Category Archives: USA

Funky Fish and fisheries

Posted on by
Reply

There is an aquatic (and fisheries) themed mural that can be seen from the Pinellas Loop Trail in St. Petersburg. It was painted by PlasticBirdie (Jeremy Nichols) and BlaineFontana during the SHINE Mural Festival in 2019 in partnership with PangeaSeed Foundation’s Sea Walls. Funding was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). It is over 120 feet long and took eight days to paint. It’s title is “The 8th Funky Fish Town”.

mural, by Jeremy Nichols and Blaine Fontana, about fish especially groupers, and fisheries of Florida, in St. Petersburg, title is The eighth funky fish town

below: Each of the 7 pegs describes one of Florida’s local fisheries. Number 1 is Madeira Beach and number 2 is Panama City …. followed by 3. Cortez, 4. Apalachicola (for oysters), 5.Steinhatchee (for scallops) 6. Matlacha and 7. Key West

details about the 7 fisheries in Florida including Panama City, Madeira Beach, and Key West , in a street art mural

below: A coral reef with a dark red grouper fish poking its head out. A gray manta ray is also pictured.

part of a street art mural, a gray manta ray, a coral reef, and two grouper fish

below: And last, a giant green eel with many arrows.

part of a street art mural, the head of a large green eel coming out of coral reef, many arrows in different colours, pointing to the right

Photos taken March 2024

Pohukaina Street

Posted on by
Reply

A previous post showed a number of murals that have been painted near the corner of Cooke and Pohukaina Streets in the Kaka’ako district of Honolulu. If you were to stay on Pohukaina Street instead of turning on Cooke, you would walk past another wall of murals. This is that wall. It takes up the whole block.

below: At the corner with Cooke Street

street art mural in Honolulu

below: Dinosaur head? Pterodactyl?

car parked in front of a street art mural in Honolulu

below: Green theme… as in ecologically green, with clean water and sustainable crops.

street art mural in Honolulu

below: Morning glories and pears

street art mural in Honolulu

below: In the water with green eyed creatures

street art mural in Honolulu

below: Asian style dragons and creatures

street art mural in Honolulu

below: … with yellow eyes and fangs

street art mural in Honolulu

below: Superheros to the rescue! 123Krew

street art mural in Honolulu plus reflections in a car window of

below: Humanoid … robotic? transformer?

street art mural in Honolulu Photos taken July 2025

Mission Linen building – north wall

Posted on by
Reply

This post is the third in a series about the old Mission Linen building in Las Vegas.  The other two posts looked at the graffiti and street art on the east and west walls.  Links to the other posts can be found at the bottom of this post.

The old Mission Linen building is/was at the corner of South 1st Street and Coolidge Avenue in Las Vegas. The north wall (facing Coolidge) was covered with a lot of street art but I suspect that it is long gone – Google’s Street View shows the building painted white (from 2023).

below: There were also some photographs that look like they are part of an Inside Out Global Art project.

eight large black and white photos of people from the shoulders up on the upper level of a building wall. On the lower level is some graffiti and street art.

eight large black and white photos of people from the shoulders up on the upper level of a building wall. On the lower level is some graffiti and street art. Inside Out Global Art Projectbelow: On the left, a macabre mural by Broken Fingaz

a mural and a wheatpaste. The mural is a green and light blue man's head, fingers by his face, cigarette in his mouth. A purple dog is lunging at him with its mouth open. The wheatpaste is a silhouette man carrying a briefcase with the word indecline written below him.

below: Teach Peace by Thresh Techr

blog_north_teach_peace_thresh_techr

below: Faces to the right are by Uncutt Art while the cat? reclining top centre is part of a series, Milk the Bunny, by Omayra Amador .

blog_north_spy_uncutt_milk_the_rabbit

below: Stereotypical Temper by Typical Bandito

blog_north_stereotypical_temper

below:  Another Milk the Bunny, bottom right, amongst other graffiti.

