iT'S STreeT arT THurSDay! with Malibu morning picture of the day - Thursday, October 8, 2015

Dear Street Art Lovers,

First, let me get your attention ...

Artists Sebastien Walker and Love Annie (aka Annie Preece), Unicorn and Gnome Scene, paint on panel (detail).

OK, gotta circuitously work my way back to the above piece, keeping up the pretense that I restrict myself to pictures of East Hollywood on Thursdays ...


Hey there! Remember this?

Artist Sebastien Walker, Dinosaur Cowboy, paint on stucco.

If not, I posted it on Monday, March 23, 2015. This piece is firmly ensconced in my East Hollywood bailiwick, in an alley on off Heliotrope and Melrose, in "Hell-Mel." Well, I was walking that way a couple months ago and noticed that it got painted over somewhat; this happens to street art all the time so it's not considered a crime or a travesty--if you want permanence you need to work on canvas and/or panels and put things into museums or galleries or walls in airports and corporate offices.

Here it is as of a few days ago:

Artists Sebastien Walker and Bushnicki Bill, Dino-Rider Name-Wheels Mashup, paint on stucco.

The cell phone-using cowboy is still there, along with the hint of his original dino-steeed, but another artist, Bushniki Bill, has deigned to update his mode of transport to what seems vaguely like a motorcycle made of a word. This is a great example of how this kind of work evolves from one artist to the next over time.

Is this an improvement? I haven't decided yet, but it certainly turns it into more of a production than the simple illustration that it was before. Here are details to the left and right showing more.

Well, anywayz, I recognized the name Sebastien Walker when I was shooting street art over by Fairfax and Melrose last week. I love this mural and now by way of sharing more of this Hell-Mel artist, I'm introducing this one:

Unicorn and Gnome Scene (see above).

Here's the context shot.

This is on the alley-side wall of a backyard off of an alley that runs parallel to Melrose right near Fairfax High School. You can actually see this from Melrose because it's on the other side of an open parking lot. This is one of those murals that is just one crazy mish-mash of images that just keep your moving around. I can describe things, but why bother? We tend to think of unicorns (thanks to Medieval legends) as companions of pure, virginal maidens and therefore likewise pure beings. This red-headed girl has definitely been around the block a few times. The world-weary eyes say it most to me. If I wanted to imagine Courtney Love as a unicorn, this would be it.

The credit there to Love Annie is someone you can find (along with this mural) just by Googling her and finding the website of Annie Preece. I am pleased present this collaborative work today. At least one of them works in East Holly. If you happen by this one, get out of the car and get a good look at it. It's fun and you can't help but smile.


AND NOW BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED SEASCAPE!

Today's sky has an almost sweet-candy kind of feel to me today.  However, you turn to the cloud-covered sun and the scene turns bronze:

Weird, right? It's not like you're even looking at the same sky. Bus broke down on the way to work today, so I got off hopped the next one which ended at Sepulveda. While then hoofin' and huffin' it to the next Rapid stop I found two backlit, massive fig trees on the corner which I wanted to capture.

There is one just like the shorter one on my employer's campus. To see two together is pretty impressive. I believe these are what you call Moreton Bay Figs. They grow tall (like the one on the left) if other trees are nearby, otherwise they spread out, like a rude man on subway.

Hope you made it work on time, because I sure didn't.

Have a great Thursday.

Love,
Pops