GAWD’s animals

Posted on August 24, 2025 by Mary C

This post first appeared in my Toronto blog back in 2019. I am posting here because I have learned that this mural has been painted over.

In Toronto, just south of St. Clair West, Runnymede Road runs under the CP train tracks. In the summer of 2017 the wall on the west side of the underpass a mural was painted by Christopher Ross (aka GAWD). It is a collection of animals, mostly in shades of pink and blue – dragonfly, pigs, birds, and more. Most of the animals are in pairs.

At one end of the mural, this little engine sits on a tree stump.

love birds

Posted on July 31, 2025 by Mary C

Christina Angelina, painted this very large mural on the side of an Office Depot store in the Kaka’ako neighborhood in Honolulu.

large mural on grey walls of Office Depot, by Christena Angelina, two women warriors facing each other, with helmets on, long hair, each is holding a bird in her hand and they are holding the birds so that the beaks and bodies form a heart

It shows two women warriors (? or Roman goddesses?) each wearing helmets and holding a gray and pink bird. The long curved beaks of the birds almost touch and their bodies come close to forming a heart shape.

two birds in a mural, gray with pinkish heads

CK, Can Jam murals

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Mary C

Last summer, Chatham Ontario held its first mural festival event, Can Jam, and these are some of the murals that are now on some downtown walls.

below: Meghan Kehoe (aka MCK Studio) and Sarah Steele painted this very large woman behind the Capitol Theatre in downtown Chatham. Most of her hair is a bird’s nest with three shiny pink eggs. A small black and yellow bird stands on the nest.

street art mural in Chatham Ontario, on the side of the Capitol theatre

below: A version of the Tooth Fairy, by Fel3000ft. Winged teeth and butterflies.

below: Rather plump, and very bright – blue, red, and purple birds sitting together on a red branch, by Crz Prz (aka Caesar Perez)

below: Sarah Steele also painted this musician duo.

below: Sunflowers, daisies, and a bee on a purple background in a mural by local artist, Sarah M. Robbins

Photos taken June 2025

Instagram page for CK Can Jam

near Balaclava train station

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Mary C

below: On the corner of Nelson and Carlisle streets, near Balaclava station in St. Kilda East.

below: Black panther roaring with mouth open wide, fangs and teeth ready….

below: The railway crosses over Carlisle street at the north end of Balaclava station

below: Praying. Painted by Pawtl

below: Two women hanging out with a white rabbit and a white cat, by Deb.

below: Come Alive Melbourne

below: A rainbow lorikeet

below: Owls by the door

below: More owls

below: Continuing the bird theme – a very old and weathered stencil of a pigeon

below: Another oldie, a paste-up of many people. One person in a red and white striped shirt, holding a toddler. A girl with long hair wearing a checkered red and white dress; she’s holding something like a brown box in her hands. Beside her is a girl who is wearing a white top and a blue skirt. Who else can you see?

The next few pictures are a selection of paintings on the upper level of some of the stores on Carlisle.

below: Dana’s Patisserie

below: Many hands

below: Flowers and faces

below: “TAKE” or perhaps “TAK E” above a painting beside the walkway to Balaclava station, southbound trains.

below: On the platform, Balaclava station, “Shake was here”

below: Gradients in blue and orange cover the ground floor level of a new development beside the station – seen from the station platform.

below: Also seen from the platform, street art on the back of a building by the tracks.

below: Raise a steaming cup to the coffee culture that is strong here in Melbourne! Cheers!

Photos taken March 2025

some downtown Barrie murals

Posted on June 24, 2024 by Mary C

In downtown Barrie there is a narrow alley with a large bright coloured mural by Clandestinos and Shalak Attack

alley in town of Barrie, downtown, mural on one side, by clandestinos and shalak attack, two large birds, a green star, butterfly, and woman's portrait

clandestinos mural in an alley in downtown Barrie, birds at the bottom end of the lane

shalak attack contributions to a mural in barrie ontario, a portrait of a woman

a butterfly in a clandestinos and shalak attack mural

Also downtown is ‘The Container Project’ at Meridian Place.
below: One side is the Barrie skyline filled in with flowers and some animals (there’s at least one raccoon). Painted by Katie Green.