blog_north_blue_chair_bunny

blog_north_drunk_bums_faces

blog_north_el_carlito

below: by Punk me Tender

blog_north_punk_love_woman

below: On the right, Marie Antoinette says ‘Let them eat paste’ by There She Is.  Obviously a play on her more famous line of “Let them eat cake.”

blog_north_king_woman_paste

blog_north_robot_love

blog_north_skulls_jaw

blog_north_zorkbelow: “Everything is horrible and will remain compromised”

blog_north_everything_horrible

blog_north_grasshopper

blog_north_marilyn_monroe_stencil

blog_north_neo_balloon

blog_north_peoplePhotos taken 2015

Mission Linen Building – east wall

Mission Linen Building – west wall

on the sidewalks of LA

Posted on by
Reply

Look down.

Sidewalk graffiti; sidewalk stencils.

All photos taken in the Arts District of Los Angeles

below: “Catch your life” on a Pokemon ball

black paint with stencil graffiti on a sidewalk

below: Life, and metamorphosis

black paint with stencil graffiti on a sidewalk - a person with large butterfly wings and the word "life"

below: Stikman is in LA too!

black paint with stencil graffiti on a sidewalk - stickman (or maybe stikman)

below: Not me? and a little moneybags mouse

black paint with stencil graffiti on a sidewalk - two creatures, one a big blob man-like creature with the words 'not me' written on his chest, the other a small black hatted man carrying a large moneybag

below: “Paint here and here”

black paint with stencil graffiti on a sidewalk - words that say 'paint here and here' but there is a large space between each word

below: Say Yes!

black paint with stencil graffiti on a sidewalk - large block letters that say "say yes'

below: Smile for the ego

black paint with stencil graffiti on a sidewalk - a female robot holding a cameraphone and taking a selfie. The words say 'smile for your ego'

below: Buy the Lie

black paint with stencil graffiti on a sidewalk - person with long hair, a cowboy hat, sunglasses and a bandana covering face from nose down.

Photos taken in 2015

The Container Yard

Posted on by
Reply

 800 East 4th Street, Los Angeles

below: A portrait of Andy Warhol beside Desire, Obtain, and Cherish

A large building with 3 large garage doors. Each door has a word painted on it, desire, obtain, cherish. A large street art painting surrounds the words - swirls and stars. Part of the side of the building also has street art - a large black and white painting of Andy Warhol.

below: I love LA!

colourful tags, or parts of tags, with two coffee mug shapes with faces, one white and one orange. The orange one is sticking out its tongue at a grey mug shape that has "I love LA" on it, along with a red heart

below: Runny, droopy, eyes in a colourful mural by Vyal Reyes.

blog_desire_obtain_cherish_multicolor_eyes

blog_desire_obtain_cherish_pointy_nosebelow: Two birds in flight, birds with feathery wings in blues, purples, and black.

blog_desire_obtain_cherish_purple_birds

blog_desire_obtain_cherish_queen_hearts

blog_desire_obtain_cherish_balloons

blog_desire_obtain_cherish_deerbelow: “Woke up sleeping, woke up still dreaming”, a mural by Christina Angelina, EaseOne, and SEK

blog_desire_obtain_cherish_dreaming

blog_desire_obtain_cherish_ladderbelow: The letters spell Craola and Self and of course, the artist is Craola aka Greg Simkins.

Large street art painting of the tag 'Boogie' with a mouse like head in the middle

below: A very square and very still robot. Cookie.

tall graffiti robot with a square head. Signed 'Cookie'. He's in a corner and not that well seen unfortunately below: It’s probably unfinished?  Each image is a letter of the alphabet?  Maybe it ends with R O E?   An image search with google was not helpful so I only have questions….

unfinished street art on a wall. Someone has painted the words 'rained out' below it

angles and triangles predominate in this street art painting.

blog_desire_obtain_cherish_little_guy

With thanks to Landon who let me walk around with my camera.
Photos taken in 2015

The Container Yard story

at Colyton and East 4th

Posted on by
Reply

Murals and graffiti seen at Colyton and East 4th St. in Los Angeles

On the corner of East 4th street and Colyton is this mural by Tristan Eaton:

street art in the Arts District of LA (Los Angeles) - many women's faces with other creatures like a snake and a white dove, and things like guns and flowers,as well

Close up of a woman's face, part of a mural on East 4th Street in Los Angeles. There is also a purple snake in the picture. Larger than life size.

