Monday Mural: the mighty pen

Saw this one while driving down Telegraph Avenue.  It took me the longest time to figure out what was in the hand.  I thought, sword?  gun?  Finally I realized it was a ballpoint pen.  Duh.  The stop sign says "Stop gentrification and speak up."  Gentrification in the Bay Area has driven real estate prices sky high so working stiffs are having real trouble finding housing either to buy or rent. 

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 your mural finds posted this week.  Google+ users, please configure your post so we all can leave a comment.  Thanks.  I'll be gone for a few weeks and won't be able to leave comments on your posts.  The meme will still go up weekly via auto-posting.

“ Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”  Rev. John Watson

Monday Mural: mandrill afoot

Here's the mural accompanying last week's image.  Same building but on the other side of the door.  The mandrill appears in an imaginary landscape not related to its natural habitat.  I think Peskador was letting his imagination guide his spray can rather than kowtowing to reality.  Doesn't the mandrill look fierce and dignified?

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 your mural finds posted this week.  Google+ users, please configure your post so we all can leave a comment.  Thanks.

“ Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”  Rev. John Watson

Monday Mural: Robbie Burns is right

Yesterday was gray and dull but this mural fairly glowed.  I didn't see a signature, but then again this was a drive by and shoot operation.  The mural graces the Commonwealth Pub.  One has to appreciate the sentiments of the Robert Burns quote.

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 your mural finds posted this week.  Google+ users, please configure your post so we all can leave a comment.  Thanks.

“ Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”  Rev. John Watson

Monday Mural: and how are the children?

Information on this mural says that this question is a Masai greeting.  It was done by Amend of the TDK crew and can be found on Telegraph Avenue in the Uptown area.  It's across the street from the Stork Club mural I posted last week.  Did you notice that some of the blocks show TDK and spell out Amend's name?  Too bad about the ugly billboard that intrudes into the scene.  The commentary partially obscured by the plants reads, "A community can only thrive when its youth do.  May we never forget that the children are the heart of our community and may we never give up on them!"

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 your mural finds posted this week.  Google+ users, please configure your post so we all can leave a comment.

"Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”  Rev. John Watson

Monday Mural: future embrace past

Found on Telegraph Avenue.  It replaces this mural I showed you quite a while back.  I saw it out of the corner of my eye and had to drive around the block to shoot it.  Didn't see a name, don't know what it means, but it's an arresting image.

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 your mural finds posted this week.  Google+ users, please configure your post so we all can leave a comment.

"Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”  Rev. John Watson

Dutch Boy Paints

The hardware store is long gone, but not its sign.  The storefront is now occupied by Pizzaiolo, a very popular and inventive pizza joint.  Good on them for keeping the sign in place.  I've never seen it lit at night but have seen photos of this event.  I think it actually looks better in the daylight.

Intactivists

This is the Bay Area.  You can pretty much find an activist group for any cause important to you. These folks are against male circumcision.  Spotted at a recent street fair.

tilt-a-whirl

One of the many mini rides at last week's annual Temescal Street Fair.

Monday Mural: looking askance

Recently there seems to be a number of food and entertainment joints that have closed down in this one block stretch of Uptown.  When this happens, street artists move in and use the spaces to ply their trade.  Here is a piece by GATS on what seems was a sign on a now defunct business.  You can't miss his style.  This is a half face from the cheeks up with abstracted names of street artists running down the nose.  To my eye it has the look of Maori tattoos.  Don't know who drew the woman, but she appears a smidge uncertain about the guy she's glancing at.

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 your mural finds posted this week.  Google+ users, please configure your post so we all can leave a comment.  Thanks.

“ Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”  Plato

Monday Mural: bird in a cloud

This wonderful avian portrait is found in the Uptown area just off Telegraph Avenue.  If it were a real bird I'd worry about the paint job on the Ford.

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 your mural finds posted this week.

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

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.

Google+ users, please configure your post so all can leave a comment.  Thanks.
I'll be out of town for a most of the week so will be unable to leave comments until later.

Monday Mural: hidden faces

This large scale mural looks like a group effort but I didn't see any signatures.  I feel I should know the artists by the distinctive styles, but sadly I don't.  This is one of those images that invites free association to uncover meaning.  Maybe something about the need of street artists to stay anonymous?  You tell me.  The writing down the side of the wall says Rock Paper Scissors, the art collective whose back wall is the canvas.

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 get to decide what constitutes a mural.  Once you start looking, you find them everywhere.  Be sure to link back to this blog and to visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the mural finds posted this week.

Avondale Hotel

This apartment building off Telegraph Avenue still carries a sign of it's earlier incarnation.   Its subsequent owners must have wanted to preserve something of its history.  Amazing artifact of a previous age.

Monday Mural: Jules Verne was here

It's amazing what you can find when you leave your well traveled routes.  Found this Jules Verne octopus painted across the front of this apartment building.  One of the residents told me it's been there at least 3 years.  Couldn't find a name or date.  This is found off Telegraph Avenue and 38th Street facing the MacArthur freeway.

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Once you start looking, you find them all around.  Follow the Linky steps below.  Be sure to link back to this meme and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the mural finds posted this week.

building ad

Can't miss this ad when you're driving by.  Makes billboards seem puny.  Spotted in Uptown on Telegraph and Grand Avenue.

ABC Wednesday: X is for Xolo

Welcome to Xolo (and you thought I wouldn't find an X!).  It is a newish taqueria owned by the same people who own the popular Doña Tomás.  Who wouldn't love the periwinkle walls and harlequin floors.

The Yelp reviews tout the el vampiro taco, which I had to try.  It has marinated pork with a red sauce and the usual cilantro and onion toppers.  Delicious; but three bucks for a taco is pricey compared to the dollar and a quarter you pay at most taco trucks around town.  Linked to ABC Wednesday.

Monday Mural: Baby World

This mural is on the side of Baby World, a business focused on baby clothing, toys, and equipment.  It was done by Universal Mural Styles (UMS).  Unfortunately, I couldn't find any information about this artist (or crew).  Even if it's essentially an advertising piece, the image is sweet, colorful, and depicts the childhood parents hope to provide their children.   I like the way the brick wall has dissolved to reveal the scene.

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.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the mural finds posted this week.  I will be out of town during September and my ability to comment may be limited.  The Linky, however, will continue to go up 8 PM PST each Sunday.

Monday mural: Infinite potential

Here's an older mural located just off Telegraph Avenue in Uptown.  This is a work from the Community Rejuvenation Project which sponsors murals around town and involves local youth in creating them.

Skywatch Friday: dive shop

Steele's on Telegraph Avenue sells all manner of diving equipment and has rave reviews on Yelp.  Even though the shop's name is in giant, red plastic letters, their funky old sign is what I notice most.  The peeling paint shows that over the years the sign has been used by more than one business.  The pentimento reveals that at one time you could get custom made golf clubs.  For more sky photos visit Skywatch Friday.

Weekend Reflections: Fleetline chrome

A vintage car reflects the scene around it one week ago.  For more reflections from around the world, visit James' meme Weekend Reflections.