J-DEF Peace Project, mosaic, Pilsen

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Mary C

Near the 18th Street CTA stop on the pink line, and in the Pilsen area of Chicago, is a mosaic mural by the J-DEF Peace Project.

purple background, mosaic mural, words that say J DEF peace project

mosaic mural outside on a wall at 18th and Paulina in Pilsen area of Chicago, an arm raised with a fist along with the words paz, talk to your neighbors

part of a mural at 18th and Paulina in Pilsen area of Chicago, by J-DEF peace project, a portrait of Jeff Maldonado Jr. for whom the project is named after, as well as a picture with the theme of create safe places away from gun violence

The J-DEF Peace Project by the parents of Jeff Maldonado who was shot a day after his 19th birthday. It is a program that works towards ending gun violence among Chicago’s youth. They have made a safe place for young people to come together to participate in art projects and other programs.

moasaic mural of tiles with words create safe places. A picture of a body outline on the ground with three red hearts, also shadows of two people with long hair on swings. A man plays a drum with the words Rudy Avina

below: A tribute to Ana Mateo, Francisco Mendoza, and Javier Merino.
Pilsen wall of honor part of mosaic mural, pictures and names of three people, young girl Ana Mateo, and two men, Francisco Mendoza and Javier Merino.

below: Police officer Brian Strouse is also on the Wall of Honor.

mosaic tribute to policeman, Brian Strouse, along with the words we need to work hard to make the world better

The words under the four portraits say:
“We need to work hard to make the world better
Stop killin’ each other, start comin’ together
But the things you want in life like the cars and the bling
Got you blinded by the fact that its only a dream.”

below: The end of the mural, “make smart choices”.

part of a mosaic mural, J DEF peace project, back of a car, with words make smart choices

J-DEF Peace Project, hands in unity

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Mary C

(continued from above)

Another J-DEF Peace Project mural in Pilsen, this time on the brick wall beside a small park on Allport Street.

Hands in Unity, a mural featuring large hands in various positions, making heart shapes, making peace symbols, a mural on a wall

hands forming a heart shape around a man's profile in white

hands in a mural called hands in unity

on a yellow background, a list of 30 names of the young people who helped to create a mural on a brick wall on the exterior of St. Pius church

Plovdiv street art

Posted on August 12, 2019 by Mary C

While walking around the city of Plovdiv I found a lot of great street art.

below: A floating candle in the night sky,

mural of a man from behind, one hand behind his back , the other hand in the air just released a candle, or is reaching for the candle

below: Behind the Drama Theatre in Plovdiv, on one of its bright red walls, is a large mural by Bozko. Is this older man in a jester outfit a political statement?

a large mural of an older man in jester outfit, with arms crossed in front of him, make up on his face

below: These red walls were also painted with a large horizontal mural (next three photos). A woman sleeps among purple flowers. Is she dreaming of skulls and hands? Is it a nightmare?

below: As much of the mural as I could get in one photo.

below: Another woman sleeps but with books as her pillow. Transported into dreamland by the words she’s read.

below: Bloody Romance by Ernaste Nasimo

the story of romance, a mural by ernesto nasimo of a man giving a blue flower to a woman with shoulder length brown hair, on a red background

below: Another painting by Nasimo called “The Chain Rockers”. It looks like he has just broken the chain with his teeth. Behind the head is an open book with words written on the pages. On the left is “raja-vidya raja-guhyam pavitram idam uttamam pratyaksavagamam dharmyam su-sukham kartum avyayam”. On the right is the partial translation of this Krishna text into English: “This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct”

mural on a wall of the head ans shoulders of an older balding man with beard, moustache, and large white teeth. He has an angry look on his face. his collar is in Bulgarian colours, red, yellow and black. An open padlock is in his beard and a chain runs across the lower par tof his face but it lookslike he has just broken it with his teeth

below: Watermelon seeds make the eyes and nose of the watermelon face… but then he eats the watermelon? Two paintings by Viktoria Georgieva and Nikolay Bozhinov, aka Mouse and Nikkawhy

two murals side by side, one by mishka the mouse, and the other by aleksi varna. on the left is a watermelon cut open, seeds form a happy face, and the mural on the right is a person in round glasses eating a slice of watermelon

below: A boy with a large black bird painted on a box.

a painting on an electrical box on the street, of a boy with round orange glasses holding a large black bird

below: Four eyes, one of which is the handle for the box.

below: Cupid in browns pointing his arrow at an unsuspecting victim.

a small graffiti piece of a small chubby partially naked cupid with an arrow ready to shoot from his bow.

below: Bare toes, blue jeans, and a striped sweater. A comb in one pocket and a little critter in the other.

below: Some whimsical, cartoon-like characters on a blue cloud.

small mural of a group of cartoon-like characters standing on a blue cloud, signature is mora.

below: She’s wearing flowers in her hair – is that hair being held up with chopsticks?

mural of a woman with large glasses and two flowers in her hair. she is holding something blue in one hand

below: A very long tongue from a happy frog wraps itself around a dragonfly.

below: My Bulgarian is non-existent so I’m not sure what this says. Covered in tattoos and puffing on red smoke as he takes a rest on his bike.

mural of a bald man with a mustache on bike with lake and sunset behind him, puffing on red smoke, covered in tattoos,

below: And last, a quiet cup of tea by the mail box in the shadow of little triangular flags hanging across the street.

