This weekend I took a walk along Abbot Kinney Blvd, named after the founder of Venice in America, which I do periodically because it’s the coolest street in LA. It is not the shops that attract me, but the murals.
So Far So Good by Alex Yanes
“So Far So Good” by Alex Yanes, on the side wall of the Rag & Bone store at 1121, is crafted out of weather-proof, die-cut, hand-painted wood panels mounted onto the brick wall.
On the black side wall of Vardagen at 1301, I saw a color mural
And a BW mural by Skonks that reads: “VENICE. A nice place to die slow”
SaveLACougars by Louis Masai
In 2021 I had photographed “Save LA Cougars” by Louis Masai on Milwood Ave. Click on this link to learn more about this organization devoted to saving wildlife in urban settings.
Tongva mural by ThunderVoice Eagle
Also in 2021 I admired this mural by ThunderVoice Eagle “painted by a Navajo recognizing it sits on the Ancestral Land of the Tongva People to stand as a reminder that we are still here.”
But the biggest discovery I made this year was a sign that pointed me in the direction of Jules Muck studio at 511 Santa Clara Ave. I had written about this mural artist last summer (read my article at this link) and had followed her Facebook page ever since.
BW Mural by Jules Muck
So I walked up the side street, noticed a BW mural by Muck Rock on my right, then walked into the beautiful indoor/outdoor studio.
Jules Muck studio
I later read on a Facebook post dated April 1, 2023: “I am building an art studio a block away from where I painted in the street, without a trust fund, a co-signer, a day job.” Read about her journey in this article.
Muck does not only do murals, traveling recently to places like New Orleans and Mexico looking for walls and commissions, but also paints canvases, that you may purchase here.
Jules Muck studio. Fire on the Mountain
A post dated February 19, 2024 proudly displays this painting: “One of my largest canvas commission to date stands at 8ftx8ft”
I knew about this street before it became cool, because that’s where the offices of Venice Magazine used to be, when I was the Film editor from 1990 to 1999. Click here for details.
At the end of my walk I enjoyed my new favorite dish at Lemonade: Poke Avocado Toast.
Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli