Spotting Random Street Art in Philly

I love art and those who create it.

As I traipsed along a sidewalk in the University City area of Philadelphia,

an unusual mass of plastic baubles caught my eye and drew me over.

What a find!
A real collection of miscellaneous plastic stuff.

I recognized it right away as a fun form of "street art" 

 and decided that it was worthy of a nod of appreciation.

I circled it a few times, snapping photos, marveling at the creative genius. 

Tiny trinkets were wired together around a sign post.

Such a conglomeration of odds & ends!

A suction cup dart. Donald Duck.

A toy firetruck. A crab.

Plastic beads.

An "UNO" playing card.

A Spider Man action figure leg.

A whistle. A kazoo.

Clifford the Big Red Dog.

It really reminded me of the phenomenon called yarn bombing-

on the order of graffiti with a crafty bent for the knit and crochet set.

(I did a blog post on yarn bombing a while back, which you can read here.)

Sad to say, this artist must go un-named,

but whomever it was, without a doubt, had a great time

creating this burst of self-expression!

I know you're out there somewhere,

and if you happen to see this humble blog post,

know that your artistry has not gone un-noticed & unappreciated!

You brought a smile to my day. Hats off to you!

I wonder if it's still there.  I hope so.

A Jason Woodside Mural Spotting in Rosslyn, VA

On a recent visit to Arlington, Virginia, we headed out for a morning cup of coffee.

As we strolled through nearby Rosslyn, we came upon this amazing urban plaza.

Located on the corner of 19th & N. Moore Streets, it had tables, Adirondack seating,

shade trees and planters bursting with impatiens, ferns and ivy.

What a welcome spot of reprieve amid the traffic and tall buildings!

Its backdrop was a super-colorful mural painted by street artist Jason Woodside.

A bold vortex of geometric stripes and dots in such bright, vivid colors.

How could you leave without a smile? It worked for me!

Check out Jason's website.

Meanwhile, you might want to see what else we did in Arlington:
A Solemn Visit the the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial
The US Air Force Memorial: Honoring Airmen with Reverent Patriotism
Our Day at Arlington National Cemetery
Honoring the Tomb of the Unknowns

Visiting Laguna Beach, California

Vacationing in sunny California!

Sharing photos from a fabulous day at Laguna Beach.

(Made that much more fabulous knowing there are 4 inches of snow back in PA.)

Forest Avenue is a popular place to do some shopping.

Quaint shops with interesting architecture like this one.

The Lumberyard Mall is a charming outdoor village 

of gift shops, services and galleries.

A close-up of the unique brickwork,

also in the planter, above.

Always attracted to succulents!

Street art spotting: This sculpture, by Michael Graham, 

is called "I Want to Make a Phone Call."

Homes on the hillside overlooking the beach.

Imagine their view of the Pacific Ocean!

Another of my Laguna Beach posts:
Breakfast at The Greeter's Corner Restaurant

Stay tuned!

Planning to do lots more CA blogging!

Some links:

Visit Laguna Beach

The Lumberyard Mall

Info on "I Want to Make a Phone Call" at re:sculpt.

Yarn Bombing!

Yarn bombing.
It's a warm and fuzzy (quite literally!) type of street art.

Crafty knitters and crocheters are leaving their creative marks on
benches, trees and bike racks; any public place that could use a bit of brightening
can be dressed with colorful graffiti-like expressions!
Unlike graffiti, however, this can be removed at any time-if you really want to.

Without a plan or pattern, the resulting designs are often made from leftover yarn scraps.
What a cozy way to bring a smile to passersby!

So, who started this craze? Her name is Magda Sayeg of Houston, Texas.
In 2005, hoping to jazz up the exterior of her shop, she knitted a cover
for her door handle, and one for a nearby street sign.
After receiving great positive feedback, she yarn bombed drab neighborhoods near and far.
Since then, yarn bombing caught on as a fun phenomenon around the globe.

The Andy Warhol Bridge in Pittsburgh, PA was the unsuspecting target

of a yarn bombing event called "Knit the Bridge."

For more information:
Magda Sayeg
Knit the Bridge

Baltimore Love Project

Artist Michael Owen often uses hands as part of his designs. He came up with a sketch of four hands in silhouette, spelling out the word "Love". His appreciation of the city of Baltimore led him to thoughts of giving back, and the Baltimore Love Project was born.

Those four hands, boldly communicating the spirit of love, are now spread throughout the city as huge murals. So far, 16 of the planned 20 have been painted. If you visit Baltimore, keep your eyes peeled and maybe you'll spot one. Thanks, Michael, for sharing something that can't fail to evoke warm feelings of optimism and hope: Love.

Enjoy finding out more in this video:

Visit the Baltimore Love Project Website and on Facebook.

Here's Michael's website:  Michael Owen Art.

Permission obtained from Michael Owen.

Inflatable Street Art ~ Joshua Allen Harris

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I know you'll get a kick out of this! Hats off to my daughter for showing it to me. 

Joshua Allen Harris uses trash bags to sculpt animals and creatures. 

He tapes them to city subway grates in the sidewalk.
It looks like a pile of forgotten trash, that is, until the trains rush by underneath! 

Bursts of air come up to inflate them, bringing them to life, so to speak. 

Amazing street art!

Visit his website here.

Permission obtained from Joshua Allen Harris.

Jim Power & The Mosaic Trail

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Meet Jim Power. 

Twenty-five years ago, he was dubbed "The Mosaic Man" by the The Village Voice.

He creates mosaics on the light posts in New York City's East Village.

His goal is to cover 80 posts, each with a theme centered around well-known people, landmarks or events associated with the neighborhood. His work has become known as "The Mosaic Trail".

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I know you'll enjoy hearing more of Jim's story in this YouTube video:

His dedication sure shows his love for his city and the people in it!

Catch up with Jim on his Facebook page, 

or on his website, where you can make a donation to support his art.

Take a closer look!

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Jim has gift items and T-shirts available on CafePress...

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...and one-of-a-kind, handcrafted mosaic belt buckles on his Etsy shop.

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Paradise Island

Horse of a Different Color

We appreciate your talent, Jim, 

and we thank you for beautifying our streets, our country, our world!

Etsy photos used with permission from Jim Power.