Close up of a woman's face, part of a mural on East 4th Street in Los Angeles. Large than life size.
Close up of a woman's face, part of a mural on East 4th Street in Los Angeles. Large than life size.

On the telephone pole at the corner:

Two small bits of street art on telephone pole, a turquoise wood cut out that has a vaguely human shape as well as a piece, also in blues, with an X in the middle, and letters written in each quadrant of the X, NC on the top, LA on the right, RS70 on the bottom and NY on the left.

Around the corner on Colyton there are a couple of other murals. First, a blue woman by James Haunt and Love Crew

street art in the Arts District of LA (Los Angeles) - part of a mural of a woman's head, very large and very blue, lying down eys and mouth open
street art in the Arts District of LA (Los Angeles) - part of a mural of a woman's head, very large and very blue, lying down eys and mouth open

street art in the Arts District of LA (Los Angeles) - part of a mural of a woman's head, very large and very blue, lying down eyes and mouth open Love, Love, Love

blog_colyton_windowsHer eyes like emotion sensors…. and an old truck too.

An old pale yellow pick up truck is parked in front a mural that includes the words "Her eyes like emotion sensors"

Large black and white picture, very realistic, of a man's head.

Photos were taken in 2015

923 East Third Street

Posted on by
Reply

… downtown Los Angeles

There is an alley that runs along the east side of this building between 3rd and 2nd streets.

No trespassing sign at 923 East Third Street in LA, it has 5 or 6 stickers on it as well as some scribbles in black

A chain link fence also runs along the east side of the building, separating passersby and the street art covered walls.
It makes picture taking a bit more challenging, but it also reduces unwanted tagging.

Old brick building painted white then covered with a mural in pale blues and greens. metal barred window with Keep Out sign on it, a mural of running animals drawn as outline figures, with the top of a chain link fence in the very foreground of the picture.

I was using my little camera so the lens fits through the spaces of a chain link fence.   The presence of a second fence stymied me though…. so the fence becomes part of the composition of the picture.    This mural was painted by Else Oner and Jeanette Paredes on a building that once was a flour mill but that is now part of an art gallery.

Mural behind a chain link fence with a coil of barbed wire above it. Mural is of two women's faces, two red roses, a greenish tag and the words "downtown LA"

mural on an old brick wall. center part of the mural is a woman wearing just panties and sneakers as she squats, viewed from behind. She looks like she is squatting behind a brick wall. Tags and other shapes also in the mural. The word 'Janet' is written beside her.

Banana! .. and lemons and strawberries.

Mural on the back of a building, including over a door with metal grille and bars. A very big banana, some strawberries and some lemons are in the picture.

street art on a wall in a LA alley. Pink background, blue tag, greenish tag, with a man's head in profile in between the tags. Weeds growing up from the crack between the pavement and the wall.

The ‘One Fallen Angel’ mural is at the north end of the alley, at East 2nd street.  She wears a blue rose in her hair.  Her wings resemble the stars and stripes of the American flag.

fallen angel mural in black and white on blue background - left hand side of the mural, old car, angel, and the word Los
fallen angel mural in black and white on blue background, the right side of the mural with the word Angeles and a skull.

fallen angel mural in black and white on blue background - close up of the angel with an ugly face over a doorway. Elaborate wings and a blue rose in her hair.

