A fresh stencil from the sidewalks of Manhattan. I do love stencils although the cynical side of me thinks this might be part of some advertising campaign. Let’s hope it’s just the exuberance of a local artist instead. A kind of mantra for perseverance.

Midtown, Manhattan.

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.

A bit of gratitude for this holiday season. Here’s a giant mural on the side of one of the piers on the Hudson river. Don’t let the photo fool you — each letter is about 30 feet tall. As with any mural, and large lettering in particular, it’s always a feat to get the lines straight. Given the double drop shadow and overlapping text, this example is very well executed indeed. I don’t know the origin story and the pier itself is a bit worn down, but it’s a sentiment worth sharing.

West Side, Manhattan.

Found this little sticker outside the market and the lettering caught my eye. Definitely a practiced hand at work here — which makes sense if you’re going to go through all the expense of printing stickers. Practice, practice, practice before you print. I do wish the color wasn’t so faded. I bet the original blue was much more vibrant.

Westchester, New York

Again, I’m reminded of a cartoon reference that I can’t put my finger on. The stylized mouths, both happy and comically angry, inside the counters are a great feature. A fairly simple and quick piece, but elevated by the third color used for the highlights.

Midtown, Manhattan.

A great guest shot from our roving reporter @hopemanbob. It may look simple at first glance, but getting those serifs requires some serious can control!

Albany, California.

A nice idea to paint each background in this four pack like a sticker providing for a gallery effect with each tag contained, but on a much larger scale. Found on the side of a delivery truck.

Midtown, Manhattan.