Posts Tagged ‘paint’

of many ages

Posted: August 7, 2019 in alleys, graffiti and street art
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Follow the pointy fingers!

4 black and white stencils of hand and fingers pointing, on the sidewalk, pointing towards a mural on a wall

In a Kensington alley just north of Dundas there are several new faces.

two large faces painted side by side in an alley

below: A very bright face by Curtia Wright

large face mural on an exterior wall in an alley, in bright fluorescent oranges and blues, wearing a large floppy hat

below: An up close look at ‘Lovely’ by ahayahisone (aka Philip A. Saunders, or P.S.)

close up of a face in a mosaic like style with shapes of different colours making up the skin, green eyes, red lips, by Philip A. Saunders, called Lovely

below: A portrait of Philip Saunders by luvsumone (aka Moises Frank)

portrait of a man in shades of brown, orange and purple, with a hat, by luvsomone, a mural in an alley

A Poser bunny face and a companion mini happy face too

a black on silver poser bunny painting on a wood fence in an alley, a little happy face is in the top left corner of the picture

Bonjour from the future

black woman's head in space helmet of clear glass, futuristic clothing around her neck, Jamaican flag painted on her collar, purple lips

This one looks very much like it’s another P.S. painting.

male head in many different colours

Not as bright, but still surviving in the lane, are a couple of older faces

faded, on an old wood fence is a profile picture of a woman that is faded, the wood grain comes through very clearly, some peeling paint on the edges

on a fence that is vertical slats of wood, a portrait of a woman in blue

Mario sticks his head above text graffiti that says flyguy

head of Mario from the Nintendo game peaks over the text graffiti

“Keep yo head out the clouds” to which someone has responded.  At first I thought the response was “Nah, Rock that cloud.” but on closer inspection I see that I am wrong.  I like my answer better!

wood fence painted red with yellow words that say Keep yo head out the clouds, with a couple of white clouds, one with green eyes and a nose and mouth

on a wood fence, a drawing in white pencil of a man in a tie, beside him are the words cloudy daze. above him are two clouds

love, peace, and creativity

Posted: July 11, 2019 in landmarks, locations
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…along with coloured doors,  very big aliens, and a photography exhibit, all outside at the Distillery District.

below: “What’s That?” by Parer Studios. One of three ginormous inflatable aliens that have taken over the Distillery District but apparently they come with messages of peace, love, and creativity. Together they form the “fantastic Planet” series.

large white inflatable alien creature that appears to be getting from a crawling position, distillery district

below: “Over”.  At night they are illuminated from within.

large white inflatable alien creature, leaning over the rooftop of a building and looking down at a blue door

In the recent past, all of the doors in the Distillery were dark green (like most of the door and window frames still are).  A while ago, they were transformed with colour.  Many different colours in fact, and perhaps you could say a rainbow of doors.

a purple door on a grey limestone wall, distillery district

below: One of many photographs that adorn the brick walls of the Distillery District that showcase the works of photographers from around the world.  Collectively they are, “Pride at the Distillery, More than Just Rainbows”.

a large picture pasted to a brick wall, the backs of 6 drag queens each in a different colour outfit, making a rainbow when seen from the back

a large fake sunflower

pictures on a brick wall, above a table with empty chairs, outdoors,

below: I am not sure of the title of this one.  What I do know is that the alien’s hand is the perfect height to pat people on the head as they take selfies.  Check instagram for examples?  I noticed on instagram that there were photos of the aliens without the barricades.  My timing was wrong?

large white inflatable alien creature, lying down

below: Yellow doors (at least on the outside)

open double doors, yellow on the exterior and white on the interior

bright lime green window with dark green window frame, brick wall

a father and daughter playing a piano, outside, piano is painted bright yellow and the words Once you choose hope anything is possible

distillery district, brick building with doors painted in light green and light blue

large peace symbol outside as public art, with bright coloured artificial flowers attached to it

below: “Gay Pride Parade Participant in Costume, 1983”, New York City.  Available on Getty Images, where the large resolution image will set you back $575 (at least it’s in Canadian dollars).   All the Pride theme photos on display at the Distillery were purchased through Getty Images.

a large picture attached to a brick exterior wall, a person in lavender coloured dress and big grey wig holds a sign that says God save American queens

double doors, painted pink, with planters full of bright colour flowers outside the doors.