mural in orange and blue, barrie skyline filled in with images of flowers and feathers, and some animals

close up of flowers in barrie skyline mural by katie green

The other side of the same container is another Katie Green mural which looks like a collage of Barrie landmarks.

close up of some of the scenes in a mural, a gazebo, rowers on the river, an old bridge over a narrow street, a clock on a pedestal, the East Bayfield community center,

below: On a very pink wall, a mural by Alanah Jewell

very pink wall, with images to make a mural, cedar tree, salmon, bears, sun, water, flowers, moon, clouds, plants, by Alanah Jewell in downtown Barrie — In the words of the artist:
“The sun will teach us about beginning new every day, and the importance of providing light and warmth.
The moon will teach us about the cycles of life and the importance of water. She will teach us that our bodies’ cycles are sacred and will tell us stories of Grandmother Moon
The stars will teach us about navigation and our ancestors’ journeys across this land. They will tell us about a time, thousands of years ago, when each of our ancestors started as someone living in harmony with each other and with the land.
The bears will teach us about rest, protecting our young, and the importance of strength. They will teach us about survival.
The fish will teach us about the depth of the water and the vastness of aquatic life. He will teach us that the water is worth healing and protecting.
The eagles will teach us about wisdom, guidance, and a connection to the spirit world. They will tell us about our Creation stories.
The cedars will teach us about standing tall and strong. They will tell us to give thanks for this life and the medicines that are abundant all around us.”

Photos taken June 2023

more Heerlen birds

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Mary C

There are many murals and other great street art works in Heerlen. There are too many for one blog post so I have tried to find a way to show them in small sections that make some sort of sense. My previous post (the workmen and the black birds) contained photos of the ravens or crows that DazeTwo features in most of his work so in this post I will continue with more bird themed murals.

below: Two snuggling bluebirds painted by Daniel MacLloyd

below: A massive heron with a collection of items that help represent Heerlen, a mural best seen from the other side of the railway tracks, or better yet from a train as it enters the city. The “Heerlen Heron” was painted seven years ago by Vincent Lancee and Dave de Leeuw.

below: Another collaborative effort, this time DazeTwo teamed up with fellow Heerlen artist, Ivan Sanda (aka MF Ivan), to produce an image of a woman whose head is also that of a raven.

below: High above the street a yellow bird in a cage. The canary in the coal mine? by Collin van der Sluijs.

below: Dzia’s little blue chicken on Willemstraat.

below: And last, a quick bird head in the semi darkness under a bridge.

Photos taken October 2023

standing upright in Girona

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Mary C

A long stretch of railway is elevated as it passes through the city of Girona, Spain. A bicycle and pedestrian path runs underneath. Some of the pillars supporting the railroad have been decorated by street artists.

below: Birds in flight

street art of black and white birds in flight on a concrete pillar

below: Cyop & Kaf have painted a few of the pillars with their black silhouette-like people such as this stolen kiss.

silhouette black people in street art, on a concrete pillar, top is man hanging upside down holding the feet of another man who is also upside down and kissing woman standing on the street, motorcycle parked in front

or this very tall man – He’s all tied up with his feet in the mud? in concrete?

street art on a concrete pillar - black silhouette man with his feet buried in the ground

street art on a pillar by Cyop and kaf

street art of a man, black silhouette, wedged between two blocks of concrete, and trying to pry space wider with a stick

people walking under an elevated railway, on a bike path, with street art on the concrete pillars supporting the railway

below: KRAM is responsible for two pillars including this blue character on a swing.

street art on a large concrete support, a blue character with human body but different head, sits on a swing, wearing purple running shoes with orange laces untied, orange shorts and brown t shirt, tongue stuck out, by kram

below: The other KRAM pillar is this one – quite different from the first.

street art painting by kram on a concrete post, cars parked behind, painting is sliced stacks of patterns

below: Two pandas

street art, 2 pandas, small one above is a paste up, lower one is painted and is more stylized

below: A brush to clean the toilet bowl. Not your average painting subject matter.