All in white, like a silhouette, a tall lamp stand with three lamps at the top, a woman sitting beside a table with a tea pot and a vase on it.

Stern in Plovdiv

Posted on August 12, 2019 by Mary C

There are numerous paintings by Bulgarian street artist Dimitar Mekhandziiski (aka Stern) in Plovdiv Bulgaria. Here are some of the ones that I saw in April 2017. a woman is taking a photo of a large mural by Dimitar Mehandjiiski a k a stern in Plovdiv, external wall, puppets people

below: A dragon hand puppet on the end of a blue arm and another man in a red hoodie, looking down on the stage as a man walks past.

a man with a blue face and blue arm holds a dragon hand puppet while another man in a red hoodie holds a fox puppet

below: The making of a wooden puppet?

an older man with reading glasses and balding hair holds a wood puppet with a round head and a stick-like neck

below: The crocodile (alligator?) has a blue glass heart between its jaws. Be careful! Is that a grenade inside the crystal?

looking at the corner of a building, with murals on two sides. One side is of a man riding a purple and pink alligator or crocdile. The other side is not seen as easily and are more creatures

below: Empty chairs and a table in front of a mural… a pink creature beside another ugly creature with green skin, beady eyes, and a very long tongue. Inside the window next door is the face of a strangely beautiful character with long hair, pink eyes, and blue skin. In its hand (with watch on its wrist) is a flaming torch.

murals by stern on the side of an old building in Plovdiv

below: Riding the dragon (crocodile?) and wearing a mask.

a person in a mask with an orange beak is sitting on what looks like an inflatable green dragon

below: In contrast to his other work, this frog and these mushrooms look much more realistic.

A light green frog sits on a dark green leaf, mushrooms on both sides of him, some of the mushrooms have beige and white striped caps and some have red tops with white dots

whale mural

Posted on December 16, 2018 by Mary C

The whale mural was painted in 2013 along Stewart Street near the north entrance to Richmond Station in Melbourne. It is 40 metres long and was painted by Mike Makatron and Everfresh Studios. In the past few years, some tags have been painted on top of it. This is what it looks like today (December 2018) – in sections because of its size.

whale mural that is 40 metres long, on a wall, by train station, head of a whale, some black tags over it. part of a whale mural showing pink brain inside head part of a whale mural, car parked in front of it, showing machinery as parts that keep the whale moving

part of a whal mural, white ribs surrounding innards, and tail

Baptist Lane, Melbourne

Posted on December 15, 2018 by Mary C

Graffiti and street art seen in Baptist Lane, CBD

below: looking down the lane. On the immediate right is an old mural of the Last Supper which has been scrawled over almost to the point of making the mural indecipherable.

graffiti and street art in an alley, pale yellow walls

once it was a sepia toned painting of the last supper (religious) but it has had a lot of graffiti written on top of it

below: A blank eyed bride with her flowers

black and white pasteup of a bride in veil, with 5 black stars encircling her head, holding a large bouquet of flowers

below: Two faced and holding up a jacket.

two black and white pasteups on a wall. on the right is a pair of white hands holding up an open jacket and on the left is a woman's head with two pairs of eyes, and a pair of hands below the head

below: Red brick wall and a window box

two windows in a small building in a lane, surrounding the windows is street art like a window box, awning, and then the wall space between the windows is decorated too

street art beside a window

below: I’m against all authority except my mother (close enough translation anyhow).

words on top and below a headless figure holding the head of a woman in its hands, words say contro toda autoridad excepto mi mama which is Spanish for I defy all authority except my mother below: Studying the hole in the fence

black and white pasteup of a person in a hoodie standing behind a chain link fence with a hole in it.

below: Two little cats two black and white cats on a pasteup in a lane

Strachan Lane, Melbourne

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Mary C

The entrance to Strachan Place (in Melbourne CBD) is marked by a large mural by adnate.

bike parked in front of a mural by adnate of a couple, street sign that says Strachan Lane

large mral by adnate of a couple kissing, the woman's head is above the man's head and she is looking down at him as her mouth comes close to his nose.

adnate maural of a woman dancing, wearing a red skirt and with red hair, swirling skirt, arm up as she dances

below: I am not sure who the artist is but the white rabbit wants you to know that it’s 12:01. Is that late?

