Some Ideas

October 12, 2024

Hand painted white graffiti on a gray wall saying, "Some ideas are so stupid only intellectuals will believe them."

I’m pretty sure this same message has been written here twice. The first was covered up by the building, but then the painter came back and wrote it again. Says something about not only the message (a sign of the times), but also the artist.

Fifth Avenue, Manhattan.

Star

September 21, 2024

A pixelated star with eyes stenciled in white paint on the sidewalk.

A little star of pixelated art on the sidewalk. No reference that I can recall, but it does feel quite familiar. Maybe it’s just a Space Invaders flashback. I do love pixel art, so it’s nice to see it show up on the streets. It also reminds me of the Moonites from one of my favorite cartoons: Aqua Teen Hunger Force — but friendly and not as arrogant.

Midtown, Manhattan.

Tulip

September 7, 2024

A white chalk tulip under a crescent moon and clouds on a dark grey wall

Sometimes it’s a quick illustration that works best. A white chalk tulip under a crescent moon and clouds. No need to overthink it. It works as it is and the core idea stands on it’s own.

West Side, Manhattan.

Mad Hatter

August 31, 2024

A red silhouette of a man (maybe the Mad Hatter?) wearing a large top hat against a yellow sun surrounded by a light blue glow. Stylized lettering in white with lightening coming out from the bottom is below.

A real unique and beautiful color palette in this large piece. There’s also no fear in just painting over the smoke stain on the wall. I’ve no idea what the lettering says, but using white and having the lightening coming out from below creates an immediate cloud effect in my mind. The silhouette is a bit menacing, but the color choices lift the mood a bit and give it a more magical feel.

West Side, Manhattan.

Bomber

August 18, 2024

A vinyl sticker of a winged Tinkerbell cartoon character riding a WWII era bomb with a red nose cone, hooded eyes and a snarling mouth. The words, "bombsupply" are printed under the bomb.

Headed upstate and a hurricane rolled in, so we wandered around in the rain. I spotted this little bomber from a Brooklyn based artist. Love the style, the concept and coloring. The rain drops also help to give it a great material feel. The mesh hexagon grate it was stuck on also brings something. A bit industrial with a layer of retro cartoon sprinkled with a bit of nature.

Plattsburgh, New York.

We Heart

July 13, 2024

A three color stencil graffiti of a racoon holding sign saying, "We love NYC" using a heart symbol
A three color stencil graffiti of a rat holding a slice of pizza and wearing an apron saying "We love NYC" using a heart symbol.

A couple of lovely stencils found on the sidewalk from @go4tart. Having cut and painted many stencils myself, the detail here is really impressive. Plus anytime you’re using multiple colors, you’re increasing the difficulty in getting a good final image. The character choices and message are also guaranteed to make a New Yorker smile. There are also more stencils in the series for you to seek out.

West Side, Manhattan.

Wildlife

July 6, 2024

A large colorful mural showing various wild animals and butterflies including a woman hugging a tree

A super large mural with a ton of great color. The subject matter is good — individually — but it’s a bit chaotic together. My art director brain says there was a lot of “client feedback” which pulled this piece further and further from the original concept. I love the strong border and then having select elements break out beyond the edge.

West Side, Manhattan.