Here are a few photos of spring in the city that I collected as I walked in the past few weeks.
below: Spring time … when all the bugs and insects come out!
below: As do the trees…. including this massive pink magnolia in full bloom.
below: Flowers on a grave
Shalak Attack and Bruno Smoky have painted another large colourful mural. This one features two women, a baltimore oriole, and many fruits and flowers.
below: Close up of the bird, a baltimore oriole
below: Adorned with leaves, flowers, and fruit – blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Lots of cherry blossoms and another bird too.
A silly title for a post about four east end murals on the Danforth by two artists. But diving right in…
On the side of the Chopsticks Restaurant is a mural, “Pollination of Oakridge” painted by De Anne Lamirande.
Two pink lilies in the middle with purple asters on both sides. Bees and a monarch butterfly.
below: Monarch butterfly in the purple asters.
Nearby, is a mural on the side of the old Imperial Plumbing Supplies store.
A blue jay on a tree branch, a vintage gas pump, and a train that seems to be saying “I think I can, I think I can”, painted by Magic F. Wong (Magic Finnga Wong, Basil Dwayne Jardine Jr)
below: Even some bright flowers are having problems cheering up the sad looking door and window.
We’ve now covered the chopsticks and the plumbing so that just leaves us with a couple of owls keeping a watchful eye on the Danforth:
One in front of a birch tree and a night time sky…
by De Anne Lamirande
and one with soft brown feathers. It almost looks cuddly although I’d be wary of that beak.
by Magic F Wong
The general idea yesterday afternoon was to walk Oakwood, southbound from St. Clair. What I didn’t expect when I left my cosy apartment was a strong cold wind, so part of the adventure was dictated by which direction the wind was blowing and how to avoid it (if possible!). If some of these photos look a little blurry, it’s because of the snow that was falling all afternoon.
below: Pizza Pizza on the northwest corner of St. Clair and Oakwood.
below: I hadn’t gone far when I found a lane so of course I had to follow it… Looking back towards Oakwood Collegiate.
below: Old black and white photo of St. Clair Ave from 1911 just after construction of Oakwood Collegiate was complete. Oakwood Avenue is now on the other side of the school in this photo. It is interesting to note that St. Clair had streetcar tracks back in 1911 but was still a dirt road. Apparently the city started building these tracks when the school was open – the St. Clair streetcar line was open in 1913. I found this photo in Living Toronto – follow the link if you want to read more about the history of this school.
below: And that is where I spotted this man with a little red heart…
below: … and across the alley from him was this woman, also with another little red heart. It’s Valentines Day today, how sweet and how appropriate.
below: The hearts just kept on coming. I’d only walked a few minutes and already I had enough for a Valentines Day post! 🙂
below: At the end of the lane I spotted this too…. can you see the LOVE? It looks like it’s written in the middle of the pink and blue graffiti but it’s actually on the metal vent.
below: So much for walking down Oakwood. I circled back to St. Clair West where I saw the Yummi Cafe & Laundromat with it’s hand written sign in the window. Support Our Teachers! These are trying days for education in Ontario as the teachers lock horns with Doug Ford and his Conservatives who speak first and think later.
below: This is middle section of the Royal Heights village mural painted by Murals by Marg in 2019. It is on the side of 1006 St. CLair West (at Appleton Ave).
below: To the right is a small butterfly, child height. Choose to be kind.
below: The left side has a larger butterfly as well as a bright yellow door with a blue umbrella. Let love rain down!
below: Right across the street (on the northeast corner of Appleton & St. Clair) is this mural. I haven’t been able to find out who the artist was.
below: Looking west on St. Clair as you approach Glenholme.
below: A coin laundry as well as Glenholme Variety on the southwest corner of St. Clair and Glenholme.
below: In front of 98 Glenholme is this little sculpture, an old fashioned sewing machine on a pole. It marks the home of Marcello Tarantino Sartoria (tailor).
below: Another alley – the wind back here is not so bad!
below: An old green Chevrolet delivery van with Imperial Upholstering Co written across the side and above the front window in faded letters. Also fading is the text: Manufacturers of Individual Style(?) Furniture
Mural by Ross Bonfanti and Sandra Tarantino with hearts, stars, a flying car and superhero kids.