Photos were taken in 2015

around the Angel Brewery

Posted on by
Reply

The Angel Brewery is where the Arts District of Los Angeles meets Little Tokyo.  It has been located in the Roebling’s Sons building the corner of Alameda St. and Traction Ave. since 2010.  The building is now also home to a number of small pieces of street art.

blog_angel_brewery_building

street art on the exterior walls of an old red brick building

wheatpaste street art on the exterior walls of an old red brick building - one is a full moon, another is a tree drawn with squiggly lines that make the texture of the bark
below: …. now with a lovebot heart…. I forgot to take a lovebot robot sticker with me, I only had a heart one.

wheatpaste street art on the exterior walls of an old red brick building - astronaut head in greens and blues, also one small lovebot heart sticker
wheatpaste street art on the exterior walls of an old red brick building

wheatpaste street art on the exterior walls of an old red brick building (intircate black and white drawings of people, as well as a painted pink and black sad face below: Esoteric

wheatpaste street art on the exterior walls of an old red brick building - an owl face along with the word 'esoteric'

wheatpaste street art on the exterior walls of an old red brick building - an owl face along with the word 'esoteric'

wheatpaste street art on the exterior walls of an old red brick building - a skull with a multicoloured head band, and a goldish brown monkeybelow: More Fossil Fools

wheatpaste street art on the exterior walls of an old red brick building - two small posters with the line 'fossil fuels' and picture of an older man, the astronaut pic, and two smaller black and white pics at the bottombelow: 1dirlust Fox has a posse.

wheatpaste street art on the exterior walls of an old red brick building - a fox's head with the text "dirlust fox has a posse"

wheatpaste street art on the exterior walls of an old red brick building - two young men

blog_angel_brewery_heart

wheatpaste street art on the exterior walls of a yellow fire hydrant - a man's head, wearing a gas mask and a hat below: Ronald Regan has Legislative influence for sale, large mural by Shepard Fairey (aka Obey)

street art piece of Ronald Regan holding a sign that says 'Legislative Influence for sale'

The back part of an old brick building. The sign John A. Roebling's Sons Co. is still there from the original owners of the building. A very large black and white set of eyes covers a large part of the upper storeys of the buildings. It is done in black and white and looks very realistic.

blog_angel_brewery_manybelow: Marilyn Munroe in wheatpaste

A wheatpaste Marilyn Munroe with very yellow hair, blue rimmed dark sunglasses and red lipstick that is running. Three large black dots are on one of her cheeks.

wheatpaste street art on the exterior walls of an old red brick building - an owl in a circle

below: 100% Clueless, like lambs to the slaughter. … but that’s okay because I think that there is a Rat that loves you.

wheatpaste street art on the exterior walls of an old red brick building - a rat with I 'heart' rat you and beside it is a smaller piece with a cow's head coming out of a circle and around the cirle are the words "100% clueless"

graffiti dark blue heart with the 'words los angeles' written in white cursive lettering. White paint runs down from the sides of the heart.

street art piece of a head, the lower part is skull, the middle is realistic in black and white (nose and eyes) and the top has become a wispy white creature

Photos taken in 2015

This post appeared in my other blog but I am finally consolidating all my street art posts into one place.

La Jolla murals

Posted on by
Reply

I hadn’t planned to spend much time in La Jolla.  I had just spent a couple hours walking the beach at Torrey Pines and all I wanted was something to drink.  If you’ve ever been to La Jolla you’ll know that parking can be a challenge (especially free street parking)!   After taking an unplanned driving tour of the city I found a spot beside one of the murals.   A pleasant surprise.  A quick stop at Starbucks, and their wifi, to find an online map of the mural locations and I took to the streets (on foot, my tired legs!).  With a little additional help of a woman at the Visitor Info Center, I managed to find most of them.   They are predominantly printed on what looks and feels like plasticized canvas and then mounted on walls.   Many were in shadow but I may never get back so I did what I could.  Here are the photos:

below: ‘Opening’ by William Wegman, 2014

yellow mural on yellow wall. In the middle of the mural it looks like a dog has poked a large hole in the canvas and he's sticking his head out and giving a forlorn look at the viewer, painting by William Wegman.

Close up of the dog from yellow mural on yellow wall. In the middle of the mural it looks like a dog has poked a large hole in the canvas and he's sticking his head out and giving a forlorn look at the viewer.

below:  ‘Applied’ by Richard Allen Morris, 2012

A mural on a wall - blobs of colour (ice cream? paint?) on a light blue background.

below: ‘One Pointed Attention’ by Kelsey Brookes, 2014

a large mural of concentric circles of wavy lines, almost psychedelic in nature.

a large mural of concentric circles of wavy lines, almost psychedelic in nature on the side of a building that is partially obscured by a tree.