mural of a white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, with pinkish eyes and ears, and purple jacket, and wearing a wrist watch, on a double door, surrounded by black and white checked pattern.

orange and white traffic markers in front of a mural in a lane, on a brick wall, of a woman's face and head, green skin on face, blue skin on neck, long black hair, blue eyes, 3/4 profile position

Scroll down to the next post to see more adnate in Melbourne.

four Adnate faces on Wellington

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Mary C

On an apartment building that is 20 storeys high, there is a large mural painted by Adnate. Apparently it is the tallest mural in the southern hemisphere. Recently completed (Sept 2018), the mural consists of four faces of residents of the public housing building.

adnate faces, four, on a 20 storey high apartment building

below: The top of the mural features the face of a young Vietnamese girl

a young girl and an older woman's face in an adnate mural

below: First grader Arden

young boy's face in a mural by adnate

below: The face of Badria Abdo, from Ethiopia, who arrived in Australia in 2006 via a Kenyan refugee camp where she spent seven years.

below: On the bottom is a man recently arrived from West Papua (Indonesia).

a black man's face in an adnate mural

Chopper Lane, Collingwood

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Mary C

Chopper Lane is a small dead end alley that runs off Perry Street in Collingwood. This bright blue mural is at the end of the lane.

below: I can’t read the signature at the bottom right, any ideas?

looking to a dead end lane, Chopper Lane, wall is painted like a blue sky with a few clouds, text written on it.

Text in the mural:
“I meet love and I lose it,
I sense it, I reject it,
I pursue it,
I find it in small things
Like
When I stop to look at the sky
And I wonder
About You”

upper part is remains of a mural showing just a pair of woman's eyes, in blue, mural on the bottom of women working

below: The signature at the bottom right of this one is utama.co and lingerid. Unfortunately, I cut off the signature on the left (partially visible here).

mural of two women

red and silver graffiti on a wall underneath a row of windows with frosted glass

below: One Mob

street art painting of a man topless with arms over head in victory, with text underneath that says one mob

below: Mural of a sugar glider, a small nocturnal possum.

street art mural of a sugar glider, a small rat-like rodent

I’m not sure if it’s still Chopper Lane after it crosses Perry Street, but you can continue walking north.

below: Looking across Perry Street from north to south.

devil mural on the right, then looking across the street to another wall and garage door on Perry Street in Collingwood, that is painted with street art

below: On the paper it is written: “Sometimes a deal with the devil is better than no deal at all.” Even if it’s the devil from the TV show “Futurama”
futurama devil in a mural, yellow colour, blue text graffiti, devil is holding a hand written paper that says sometimes a deal with the devil is better than no deal at all

gold letter text street art with a picture of a woman in broad rimmed hat and purple and orange sunglasses

coloured lines, abstract, street art painting

below: A knight in no armour but a helmet spearing open a spray paint can.

street art painting, man on horse with long lance, or sword, on horse back, horse rearing up on hind legs,

text street art in an alley in Collingwood Melbourne

street art picture of a blue spray paint can being held by a blue hand, can has mouth wide open showing white teeth and red tongue.

below: I’m not sure it’s “street art” but it was too cute not to include here.

a row of stuffies behind a rusty metal grille in front of a window.

below: A closer look.

close up of three stuffies behind a rusty metal grille in front of a window.

looking into a back yard from an alley, drawing on white door, an old chair in front of the door.

below: Two pasteups on a pole

a row of spoons drawn on a piece of paper then used as a pasteup on a pole

black and white pasteup on a pole, outisde, with some red spray paint covering parts of it.

below: Oh! It looks like I was spotted!

man on a balcony above a garage is looking down into the alley, another garage door has street art sprayed onto it

door in a fence in an alley covered with street art, textual

If you walk to the end of the lanes, you’ll find yourself on Bedford Street where there is another mural by Lingerid.

large painting of a man's head on the exterior wall, surrounded by grey words

Perry Street, Phibs

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Mary C

In Collingwood (Melbourne), on Perry Street, there is large mural painted by Phibs in 2015. A portion of the bottom of it has been tagged over. I only have two photos of it (taken December 2018), each is roughly half of the mural.

On the right side:

upper part is part of a mural by phibs in blues and greys of fish, drawn with lines and circles, the bottom part is a large blue tag.

and on the left side.

a street art liion in blues, stylized, also a fish, on a wall under a window and beside a door, by phibs in 2015, on a street in Melbourne Australia

This is a screenshot from google street view (filmed August 2017) which shows the right hand side of the mural as it once was.

screen shot of google street view of the phobs mural on perry street in melbourne

Link to Phibs’s website

Eyes on the Streets

and feets on the ground. Graffiti, street art and murals seen while wandering the streets and alleys of our colourful world.

Author Archives: Mary C