against a pinkish chainllink fence, another pink fence, and a loopy yellow fence

below: “Katherine” painted by Mexican artist Paola Delfín in August 2018.

mural titled, Katherine, painted by Mexican artist Paola Delfín, large portrait in grey tones

below: “Garden Boy” by Pixel Pancho

Garden Boy by Pixel Pancho, large mural, head and shoulders of boy entirely in flowers and leaves

below: Little orange guys

little orange characters with curly legs, on a blue background

little orange characters with curly arms, on a blue background

below: Denny Tentindo. This mural was painted over in August 2026. It was on the side of a building, The Witch Doctor. When the business moved, the mural was painted brown.

mural, a row of grey elephants on brown background, mural in Salem

grey elephants on brown background, mural in Salem

below: Happy faces in a rainbow of colours, more work by Golden305.

row of large happy faces on fence, different coloured backgrounds in each section, purple, pink, turquoise, green, orange, yellow, by Golden 305

large x as eyes, face mural, black on yellow, by golden 305

little stickers on a red do not block street sign

below: A chef and some faces in black and white

paste up graffiti, one is a chef with a shark's tail, the other is two male faces, both in black and white

below: Happy frog face!

sticker graffiti, blue frog's face, laughing, with flowers in its hair

More Salem photos on this site – Salem street art

Photos taken July 2024

mostly positive, Nashua murals

Posted on September 28, 2026 by Mary C

below: This is West Pearl Street, Nashua NH in 1909. Tremont House located at the corner of West Pearl & Main streets dominates the picture. West Pearl was the economic hub of the city at that time with many coffee shops, pool rooms, stores, and other business establishments. In 1923 the Tremont Houses was demolished and a bank built in its place.

mural, a view of West Pearl Street, Nashua NH in 1909 with Tremont House which was a hotel, in the foreground — The mural was painted by Barbara Andrews

below: This painting is on the back of a building in a downtown parking lot.

mural in a Nashua New Hampsire parking lot

below: In the same parking lot as the above painting, is this mural. “Martha’s Muse was painted by Manuel Ramirez in 2019. It is on the back of Martha’s Exchange Restaurant, Brewey, and Sweet Shoppe on Main Street. Ramirez is part of a group, Positive Street Art that is responsible for many of the murals in Nashua.

Martha's Muse, was painted by Manuel Ramirez from Positive Street art. shows woman sitting at a table drinking beer

below: Another mural from Positive Street Art is this “We are Grateful For” with the sun in the center. The rays of the sun are filled with words including family, outdoors, and second chances. In addition, there are four trees, each representing a season. There are green leaves on the summer tree but red and brown leaves on the autumn one, as seen here.

mural from Positive Street Art, What we are grateful for, kindness, family, nature,pets, outdoors, faith, second chances, words are written on rays of the sun that are shining through 4 trees, one for each season,

below: The spring tree is full of white blossoms with words like, “blessings”, “kindness”, “honesty”, and “generosity” on the suns rays that shine on the tree.

mural, spring tree is full of white blossoms with words like, honesty, shelter, blessings, freedom, alive, sharing, happiness, music, animals,

below: At the winter end of the mural snow covers the branches of the otherwise bare tree. But the sun keeps shining.

tree in winter, snow on the branches, in a mural, sun's rays with words on them, resources, acceptance, siblings, sunsets, care givers, every day, rainbows, dancing, art,

below: She is blowing lots of bubbles here, in the third Positive Street Art mural of this post.

young girl blowing lots of bubbles in a mural for 50th anniversary of Rotary Club of Nashua West

below: The full mural. It was painted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Nashua West.

mural for 50th anniversary of Rotary Club of Nashua West

hand holding a glass globe full of water, street art mural

below: There is a lot of text – it’s a list of questions called “The Four-Way Test of the things we think, say, or do”. This list was created in 1932 by Herbert J. Taylor as he tried to save the Club Aluminum Company from bankruptcy. Taylor was a Rotarian; in 1943 the Rotary Club adopted these tests as part of their philosophy.

part of a mural, a list of questions called

below: “Take courage when the road is long don’t ever forget, you are never alone.” Although the grammar isn’t stellar, the message is a good one. This is the fourth (and last for this post) Positive Street Art mural. It is a tribute dedicated to community members lost to the opioid epidemic. Painted by Manuel Ramirez, Jason Marc DeBow, and Tom Lopez.

Mural, couple with a dog, with many people around them, with text, Take courage when the road is long don't ever forget, you are never alone. by Positive Street Art members

part of Take Courage mural, young people dancing while some others watch

If you are interested in the murals in Nashua, there are a couple of other posts on this site as well – Nashua murals.

Photos taken July 2024

Sandwich history murals

Posted on September 28, 2026 by Mary C

I’m not talking about an edible sandwich [insert silly emoji here], but rather this post is about the Ontario town of Sandwich and some of the murals that they have.

In a park setting – the story of a day in the life of a town, 24 May 1855.

On the left, the construction of a new Court House is well underway.

“Alexander Mackenzie and Brother (contractors), Albert H. Jordan – Architect”

In the middle the banner across the top of the panel says it all – “Queen Victoria’s 35th birthday, the 24th day of May, 1855” [note: Her 35th birthday was actually in 1854]. I suspect that the line of men is supposed to be all the dignitaries and local bigwigs (some of whom were named at the bottom of the image) who have come to celebrate a queen’s birthday and witness the laying of the cornerstone.

