Wednesday Walk Among The Street Art of ... Austin, Texas

While in Austin last week for the Global Block Builders Conference, we found this amazing mural painted by Louis Masai in November of 2016. I fell in love this with one. I am sure it is because of the bees and that the toads look like they are being quilted. It was just amazing to see this creative painting in the middle of Austin. What was even more surprising is there was an article written about him painting this mural and what it represented! You can view that article HERE!

This being a week after my father passed away, I was pretty emotional and found the distraction of finding many of the Austin murals welcoming. I just loved that I found a piece that really spoke to me, but not in the way the artist intended. I found myself thinking about my mother and hoping she can be settled soon so she can begin quilting again. Quilts were an important part of my childhood because of her and she has talked about getting back into them now that she can focus on herself, not on Dad's health. There is, however, a sad tone to her voice when she speaks of it.

The thing I love most about this mural is the bee; both of them. Look at those wings! You can almost see through them and those legs have pollen balls on them. Look at how fluffy they look! The artist captured the look of these bumble bee creatures perfectly. Who cares that they are holding needles! Is that even possible? Art is definitely a world of illusion and imagination.

This artist wanted us to be aware of the endangered toads in Texas. He painted this mural in conjunction with the Global Wildlife Conservation. This is one of thirteen murals Masai did in the series he called "The Art of Beeing" and they can all be seen in New York City, Detroit, Reno, Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Pheonix, El Paso, New Orleans, Nashville, and Miami. Maybe we should add these to our collection list.

One of the things that just caught my eye was the metal covering something industrial in front of the mural. It looks almost as if it were drawn into the mural itself. I was a bit stunned to see this in the effect of the lighting.

This is a rough week, but I was happy to see the many amazing murals throughout the city helping to divert my brain. If you are ever in Austin, stop by Sixth & San Jacinto Blvd and view this artwork.