The alley ended at Dufferin and that is where I headed south.
below: The southwest corner of Dufferin and Davenport
below: A black and white photo from 1912 of the construction of Dufferin Street at Davenport. This photo is originally from the City of Toronto archives but I found it online in an article on the history of Dufferin Street in blogTO.
below: Mary looks down upon us, from a niche in the wall of St. Mary of the Angels church.
below: Remnants of an art project left to weather on a fence around a schoolyard.
below: A smiling happy mural on the side of a dental office on Dufferin Street painted by spudbomb (2017)
below: Just north of Dupont Street, the CPR tracks cross Dufferin.
below: This strange pillar (artwork?) is on the southwest corner of Dufferin and Dupont. It used to be the marker/sign for the stores in the Galleria plaza on that corner. Everything there is under renovation at the moment so instead of tearing down the sign, it was converted into this. Hence, “Love me till I’m me again”.
below: From a different angle – the neighbourhood wins no beauty contest.
below: The architecture on Dufferin, both houses and stores, is a mishmash of styles (or non-styles!) that have evolved over the years. The next few photos try to give you an idea of the variety. First, at Dufferin & Rosemount
below: Dufferin & Hallam
below: Dufferin & Auburn
below: Standing alone at 1432
below: 1452A and its neighbours
below: An ominous sign – a boarded up house on Dufferin Street. Is change far behind? Just in case, I like to document what’s there because in this city, you turn around and everything’s different. And you think to yourself, “What used to be there?” But you can’t remember because that is how our memories work and isn’t that disconcerting?
This incredibly intricate butterfly or moth by alfalfa faces Bathurst street. The body of the butterfly makes the human face within the insect unmistakable .
On the south side of the same building is this captivating turquoise-skinnedcharacter painted by muisca.
On the north side of the building there is a driveway that leads to an alley. There are murals on the side of the building as well as on other buildings and garages immediately adjacent.
below: This tiger by luvsumone (aka Moises Frank) is on a garage door in the alley.
below: If you follow the sound of many pigeons cooing you’ll find yourself in front of one of the garages that must have a pigeon loft on the upper storey. The same garage has two pigeon murals. This stylized pigeon who seems quite happy with his can of spray paint is on one side while the pigeon in the next image is on the garage door.
below: Stay fly pigeon, luvsumone, painted in 2017
below: Another of the alley murals.
below: The north side of the building has three murals of people. These eyes are part of a larger man’s face.
below: A woman’s face seems to float on the brick wall.
below: This wall has also become a memorial wall.
I’m still playing catch up as I go through photos that I took back in the fall. Late in October I went west on St. Clair to visit Feel Good Lane. The lane was officially named in 2016 in memory of Barry Lukensberg. He was a rapper, part of the 512 Crew, who was born and raised in the neighbourhood. He went by the name FeelGood. In 2014 he died in a motorcycle accident in Vietnam.
Just prior to my walk down Feel Good Lane, it had been the canvas for more than 30 street artists. This is what I saw that day. … Back before the snow!
below: The title mural, by SPUDBomb
below: by monicaonthemoon
below: by Oriah Scott
below: This is the front of the same garage in the above photo (with the streetcar). Both were painted Elly Dowson
below: Dog mural by @Dr_Roameo
below: Raccoons all over the place! A mural by Emily May Rose and Rage Williams.
below: The blue landscape is a painting by Leyland Adams
below: by Bomi (Bomino San Grantes)
below: by Cruz1
below: Butterfly face and curly hair – Frannie Potts
below: Another Cruz1 creation with a small painting by Bkez (aka Bareket) in the background
below: by Mska
below: A mural for the 512 Crew,
below: In the back, a mural by Odinamaad (turningwind). In the foreground is the work of Desko Zima
below: A face in blue and orange by Anya Mielniczek
below: On the right, a small piece by Andrew Castro
below: A fox head by Ed Hamer
below: Three pieces. Chris Perez mural on the left (blocked by a parked car), in the middle and one of a few swirls painted by Flip
below: The white chair is in front of a jellyfish and heart by Psyblimation
The project was organized by Julian Back and Kim Lesperance with the help of Team SPUDBomb. Financial support was provided by
StreetARToronto (StART). In addition, $5000 was raised from the community to help finance the project.
Back in November, before I went away, a friend and I ventured out to Long Branch because we had heard that there was a new Nick Sweetman mural on 30th street. Just north of Lakeshore Blvd., 30th street passes under the railway tracks. This is where the new mural is. It’s a collaboration with fellow artist Phil Cote and it’s nearly 500 feet long.
below: North of the railway tracks
Photos of the mural, in no particular order:
a butterfly
some turtles
two birds in flight – all of a redwing blackbird and part of a cardinal
a bee on two orange flowers
some fish
a fox, a duck with duckling, and a purple owl
a cute furry animal
… and hiding under the tracks in a place where it’s difficult to take a picture is this large moose (elk?).
