Things are not okay. We all know it. We see it. We hear it. We’re bombarded and we can’t avoid the onslaught. All of which means it’s a good time to ask people, “are you okay?”

There’s a short story going on in this small piece. The look of concern, the flat mouth line, the slouching eyebrow, the sad eyes as one looks away and one looks on. The illustration style reminds me of old Pink Panther cartoons or the Little Ceasers mascot both of which come with fond nostalgia and sit in contrast with the emotion in this brief sketch. I like to think of these two as “D” on the left and “T” on the right. Two characters, close, concerned and unsure.

And so, even if the answer is “no”, even if you don’t have a good reply, now is the time to ask the question. RUOK?

Lower East Side, Manhattan.

I’ve always been a fan of cyan & magenta color combos going back to my early design days learning about four color separations for offset printing. It’s a combo that is so rich, has good contrast and blends fantastically. Top it off with a great positive stencil with custom lettering and this piece is a real winner. It just hit me at the right time too. Sometimes it seems like we can’t do anything, but we can always make art.

Wall Street, Manhattan.

A wonderful bit of color for a spring day. This is a fantastic example of attention to detail and intelligent decisions from a highly experienced artist. All those little interior lines, the color pairings, the 3D edging — it’s all composed with precision and patience.

Lower East Side, Manhattan.

Following up on the Hey You post, I walked past the location again and lo and behold, more friends have been added! Maybe they heard my plea? There’s plenty more wall available at this spot, so here’s hoping this is just the beginning of a whole army of monster friends.

West Side, Manhattan.

Here’s a little dose of joy for you today. Monster friends! I found the first large painting and then the second small sticker nearby. I love the cartoon style, the clean lines and great color. They’re just what the city needs. More please!

West Side, Manhattan.

Descending from the heavens is this piece from the artist DZEL. The line work is a bit loose, but I love the subject matter, layout and coloring. Plus, doing it all while hanging off the top of the building isn’t easy. Amen, indeed.

West Side, Manhattan.

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.