“The Laying of the corner stone for the 4th Court House to stand on this site. Dignitaries – Hon. Archibald Maclean (Judge), Rev. E. H. Dewar, Warden S.S. MacDonell, Sheriff Wm Duperon Baby, Col. John Prince, Treasurer George Bullock, Judge J.A. Wilkinson, Clerk Charles Baby, Col. Arthur Rankin, Alexander Chewett (Judge), John McEwan, and Col. James Askin (Registrar).”

below: Meanwhile, on the right, there was a party going on.

“View of 3rd Court House still standing (background). A reception was held in the Marquee with Luker’s Band.”

below: This is the Court House that was built in 1854/5 by the Mackenzie brothers (Alexander Mackenzie (1822-1892) then served as the federal Member of Parliament for the area between 1867 and 1892. He was the second Prime Minister of Canada (1873-1878)) . The building was used as a Court House until 1963. It is now known as Mackenzie Hall.

picture of the modern day Mackenzie Hall — Picture source: Wikipedia

below: “The Battle of Windsor” is another mural.

There is a panel in this mural (not shown) that tells the story of the Battle of Windsor. The first paragraph gives an account from the perspective of the man in charge, Col. John Prince (the one sitting on the white horse). … “In his diary for December 4 1838 Col. John Prince wrote: ‘A cold day. Awoke at 6 am by an alarm gun at Sandwich. Rose and saw a fire at Windsor. Proceeded there with the militia and found it in possession of Brigands and Pirates. We attacked them and killed 27 and took about 20 prisoners. I ordered the first 5 taken to be shot. We lost 4 men, and poor Dr. Hum Asst. Staff Surgeon who was cruelly Murdered by them!’ “

below: Another piece of local history…..

mural about Simon Ginty, picture of him along with many words describing his life on the side of a brick building, above a restaurant patio with blue and orange umbrellas

“Simon Girty U.E. 1741 – 1818 Girty’s life crossed cultural boundaries between Native and White societies on the frontier of American settlement. In 1756 his family was captured by a French-led Native war party in Pennsylvania. Simon was adopted by the Seneca, then repatriated in 1764. An interpreter at Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh). He became an intermediary with Native Nations.

In 1778, dismayed over rebel policy on the Natives, Simon fled to Detroit. During the Revolutionary War and subsequent conflicts in the Ohio Valley, he was employed by the British Indian Department while serving Native Nations as a negotiator, scout, and military leader. Anger at his defection and fearful of his influence Americans made Ginty a scapegoat for frontier atrocities. Girty was actively involved with old Sandwich. He is buried on his homestead in Amherstburg. “

The above paragraphs are a transcription of the text in the mural. There is a plaque in Pennsylvania that honours him and one part of it says, “… he became an interpreter for the American army; deserted in 1778. Afterwards, led British and Native American war parties against frontier settlements. Hostile to the US in the War of 1812. Regard as a loyalist by some and as a “White Savage” by others.”

mural about Simon Ginty, picture of him along with many words describing his life

below: “Healthy Communities”, a mural about doctors, nurses, hospitals, and pharmacists both past and present.

mural called healthy communities, about famous doctors and nurses in sandwich

below: In the top corner, “General Benedict Arnold’s granddaughter, Margaret Arnold McEwan of Sandwich, braved cholera to care for immigrants in 1854”. Also in blue and across the top of this part of the mural is a drawing of the Braid Building. It was a Sanitorium that was built in 1923 to house tuberculosis patients. Cholera and TB, two diseases that are much rarer nowadays.

part of Healthy Communities mural with drawing of General Benedict Arnold's granddaughter, Margaret Arnold McEwan as well as Braid Building which was a Sanitorium that was built in 1923 to house tuberculosis patients

street art painting of dreamcatcher but in circle part are four pictures, each in a quadrant of the circle

In case you are unsure where Sandwich is, it is on the Detroit River just outside of Windsor (or is a suburb of Windsor)

boats on the Detroit River, a rusty red and yellow boat, a cruise ship, and a navy boat

It is where you will find the Gordie Howe Bridge – which is now opened (finally!)

Stop sign on a fence overgrown with greenery, at the end of a road by a construction site for the Gordie Howe bridge

Photos taken June 2025

Spreading a little love….. Cologne murals

Posted on September 24, 2026 by Mary C

More Cologne street art

below: LOVE, It’ the Cologne way in three-dimensional blue letters and cursive script. A bee flies past as a toucan watches over the garage entrance. The building has become a garden of flowers including pink hibiscus, pink and red roses, yellow stars, and a white daisy. It was painted by Henning Hüttner

LOVE, It' the Cologne way in three-dimensional blue letters and cursive script. A bee flies past as a toucan watches over the garage entrance. The building has become a garden of flowers including pink hibiscus, pink and red roses, yellow stars, and a white daisy. mural painted by Henning Hüttner

below: “Kolijka” by a pair of Polish artists known as SEPE (aka Michał Wręga) and Chazme. (aka Daniel Chazme) It was painted in 2015 as part of the City Leaks festival

large mural, Kolijka by a pair of Polish artists known as SEPE and Chazme

below: A closer look at one of the figures in the mural. It’s more than ten years old and a little faded but still in good shape.

large mural, Kolijka by a pair of Polish artists known as SEPE and Chazme, close up of one of the men in the mural

below: Mixing paint in a wood bucket while standing on Cologne’s crest – three gold crowns above eleven flames. The three crowns symbolize the Three Wise Men whose bones are said to be kept in a golden sarcophagus in Cologne Cathedral. They were brought in 1164, by Rainald of Dassel, the Archbishop of Cologne; this made the city a major pilgrimage destination.