The Gardens of St. Clair is a mural project in an alley behind St. Clair West between Prescott and Blackthorn Avenues, just west of the railway tracks. There are lots of roses and other flowers as well as butterflies and birds.
below: A purple pansy and a luminescent insect with a shiny blue body. The dark green vine motif runs throughout the project.
below: Flowers inside the door too.
below: Wunder three times over.
The plaque on the wall says:
The Gardens of St. Clair
Concept by Mike (Wunder) Kennedy, 1973-2017.
Featuring work by: Bacon, Kane, Rony, Wales, Kwest, Baler, Tensoe2, Flown, Vinse, Whysper, Adore, Miles, Sight, Elwal, Emes, and Nick Sweetman
July is still hot and still humid. Not complaining though – it’s just part of my excuse as to why I haven’t posted much recently. Yesterday morning I managed to get myself out the door around 7:30 so I could walk comfortably – without drowning in sweat.
below: Getting ready to walk.
I followed the morning light but still trying to stay away from places that are too familiar. The following pictures are in no particular order.
below: With hands on hips, in an alley near Queen & John.
below: Vincent Van Gogh has taken up a position on Dundas Street across from the AGO. This 8′ x 8′ sculpture sits in front of the Mayberry Fine Art gallery. It is the work of Saskatchewan artist Joe Fafard who recently had an exhibit at that gallery. Fafard has other works in the city – he is the artist that produced “The Pasture” which is the seven life-sized bronze cows outside TD Centre. I don’t have a photo of the cows for this blog post, but if you don’t know the piece (or want to see it again), here is a link to an article about them.
below: A large flower in an alley doorway.
below: Beside the flower is a black and blue butterfly.
below: A heart bursting with colour on Cayley Lane.
below: Black face, white face. What emoji face are these?
below: Harriet Boulton Smith is the ceremonial name for the section of John Street between Queen Street West and Stephanie Street. Harriet Smith was the last owner of “The Grange” and Grange Park. When she died in 1910, she left her home and seven acres of land to the Art Museum of Toronto (AMT). The site is now the home of the Art Gallery of Ontario. She also bequeathed the family art collection to the AMT. This section of John Street was once the driveway to the Grange.
below: He lost his head in the lane.
below: Taking the bathroom stall with him. The toilet paper holder is empty though.
below: One of my favorite windows. Sunday was the day of the French vs Croatia soccer/football World Cup game and there was a group of France supporters gathering on Peter Street to watch the game. Apparently the party after the game, celebrating France’s victory, spilled out onto the street afterwards but unfortunately I missed it.
below: Old rusty metal barrels and butterflies.
below: The ice cream “mane” is still there. I frequently walk down an alley and wonder if I’ve ever been this way before… and then I spot an old friend and recognize where I am. That was the case when I spotted the ice cream guy (mane? why mane?). I think he dates from 2014.
below: Same alley as the ice cream man, perhaps the same vintage originally? The white swirls and the ‘love’ came after I think.
below: 24 hour public parking on the large sign, private parking on the small pink one but no one’s parking there anyhow.
below: Pasteups on plywood hoardings. A love love love lovebot and a blessed urban ninja squadron amongst others.
below: Reflections
below: Large mural behind Queen Street West (south side) featuring queens of different sorts – cards, chess and people at the minimum. “Queen Street West” designed and painted by Christiano De Araujo near the end of 2017.
below: Looking south on Soho Street towards Queen. On the right is the new Mountain Equipment Coop store under construction.
below: Street art in the greenery
below: Lines. Electrical lines. Horizontal lines of the stairs. Vertical lines of the buildings.
below: The next two photos are of a large mural on the back of a new building. The first picture shows the figures on the right hand side of the mural. Figures in action.
below: The Umbra building is clad with vertical lines made from a material that takes on different colours depending on the light.
below: Who is she?
below: Bent metal bracket
Today, Monday, the sky looks stormy. Perhaps a good thunderstorm will take away the humidity. Whatever the weather, I’ll be back soon!
Walking with the revelers on Church Street on Sunday afternoon as the Pride Parade was winding down.
below: A slow time at the ice cream truck
below: It was the man behind that made me laugh.
below: Matching butterflies.
below: Daddy hunter
below: Another daddy sticker
below: Spock makes an appearance
as I walk Toronto 