Category: Murals

Behind the Wire

On By ResaIn Clandestinos, Murals146 Comments

A “Le gasp” moment grabbed me when this fabulous mural appeared in an alley.

Narrow yards, and fences blocking fire escapes that were far enough away to get a great shot without wires, were the bane of this shoot.

Settling into the best spot available, I did my best to capture this magnificent mural.

Unable to get rid of the wire, I kept thinking “it’s behind the wire. Isn’t “Behind the Wire”a term?

It means being in a prison camp or refugee camp. Or, it’s about how institutions/governments have an effect on individuals.

I was intrigued by the lock and twig key in the woman’s forehead. Lots of meaning there.

Anyway, I tried capturing angles, and of course reflections in a parked car. Got 3 good ones, in the slideshow below.

Reminder – If you park your car by art, make sure the car is clean!

Pics taken by Resa – March 7, 2025

Toronto, Canada

The Artists:

Ukrainian Mural

On By ResaIn Murals, Tributes180 Comments

In one of my alley wanderings I came upon this fabulous mural, albeit unfinished.

I kept returning. It remained unfinished, but the scaffolding (in slideshow below) kept moving.

  • Artist at work on the mural.
  • If I could just get a shot of her face!
  • I shot on 4 visits, scaffolding et all

On one visit, I met the business owners next door. From them, I learned that the mural had been started about a year and a half earlier, but the artist had been in an accident.

His injuries required lengthy healing, and he had just recently returned to work on the mural.

Finally one day in November, it was finished. I shot over a hundred pics. Unfortunately, I had to return in December.

I told Trent the day had been dark with black clouds, and the pics came out really warm. I would return on a brighter day.

Confession; like an idiot I accidentally had the camera on a warm setting.

All in all I must have returned to the site 8 times.

Returning to the unfinished mural had become like reading a great book, and I was sad when it was finished.

I love intricate murals, as there is so much detail to take pics of.

The slideshow on the right, presents the details I languished in.

I was going to pick a fave, but I kept changing my mind.

At some point I realized it was the back door to the Schevchenko Museum. The sign was always there, but I ignored it because it was all about the mural, for me.

About the Schevchenko Museum

Taras Schevchenko (1814 – 1861) Ukrainian artist, poet & thinker. Once imprisoned by Russia for his views, his rich creative legacy remembers him.

I was dazed by the collection of images and history on the website. I’ll be visiting over the winter months.

Left: Self portrait – click on portrait to visit museum website.

There were always cars parked on the site.

Sometimes they were clean (ish), and I was able to get some cool reflections.

The greenish one at the end is actually reflecting next door artwork.

Thank You to Trent for this Song!

A Million Miles Away

V1
He said, “You’re a threat”
As his tanks gathered on the borderline

He said, “You must be stopped!”
As his missiles started flying

He shook his fist
And his countrymen fell in line

“It’s us or them”
And our babies started dying

Chorus

V2
Another town, another city
Turned to rubble over night

In darken cellars the children
With each bomb blast, shake in fright

Refugees and wounded
Walk and crawl the road of flight

Is anybody out there
To listen to our plight?

Chorus

It’s a million miles away

CHORUS

How’s your work?
And how’s the weather?
How’s your mom and dad?

The traffic sucks
It started raining
So things have been real bad (1)
So things are really bad (2)

My pickup’s dirty
The dog’s on the couch
Tik Tok has been a bore

The football game
On my 80-inch TV
Was postponed for some stupid war
A million miles away

About the Song in Trent’s Words

Another new song, and, yes, another dark one. The four-note motif that runs through the verse might remind you of “Carol of the Bells”. I was thinking of the music that that carol was based on, Shchedryk, a Ukrainian New Years song arranged by composer Mykola Leontovych. Those four notes, though, are thought to be ancient, going back to before Christianity was introduced to Ukraine.

By this motif you may guess that the “he” in the first verse is “Putin” and the country being invaded is “Ukraine”. You are partially right – it is inspired by that war, but the idea is any war, particularly a war where a dominant power invades a lesser one, and how people here can care less about the lives lost. Anyway, I will let the song speak for itself, except that I want to say I think I did a pretty good job channeling my inner “Bob” on the first chorus…

Pics taken by Resa – July – December, 2024

Toronto, Canada

The Artist:

Alley Location Images

September

On By ResaIn Murals, The Painted House173 Comments

Check out this exquisite mural Diana – Myths of the Mirror painted on an outside wall of her studio.

The colours make me think of autumn, my fave season.

They go with the colours in this stained glass effect garage door at The Painted House.

The same artist did some art inside the Painted House, that had similar colours and that cool stained glass effect.

Holly picked September for my recent post on Art Gowns. It’s perfect for this post. Thank you Merril for suggesting I use it again!

Header Mural art & image © D. Wallace Peach (Thank You!)

Pics taken by Resa – August 11, 2024

Toronto, Ontario

The stained glass effect Artist:

Can you find Resa in the painted house collage?

Beauty of Imperfection

On By ResaIn Faces, Murals145 Comments

Not sure how old this mural is. The colours are still quite bright, but it is chipped and peeling like crazy. It’s fab.

“Woman can have mustache”. That’s what it appears to say over the top lip.

“Love is Us” over one of the eyes.

“blow it” is between the eyes and over the nose.

It took a bit of time and scrutiny to figure out “Beauty of Imperfection”

Of course there was some wood trash in the way when I found it.

So I moved it, then replaced it when finished. The text over the trash was a tad challenging to figure.

“Sometimes you have to Be a Lion So you Can Be The Lamb you are “

Pics taken by Resa – March 4, 2024

Toronto, Canada

The Artist:

The lettering Artist:

Not sure if it’s “Love” over the other eye?

Ancient China – Warriors, Wise Man, 2 Beauties, (Pig & Goose)

On By ResaIn Kensington Market, Murals88 Comments

I found this in spring 2023. This mural runs along crumbling walls in an alley in Kensington Market.

Oddly, this pig is the first piece. Thinking about it, it seems to be part of the mural. Anyway, I decided to open with the above, which is third, working left to right.I like it best of the 3.

A Wise  man?

More Warriors

A goose

OUCH!

….and the beauties.

Pics taken by Resa – May 15, 2023

Toronto, Canada

The Artist:

This is what I saw when I first stumbled upon the mural.

Holiday Mermaid Magic

On By ResaIn Murals180 Comments

I saw a mermaid, a half block away. Excitement, because mermaids are special.

I thought of Holly, poetry mermaid. I’ve drawn her as a mermaid, as well as: Gigi, Dale, Marina, and Rebecca; mermaids all & all in a slideshow at the end.

Then Abracadabra! A Unicorn appeared. Many of my talented WP friends jumped to mind. They create a lot of magic here.

The rest of the well painted mural, on a series of cement block supports between windows, wasn’t so exciting for me. It seemed naive. Still it was family oriented, and fitting for the holiday season.

After all, this month whether you celebrate: Hanukkah, Christmas, Yule, Winter Solstice or just the New Year – It is a family & friends time for many.

Unable to capture it in its massive entirety, due to heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic, it nonetheless feels like joy and enchantment. Here’s the rest!

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Not a traditional holiday song, but it sure sounds & feels like one.

 

MERMAIDS’ HOLIDAY

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Pics taken by Resa – November 9, 2023

Toronto, Canada

The Artist:

I’d also like to share my Holiday Tree with you. It lives on Tim’s Magic Tree Sanctuary.

The only gift I want