Close up of a large mural of concentric circles of wavy lines, almost psychedelic in nature. A blue and white handicap parking spot sign is in front of it.

below: ’53 women’ by Ryan McGinness, 2011

A few cars parked in a parking lot that has a very long mural titled 53 women because there are 53 women in the mural... black background and abstract silhouettes of women in bright colours. All naked, all women are one colour each - green, yellow, orange, blue, pink, purple

detail of Very long mural titled 53 women because there are 53 women in the mural... black background and abstract silhouettes of women in bright colours. All naked, all women are one colour each - green, yellow, orange, blue, pink, purple. The women are doing different activites, yoga, running, sitting, etc

below: ‘At Sea’  by Ann Hamilton, 2012

A very large mural in shades of greenish blacks and greys of a sailing ship at sea.

below:  Ooops, my apologies to the artist.

A large mural on the side of a white building. Many fish in many colours are swimming around on a white background. A small tree partially blocks the left side of the mural.

below: ‘Sexy Cash’ by Mark Bradford, 2015

A long horizontal mural on the side of a building. Messy looking but there are a few large numbers and letters visible.

below: ‘The Shores’ by Catherine Opie, 2013

A large mural of a beach scene in washed out colours, soft focus, on the side of a building beside the parking lot in front of Quality Cleaners in La Jolla.

below: ‘Expecting to Fly (for the Zeros)’ by Fred Tomaselli, 2013.  From his Instagram page: “This mural honors the late, great Chicano Punk band, The Zeros, who emerged from Chula Vista and left an enduring impact on the punk scene. The title, 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙁𝙡𝙮, references the 1960s Neil Young song performed by Buffalo Springfield, connecting different eras of music and counterculture.”

A large mural on the side of a building in La Jolla, a man is falling towards a lot of uplifted hands. The man is painted with a number of jumbled up body parts.

below: ‘Tear Stains Be Gone’ by Jean Lowe, 2015

Large mural on a wall in La Jolla that looks like an ad for a product called 'Tear Stain Remover' with the slogan "Being human is hard but it doesn't have to look that way And it only costs $14.99

below: ‘Girl from Ipaneme’ by Kim MacConnel, 2010 (painted on the wall)

Tall vertical mural of wavy stripes of colour on white background. Red, blue, yellow, green and black stripes. More than 2 storeys tall.

below: ‘Favorite Color’ by Roy McMakin, 2010 (colored tiles)

Wall of a building that has been covered with multicoloured square tiles

Wall of a building that has been covered with multicoloured square tiles

Link for more information about the Murals of La Jolla, including a lot of newer paintings!

Photos taken 2015.
They originally appeared on a different website, but I am in the process of consolidating all my street art blog posts.

murals in 29 Palms

Posted on by
Reply

Twentynine Palms California is a desert town with a population of about 26,000.   It lies directly east of Los Angeles and slightly northeast of Palm Springs.  It is the site of the Oasis of Mara, the site of the 29 palm trees planted by the Serrano Indians.  The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center is just outside of town.

Robert Plant sings a song called ’29 Palms’ although it’s not about the town.

Frank Sinatra recorded ‘The Lady from Twentynine Palms’ in 1939 and it was later covered by the Andrews Sisters as well as Doris Day.   Again, it’s not a song about the town!

I drove through it the other day because it is one of the towns at the northern edge of Joshua Tree National Monument.   As I entered the town, I noticed a sign that claimed that 29 Palms was the city of murals.  As it turns out, there are quite a few murals in town.

As I was taking pictures, I realized that it must be rare for people to walk around this town with a camera.  Then a few minutes later I decided that was wrong.  It is rare for people to walk around this town. Period.

