Friday, April 12, 2013

'I Enjoy Making Things Beautiful' or 'The Earth Without Art Is Just Eh'


'I enjoy making things beautiful'  ..  A friend wrote that in an email to me recently.  Isn't that true for many of us, perhaps especially women?  I hope that the pictures in today's post will make you smile. They make me smile.  And appreciate the work of, in this case, a few amazing street artists.  Even when I may not love every piece of art, (and some argue that what they do is actually vandalism), I find it inspiring that these artists so freely and generously share their creative talents with all of us.

A little old lady I once knew told me that she tried to always leave a place better than she found it.  She told me that when I found her wiping down the sink in a public bathroom with the towelette she had used to dry her hands.   She said her mother had taught her to do that.  I think it's a lesson worth remembering.



Yarn-bombing - B-Arbeiten





Yarn-bombing seeks to personalize public places  - click here to see more amazing examples









juliana santacruz herrera: decorative potholes
Literally street art - by Juliana Santacruz Herrera, who packs street potholes in Paris with long lengths of brightly dyed and plaited fabric strips.





Juliana Santacruz Herrera - fabric-filled potholes in Paris.








(Ok, this sculpture by Mehmet Ali Uysal isn't exactly street art - but it's cool, isn't it? :)


Spiderman Street Art








Dihzahyners - The making Beirut beautiful project



This team of passionate street artists are creating initiatives to make the previously war-torn city of Beirut brighter and more beautiful through colour.



BEFORE AND AFTER


Photo by Karolina Lidia Pawelec



Have a nice day!  :)







8 comments:

  1. Love these.

    And you might really like this TED Talk I watched recently Mum - it totally relates to this post! :)

    http://www.ted.com/talks/edi_rama_take_back_your_city_with_paint.html

    xo Tammy

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  2. Aw LOVE this!! The frog near the start, sweeping leaves under the pavement has to be one of my favourites!! Also love the pedestrian frog, the afro guy on the wall and the cuddling boxes!! Love that that team are brightening the war torn city, and love the free love at the end!! :) Sweet. I think trees are prettier in their natural state but I also love that people are working to create beauty all around them so they're beautiful in a different way :) You always made our home beautiful, and I love attempting the same ;) xox

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    1. I think that frog might be an alien, and I agree, he is one of my favourites too :)

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  3. All of the things that Abby said (the frogs - which I thought were aliens, the afro head, the cuddling boxes) are my favourites too!
    I particularly love how just painting a few features on those boxes or bins completely changes them. Instead of just being metal rectangles they suddenly have personality and character that you can't look past!
    Cool stuff!!
    And Mum, you used to quote that 'leave a place prettier' thing to us and I've always remembered it :) Helps that you're a fabulous example of it :D xo

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    1. I love those two grey boxes too. Just a small touch of paint to give them so much personality! :)

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  4. Ok, I really loved all of those pictures, people are so creative but I have to say the lego art really tickled my fancy and the little door in the first lego picture - too cute.

    I've just seen a picture recently somewhere and I think it was in a park where some very clever person built in door at the bottm of a big tree, it was very well done and has caused a lot of interest. I never think of things like that.

    Thanks for showing these pictures, they're great.

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    1. I know! I love the little lego door too. Even though I know it won't go anywhere, it seems as though it might.. :) I love the tree-door idea.

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