street art painting of a toilet bowl cleaning brush

realistic street art painting of a man in a white shirt

below: A few pillars are decorated with these red and blue guys – stylized yet anatomically correct – painted by Boris Hoppek

pineapple and face, street art

Photos taken in early March 2023

a little parade

Posted on August 14, 2023 by Mary C

… at Atlantic & Crouch, Rochester

below: Brazilian artist Eder Muniz’s mural features vibrantly coloured animals and fantasy creatures dancing and swimming along the wall in their own little parade Blue of water; blue of air.

mural by Eder Muniz in Rochester, long mural with lots of animals such as snake, fish, humming bird, elephant, some real and some more from fantasy such as creature with bunch of leaves for a head

below: One of the most human-like character in the mural carries a long serpentine pennon in front of an elephant that is either eating a tree or that has tusks growing into trees.

Part of a mural by Eder Muniz, on blue background, small elf like character carrying a pole with a long banner on the wnd of it, an elephant following behind, with a bird sitting on the back of the elephant looking backwards

below: At the rear of the parade, a hummingbird (or similar small bird) rides on the back of the elephant.

purplish bird with long beak sitting on a decorated fabric on the back of an elephant

below: A host of creatures in the mural’s mid-section – walking, sitting, swimming, floating.

middle section of Eder Muniz mural, creatures sitting, walking, and swimming through watery blue, bubbles, fish, birds,

below: Humanoid body; leaf head, all smaller than the long skinny bird legs.

part of a mural, sitting person but with head made of green leaves floating and billowing in the blue water

below: Instead of leaves, this little guy has a head full of crystals.

below: Faces on creatures of fantasy. One with plumage like a bird and the other with squiggles and curls like nothing else. Eyes closed. Big lips.

below: Swimming together, a greenish fish and a striped snake.

part of a mural, a green fish swimming beside a snake striped in pastel colours

below: More fish swimming in the blue bubbles.

below: Taking the lead in this little parade is a large green beaked bird character. Following along with the fish and the snake is a snail and a pinkish purple frog. There even seems to be a scuba diver.

right hand side of a long mural on bright blue background, fish, snakes, birds, and other creatures

below: Here’s a closer look at that grinning frog as well as the spotted iguana beside it.

part of a mural with fantasy animals, a purple frog, a blue spotted iguana,

below: And last, the long finned fish gracefully makes it way through the watery blue.

Mural painted in 2015
Photos taken mid- May 2023

on the funeral home wall

Posted on May 8, 2023 by Mary C

In the Byward Market area of Ottawa, you can find a collection of large mural as you look across a parking lot on Dalhousie Street. They stretch along the wall of a funeral home on St. Patrick Street.

below: The darker end of the murals is signed by three. They are Juan Carlos Noria, The Laporte Brothers (Phil and Dom Laporte) and the Higher Ups.

car parked in front of a large mural on the side of a funeral home, two storey brick building, on left side of mural is man in uniform cap hands to mouth as if calling, over one of the double garage doors are two men's faces side by side, one pink and one black, on far right is the start of another mural with birds

close up view of mural, man with hands by mouth as he is calling, paint peeling on the concrete and wood

below: Apples and currants in the corner

mural on an exterior wall, blue background, two large red apples with two bunches of yellow currants,

below: The other part of the wall is for the birds so to speak. The blackbird (raven?) on the left was painted by DRPN (Drippin’ Soul).

mural on side of beige brick wall, painted by two people, on the left is realistic raven head, on right side is a bird with many feathers in yellows, pinks, and blues,

below: This is a closer look at the head of the bird on the righthand side. It is the work of Mique Michelle, an artist who work often features feathery birds (or other animals)

street art on Dalhousie street in Byward market of Ottawa, on the side of funeral home, a man looking like a train conductor calling out with hand beside mouth, two faces close together, one pink and one black. Also a Drippin' soul black bird head with beak pointing upward, some triangles in the background

Bird Watching

Posted on September 13, 2022 by Mary C

“The Vision of St. Dominic”, 2017, by Paulina Nawrot and Ola Adamczuk, one of three murals sponsored by the Dominican order of Łódź in honor of its 800th birthday.