What follows is most of the murals.  I am missing one of desert wildflowers and one of a giant lizard.  So be it. Most of the murals have an historical theme and most come with a story.  So, here is a brief account of some of the characters and events in the history of Twentynine Palms.

below: The story of cattle days in Hidden Valley.  Hidden Valley is a rock formation in what is now Joshua Tree.  Entrance to the ‘valley’ is through small openings in the rock formations.  It was once home to castle rustlers.

mural of a man lying on his back on scaffolding. He is painting a mural that is unfinished. The sky is blue. Other parts are drawn and labelled as to which color they should be painted. A very realistic cow stands beside the scaffolding.

Mural painted by John Pugh with help from Mark Molchan, Jeff Bryant, Alexis Ingle and Michelle Smith.

part of a mural - text with the story of cattle at Hidden Valley

below: The 29 Palms Stage and Express, a 1929 Chevrolet truck modified by John Hastie and used in 1938 when he started providing public transportation in the area.  John Hastie continued to drive until he retired in 1973.  It would be interesting to know how long this truck was in service!

a mural that illustrates the story of the 29 Palms stage and express. An old truck is full of people and there are trunks and bags tied to its roof.

The text that appears on the mural about the stage and express in 29 Palms.

below: Keys’ Desert Queen Ranch.  Bill Keys arrived in 29 Palms in 1910 as the caretaker of the Desert Queen mine.  When the mine went bankrupt, Bill Keys claimed the mine site. He and his wife Frances raised their five children here and Bill remained until his death in 1969.  The wikipedia entry for Bill Keys (William F. Keys) mentions that they had seven children, four of whom survived.  It also depicts Bill Keys as more of a ‘character’ including the fact that he spent time in San Quentin prison for murder.   The ranch buildings still exist (they are within Joshua Tree National Monument) and tours of the site are available.

A mural titled 'Keys' desert queen ranch' with a painting of the ranch building as well as the Keys family.

part of a mural showing a portrait of Bill Keys (as an old photograph) and his wife. In the middle of the painting is text that tells the story of their ranch in 29 palms.

below:  Orville Jackson Cones, aka Cactus Jack, or Jack Cones, the flying constable.  He became Constable of the area in 1932 and he held that job for 28 years.  He helped patrol the area by flying his Piper J-3 Cub.

mural depicting the story of Jack Cones, a policeman who flew airplanes.

The text that appears on the mural of Jack Cones

 below:  The above mural is signed,  O’Connor ’96.
Apparently the two guys who look like they want to help are Fergie and Floyd.

the signature on a mural, O'connor '96 and then there are two little workmen beside the signature that are drawn in black, both are wearing funny hats, both are older men. One has a can of paint and the other has a ladder

below: Another O’Connor mural, this one painted in 2002, depicts the story of Smiths Ranch.

A mural about the story of Smiths Dairy and their Saturday night dances

The text is smaller and more difficult to read in these photos but apparently Bill Smith and brother Harry came to 29 Palms in 1923.  They drilled a well that supplied the early settlers with water.  It also supplied a small swimming pool (see right side of mural).

part of a mural - pictures of Smith and text telling a story
Thelma Head (Mead?) arrived in 29 Palms a few years later and in 1930 she and Bill Smith were married.  Together they raised their family here.  They also developed Smiths Ranch with ice house, dairy, ice cream parlor,  outdoor theater, recreational hall, and trailer park.

mural, a young girl is eating a slice of watermelon while a man in blue overalls is sitting beside her. Other children are in the background.

below:  O’Connor Graphics has a store in town.  Unfortunately it was closed the day that I was there. But he does have a website!

Two small stores that share a common wall. O'Connor Graphics on the left. A very tall palm tree is near the center of the two buildings.

below: Prior to a flood control channel built in 1969, flash floods used to occur in 29 Palms.  During thunderstorms water would race from the mountains above the town, flood the highway, and then flood the main streets of town.

Whole mural showing scenes of a flash flood that passed through the town of Twentynine Palms.

The right side of a mural showing scenes of a flash flood that passed through the town of Twentynine Palms.

mural showing scenes of a flash flood that passed through the town of Twentynine Palms. Left side of the mural.

Photos taken in 2017.
This post originally appeared on another website but I am consolidating all my street art and mural blog posts into one collection.