I will fudge it a bit and claim that this is a “Thursday Door” blog post.  It’s Thursday and there are a few doors included, right?  If you’ve been following this blog, you might know that I am but one of many bloggers who share door photos and stories.  For more door posts, see Norm 2.0’s Thursday Doors (with more door posts linked in his comments section).

Dyke March 2019

Posted: June 23, 2019 in events, people
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Dyke March 2019, sunshine and smiles, and a lot of positive energy.
I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

below: Pride over Mannum and a sign for Amma

dyke march 2019, three women holding three signs while marching in parade

below: I don’t exist for your pleasure and something about liking girls!

dyke march 2019, two women holding signs while marching in parade with other women

below: Let me be perfectly queer, respect existence or expect resistance

topless woman walking with other women in a dyke march, holding signs and chanting or protesting

man with whip, high black boots, and bare back, stands with back to camera and facing a group of women in the dyke march

a couple sits on a sidewalk watching the dyke march, he is wearing a blue and green hat and has tape X's on his nipples

a couple strolls down Yonge St in dyke march, one with cane and large yellow umbrella

dykes on bikes at start of parade, one is wearing a yellow t shirt that says We're all lesbians

a person riding a bike with a dog in the front basket

below: Society has Evolved in 2019, Love Wins, catch up!

women walkin in dyke march down Yonge Street, one woman holds a sign that says Society evolved, love wins, catch up!

two black women, arm in arm, from the back

black woman holding on to a banner in a parade with crowd behind her, someone holding a sign that says eat pussy not animals

spectators on the sidewalk on Yonge street as dyke march passes by

dyke march, walking down Yonge street with people sitting on the sidewalk watching the parade

person with rainbow flag draped on their back, white tape has been used to make the words gender is a construct on the flag

a person under a very large rainbow umbrella is beside two women who are walking while holding hands, last section of dyke march parade is behind them

a group of women in maroon coloured t shirts are walking together in dyke march, singing and cheering, with signs, flags and yellow balloon

a young man in a pink crown and banner that says future bride, walks with a group of other people in a dyke march on Yonge street

colourful flowers in curly black and brown hair on someone's head, from the back, close up shot

a black woman in dreadlocks, blue sunglasses and smoking a cigarette

a man plays a drum on the sidewalk, on parade route

a woman sits on a motorcycle waiting for the dyke march to begin

NDP group in dyke march, with orange banner and several women

a woman with orange hair, but one side of head shaved has arms in air as she walks in parade

long red hair held in a ponytail by elastics of rainbow colours, on back beside badge on Amazon motorcycle club jacket

a dog on a leash in a parade, dog has rainbow butterfly wings on its collar

two women, one with brown large rimmed hat blowing bubbles and the other with arm raised and canned horn noise maker in her hand

a person in short green hair holds a pink plastic dildo to his nose

below: Playing with dolls

a woman reacts to seeing two older woman with small inflatable dolls

women walking in dyke march,under red umbrella with a sign that says bisexual bitch, woman beside her has a small sign that says first pride was a riot, no police

people behind metal barricades watching dyke march

women walking in dyke march, one woman in a bright yellow dress carrying a sign that says teach love and acceptance, with a heart made of people

three women walking in dyke march in front of a group with a banner that says queers against borders

a couple walking together with black t shirts one just says dyke and the other says dykes stop Holland from flooding

below: Many flags!  Pink, yellow and blue horizontal stripes for pansexual and pink, purple, and blue for bisexual.

people carrying flags in dyke march

below: Another flag, this time it’s asexual.

