Monday Mural: put a prayer in the air

This visually stunning mural is a recent addition to the downtown mural scene.  Irot and Uter collaborated on this. 

Welcome to Monday Mural:  if you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Once you start looking, you find them everywhere.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the mural finds posted this week.

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Chinatown street fair

You always see happy faces at the rides section of a street fair.  This is last weekend's annual Chinatown street fair in downtown Oakland.

Monday Mural: totem pole mural

This totem pole is behind Rock, Paper, Scissors, an art collective in Uptown.  It is a recent addition to this mural and is tucked into a small space at the top of a ramp.  I thought it was too cool to be sitting among trash cans and refuse.  Unfortunately, I didn't see a signature.

Welcome to Monday Mural:  if you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Once you start looking, you find them everywhere.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the mural finds posted this week.

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I'll be out of town for a most of the week so will be unable to leave comments until later.

fashion forward

It is said that past is prologue.  Maybe.  But this gentleman clearly loves this outfit from his salad days, and must bring it out on special occasions.  This time the occasion was the annual Art and Soul festival.  He turned lots of heads.  And why not---the 70s walked amongst us again.  Linked to ABC Wednesday.

Monday Mural: sing a song, Ray

The one, the only Ray Charles.  In my humble opinion no one can hold a candle to him.  Lots of joy emanating from this one.  I'm thinking the mural is not only an homage, but also a visual pun about rhythm and blues.  The cartouche probably holds the signature of the artist, but is unknown to me.  Hopefully someone will tells us.  Found on Telegraph Avenue in the Uptown area.

Welcome to Monday Mural:  if you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Once you start looking, you find them everywhere.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the mural finds posted this week.

Google+ users, please configure your post so we all can leave a comment.  Thanks.

al fresco

The weather has been so nice this summer that you see plenty of people enjoying a meal outside.  This is Picán, a southern-style restaurant on Broadway in the Uptown area.

E is for exuberance

Bandaloop is an Oakland-based dance troupe that performs only on vertical surfaces usually from scary heights.  Last weekend they danced on the facade of City Hall during the annual Art and Soul Festival.  As always the crowd loved it.  There was exuberance from above and below.  Don't miss a chance to see them if they perform in your area.  Linked to ABC Wednesday.

Monday Mural: we are the ones

This mural was done by Jessica Sabogal an Oakland and San Francisco artist.  She is originally from Bogotá and focuses her art on images of women.  These faces are actually portraits of children she knows.  Her Facebook page doesn't contain a full explanation of the mural but I surmise the children represent a more self-accepting and confident future generation.

Welcome to Monday Mural:  if you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Once you start looking, you find them everywhere.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the mural finds posted this week.

Google+ participants, please configure your post so regular Google users can leave comments.

sign of the times

I suspect Sears is closing stores all over the country.  They actually moved out of the Sears building years ago and it was then converted into condos.  Then Mayor Jerry Brown lived on the top floor.  Sears then moved into the defunct Capwell's building in the downtown area where they've been for several years.  I can only imagine that the new economic reality and the value of the real estate have lead to this decision.  Who doesn't remember browsing through the Sears catalogue and wishing for some of the treasures within.

D is for dancing in the street

This chap was so inspired by the MJ's Brass Band he tried to get a second line going.  There were no takers, but he was fun to watch.

The same was true for this kid.  You could tell that he just couldn't help himself; the music had to be expressed through movement.  He was a joy to watch.  Seen at July's Temescal Street Fair.  Linked to ABC Wednesday.

Monday Mural: over the fence

Walking through Uptown on the hunt for new murals I spotted this one.  I wish I could see what the fence is hiding.  Looks like the guy is smoking pretty strong stuff.  This comic book look is a collaboration between Irot, Ham, and Niteowl.

Welcome to Monday Mural:  if you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Once you start looking, you find them everywhere.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the mural finds posted this week.

donuts to go

Doughnut Dolly is a shop in Temescal Alley specializing in freshly made donuts filled to order from a variety of offerings that change daily.  I chose their special "Naughty Cream," (a crème fraîche vanilla bean cream).  The line is usually out the door which is a little surprising given the donuts are $3 a pop.  Then again, they really do taste good.  Linked to City Daily Photo's monthly Theme Day.  Click here for more take-out offerings from around the world.