It was interesting to sit and watch this artist at work. From time to time passers-by would stop and peer over his shoulder from a distance to look at the picture he was creating. I wondered how many of his pictures he would sell and for his dedication on such a cold day I wished him well.
Like many others as I got up to walk away I paused behind him to watch him apply his brush to the canvas and for a few moments see his new picture take shape. He was painting Karlskirche and the trees around Karlsplatz, and he was clearly using a splash of artistic licence because while the trees in the square were bare of leaves the trees in the picture were vibrant and green.
When you go to Florence there is so much to see and do, the renaissance architecture, the colourful stonework, the parks and gardens and so much more.
This was my second visit to Florence and it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. This time I had a little more time to explore and before I go on to share perhaps more traditional images of the city I wanted to share these quirky pictures that I captured as I walked around the city.
The first three images are of work by a mysterious street artist who identifies him/herself as Blub.
All across the city there are these pictures of famous works of art by the likes of Dante and Botticelli with all of the figures wearing scuba masks.
I had walked past a number of these pictures before I realised it was a "thing" and now I wish that I had captured more of them because they are really fun. If you would like to see some more examples and read an interview with the artist then click here
The final image of the no entry sign is also evidence of the fun at the heart of this wonderful city. Each No Entry sign (and there are a lot of them around the old city) and many other road signs have been modified with a unique artwork by the French Street Artist Clet. They are fantastic little works. Most of the time we hardly notice the road signs, well we notice them but we react to the symbol without really looking at them but when each one is a unique piece of street art you are more likely to take notice. As with the Blub pictures I wish I had taken pictures of mor of Clets work so if you want to see more why not click here.
A little while ago I posted some images of the graffiti at Christiana Freetown in Copenhagen but it was difficult to get the shots because the locals weren't too happy to see me and my camera at work.
In Vienna on the banks of the Danube I spotted these fine examples and then as I got closer I spotted the artist at work. I wasn't sure how he would feel about being caught on camera but since he was working in the open, in full view on a sunny day I took a chance. He looked up a couple of times so I knew he was aware and it didn't put him off.
It is quite an abstract work and each time I look at it I pick out something different. I wonder what you can see. It is abstract but not totally random, for example can you see the dancing couple to the left in the third image?
Approaching these intricate murals you might think you are being led into a wonderful fairytale land full of fun and creativity, especially as this is in Copenhagen home of Hans Christian Andersen author of many famous fairytales including The Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes and The Ugly Duckling.
The reality however is very different...
This is Freetown Christiana.
It is a "self proclaimed autonomous anarchist district" in the borough of Christianshavn in the city. It was originally a military barracks but in 1971 a group of squatters took possession after the military moved out, initially as a playground for their children but eventually it was seen as an opportunity to build up a society from scratch.
It is a very "progressive society" and has become one of the main tourist attractions in Copenhagen. However as I stood at the entrance taking photographs I was warned by one of the residents that if I was seen taking pictures inside I would be chased out and my camera would be broken. We decided to go in and have a look around although felt on edge much of the time and when we saw the drug dealers with piles of cannabis resin and buds on display we realised why they would not want to be photographed and with my camera in hand I felt the eyes of the dealers and their associates on me everywhere I went so we didn't stay too long.
In spite of this the graffiti/artwork that we saw and that I did manage to photograph was of a really good standard and I was happy to get a few shots. However, there would have been so many opportunities for some great street photography but after the warning at the start I didn't dare risk it.
Here we are along the left bank of the Seine as it flows through Paris in the 1st arrondissement.
This part of the city is famous for antiquarian book sellers, artists and purveyors of prints, posters and postcards. It attracts lots of visitors strolling, browsing and perhaps spending a little cash. All of it making great subjects for photography.
I have experimented with a different technique in the final image which I hope you will like, let me know if you think it works...
I am not sure what was going through the artists mind when he painted this mural, and the moose is looking extremely chilled but I like the sentiment "Stay Positive".
There is a lot happening in the world around us that gives us reason to be worried but those that know me know that I tend to see the glass half full and so I am sharing this image with the message, regardless of what is going on "Stay Positive"
Over the last few days my blog has been of various fungi and today I have taken things out of the forest into the city for this really cool street art.
In Toronto there are some really good examples of grand scale art and over the next couple of days I will share a few different shots from around the city.