women at pride parade, one with blue hair with an asexual flag around her back - purple, white, grey, and black stripes

below: A large transexual flag and a group from Womens College Hospital

women holding a large transexual flag to carry in a parade

a nude woman carries a large white crocheted umbrella

women in dyke march

dyke march, woman in pink rimmed glasses holds fingers in peace symbol

two police on bikes with yellow vests ride in parade behind two people with bare bottoms

below: Ford Cabinet for sale, real cheap!  Just a buck!

two people at dyke march with anti Doug Ford protest signs, garage sale signs, Ford cabinet for sale for 10 dollars

below: Proud to be queer and Jewish

two women in dyke march with signs that say proud to be queer and Jewish

below: Still a Pakistani, Still a Muslim, and Still a Dyke, along with a proud Polynesian dyke.

women in dyke march, including a polynesian and a muslim

below: Say Know to Sex Ed

people at dyke march with large sign that says Say know to sex ed

dyke amrch, red hair, flowers

two photographers at a parade, onei s sitting on top of a large generator (trailer)

Three Sisters, Tikay and Aner

Posted: June 19, 2019 in graffiti and street art
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Three Sisters – both literal and allegorical. Three women, each with a vegetable, and these three vegetables, corn, squash, and beans, are the three sisters of indigenous agriculture. These were the main crops of most North American native groups and they were usually planted together; together they thrived for thousands of years.

large mural by street artists tikay and aner on Dundas West, 3 indigenous women in traditional clothes with symbols, corn, squash, medicine wheel, flowers,

This is one of two murals by Paula Tikay and Aner Urra (aka tikay & aner) in the Dundas West area.   They are two indigenous Mapuche artists from Chile who were invited to come to Toronto to paint the murals.

close up of woman with long black braided hair, standing in the midst of a squash plant, with yellow flower, a squash, and many leaves, in mural

close up of two women in mural with cobs of corn and alarge green bean growing on a bean plant, lots of leaves

looking down a short narrow alley with a large colourful mural on the left side, blue background with leaves and vines in the foreground

a window in a brick wall, Raptors flag inside but shows backwards outside, mural painted around the window in blues with green leaves and vines

The project was organized by Rodrigo Ardiles (of the Dundas West Museum).  This neighbourhood was chosen because of its ties to the many immigrants from Chile who have found a home here as early as the 1970s.   Children from the nearby Alexander Muir / Gladstone Avenue Junior and Senior Public School and The Grove Community School had some input on the mural.    Also involved was StartARToronto.

Kensington never disappoints

Posted: June 11, 2019 in graffiti and street art, locations
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murals in Kensington, Mona Lisa with fruit, and Poser bunnies,

Here you will find a few random things that I found the last time I wandered through Kensington, some large and some small, but most new to me including this wonderful dinosaur mural by Nick Sweetman.

on a Kensington wall, a large mural of dinosaur on a black background it's wearing a small gold crown with 3 points,

below: Kids for sale.   Perhaps they mean goats?  Hmmm……

sign in a store window that says kids for sale

below: She needs a better makeup artist.

head of a mannequin with large brim hat, shoulder length blond hair, red sunglasses, lipstick

below: An exhibit: petrified skull and horn of a Shoasaur, approx 1.4 million years old, right?

tacked to a wood fence is an old wood shoe form that someone has turned into an exhibit of a fossilized skull and horn, complete with drawings of the animal that it came from

below: A profane glove

one single glove with a face drawn on it and fuk you written on it, stuck on the top of a wood fence post

below: Pasted, ripped, and painted…. an abstract in the making.

posters on a window that have been partially ripped and streaks of red paint sprayed on them, also white spray paint

below: Soap ghost has some good advice

a small paste up on a green fence that is soap ghost, words say wash your hands

below: Two witches grace a door –  XVIII The Full Moon Witch and XVI The Hell Hath No Fury Witch

two cars stuck into the crack formed between a door and a wall, two witch cards,

below: Urban ninja guy has grown a mustache!

three stickers and paste ups on a metal post, urban ninja warrior on the top, with a black mustache, and a pink and blue bunny face on the bottom

below: Spanish graffiti says “Estamos solas pero nos tenemos todos” which equals “We are alone but we have all (everybody)”.

black and white paste up on a wall, Spansih words that say estamos solas pero nos tenemos todos

below: Weed the bored as a play on We the North.  So many Raptors references around the city these days!

chalk drawing on a sidewalk that says weed the bored

below: A candle to light Death’s way.

painting on a fence of death with his scythe and holding a candle

below: Watching the street, or has that orange cone caught his eye?

mural of a large face with eyes looking outward, looking onto the street where there are people passing by, Kensington storefront

Keep your eyes open!

GAWD’s animals

Posted: May 18, 2019 in graffiti and street art
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Just south of St. Clair West, Runnymede Road runs under the CP train tracks.   In the summer of 2017 the wall on the west side of the underpass a mural was painted by Christopher Ross (aka GAWD).  It is a collection of animals, mostly in shades of pink and blue – dragonfly, pigs, birds, and more.   Most of the animals are in pairs.

part of a mural by Christopher Ross on an underpass wall in pinks and blues, a dragonfly

mural on a wall, two fat pink pigs snout to snout

part of a mural by Christopher Ross on an underpass wall in pinks and blues, a pink bird

part of a mural, two bird heads in orange and brown tones

part of a mural by Christopher Ross on an underpass wall in pinks and blues, a blue animal and a pink animal

part of a mural by Christopher Ross on an underpass wall in pinks and blues, a large blue bear

part of a mural by Christopher Ross on an underpass wall in pinks and blues, the end piece of the mural, mushrooms

At one end of the mural, this little engine sits on a tree stump.

part of a mural by gawd, a little railway engine sits on a tree stump

eye spy

Posted: April 22, 2019 in alleys, graffiti and street art
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Two pieces of street art side by side in a laneway.  Eyes looking outward, watching you as you pass by.

a black and white painting on a wall of a very large pair of eyes, very realistic looking, black and white, on a yellowish brick wall

black and white realistic painting of a pair of eyes, larger than life, on a yellowish brick wall. A small motorcycle is parked in front of the wall.

Hope Wall

Posted: April 11, 2019 in graffiti and street art, locations
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large painting of a face, street art, yellowish skin, small moustache and beard, glasses, eyes looking straight ahead

Hope Wall on Spadina Ave., near Kensington Market.

wall, plywood hoardings, covered with paint and graffiti as a Hope Wall, in memory of Andre Alexander who was killed when hit by a car. painting of his face, plus large space for people to write messages, on Spadina near Kensington Market,

below: Messages written on the wall for Andre Alexander, aka Hip Pop Art who died in October 2018.

messages written on a wall

a man sleeping on the sidewalk in front of a wall covered with street art, graffiti and art in memory of Andre Alexander who was an artist who worked in Kensington

wall and doorway painted purple, a black man's face in greys on one side of the entranceway, other graffiti too

 

Mt Dennis pollinators

Posted: April 2, 2019 in graffiti and street art, locations
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large mural on the side of a building, bus shelter and stop to the side with people waiting. Mural is by Nick Sweetman and features many bees and flowers, very large bees

On the southwest corner of Weston Road and Eglinton Avenue West, on the side of Supercoffee, is another large, colourful Nick Sweetman pollinators mural.  It features 6 different types of bees commonly found in Toronto.

below: Honey bee (apis mellifera)

part of a nick sweetman pollinators mural, a bee

below: Bumble bee (bombus affinis)

part of a nick sweetman pollinators mural, a bee on top of a purple coneflower

below: Mason bee (osmia conjuncta)

part of a nick sweetman pollinators mural, a blue bee

below: Carpenter bee (xylocopa virginica)

part of a nick sweetman pollinators mural, a bee on a purple flower

part of a nick sweetman pollinators mural, corner of supercoffee building, several bees and many flowers

below: Green Sweat bee (augochloropsis metallica)

in a mural of bees, a small green bee, a sweat bee,

below: Leafcutter bee (megachile latimanus)

large painting of a bee on a flower, part of a mural, leaf cutter bee

The mural was commissioned by the Mount Dennis BIA with help from the City of Toronto’s Mural Street Art Program as well as Metrolinx.

a sign that describes Nick Sweetman's mural of bees and pollinators in Mt Dennis

“This mural features an urban skyscape beneath which a vibrant world of bees feeding on pollen comes to life. It explores the intersection between human-made spaces and natural forces, and encourages consideration of our relationship with the planet and its non-human inhabitants. Toronto is one of the most biodiverse area in the world for bees, with over 300 species found in the city and surrounding area. River corridors like the Humber River and Black Creek flourish with wild flowers and native plants – important habitat for native pollinators. Plants are catalysts for the energy all animals depend on and bees are crucial to all flowering plants’ reproduction. “

Feel Good Lane

Posted: February 27, 2019 in graffiti and street art, locations
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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

street art on a brick wall in a lane, text, cursive that says Fell Good Lane, painted in blues, white and pink by Spud bomb .

below: by monicaonthemoon

monica on the moon mural painted on a garage door. Bright colour flash of paint with stencils of girls leap frogging over objects

colourful abstract mural of three birds

below: by Oriah Scott

mural on a garage door in Feel Good Lane by Oriah Scott

behind trees, in the autumn, murals on the sides of garages, TTC streetcar, orange flower, green abstract,

below: This is the front of the same garage in the above photo (with the streetcar). Both were painted Elly Dowson

colourful mural covering all of the front of a building that is a garage, abstract sun in top right corner, blue sky, green hill,

below: Dog mural by @Dr_Roameo

alley with murals painted on garages and on the sides of walls, large grey dog painted on a wall, trash cans and recycling bins in the alley too

below: Raccoons all over the place! A mural by Emily May Rose and Rage Williams.

mural on a garage in an alley, Feel Good Lane, by Emily May Rose and of a white van with lots of green raccoons around it, on top of it, and in the drivers seat

below: The blue landscape is a painting by Leyland Adams

3 murals in Feel Good Lane, one abstract rectangles and bars of colour, one a realistic painting,

below: by Bomi (Bomino San Grantes)

bars, dots, and stripes of colour on a black background, mural in a lane

below: by Cruz1

stylized painting of a womans head, blue skin, white hair, pink background

below: Butterfly face and curly hair – Frannie Potts

painting by Frannie Potts, a street art face on a garage, woman, with large curly afro style hair in pale colours, with a butterfly painted covering her eyes and cheeks.

below: Another Cruz1 creation with a small painting by Bkez (aka Bareket) in the background

gnarly monster face painted on the side of a small wall, bllue, with big yellow teeth and small red eyes

below: by Mska

mural of a deer with birch trees painted on a garage

below: A mural for the 512 Crew,

red and white mural of a man (cartoon like) beside a TTC 512 St. Clair street car, in Feel Good Lane

below: In the back, a mural by Odinamaad (turningwind). In the foreground is the work of Desko Zima

two murals on garage doors in Feel Good Lane, one a green halloween-like scene with silhouettes of bats the other is a marine scene

below: A face in blue and orange by Anya Mielniczek

a mural of a woman's face by Anya Mielniczek

below: On the right, a small piece by Andrew Castro

two murals in Feel Good Lane, face, lines

below: A fox head by Ed Hamer

street art painting of a fox head in profile by Ed Hamer, realistic

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

murals in Feel Good Lane, including one by Chris Perez in which a car is parked in front of.

below: The white chair is in front of a jellyfish and heart by Psyblimation

white plastic chair outside in alley in front of a mural of a jellyfish and a heart

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.

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