Art and Comics
This cute stencil design brings Planet of the Apes to mind which, when living in a city, seems like a fitting topic.  It was found in Hayes Valley, San Francisco.  I wish they did more with the hair -maybe a curl or two.  I do admit, however, the bold red hair makes the face stand out and this stencil is hard to miss.  I love the chimp’s blank expression as if it is bored silly of of gazing up at the pedestrian walking by -even if some of them are wearing skirts.
My biggest artistic influence has to be Dr. Suess (Theodor Geisel). Not just the childhood stories (which I forced my mom to read ad nauseum) but also his early comics, advertising and art. Some of his best art work was ads for Essolube and for Flit: the art as well as the humor is timeless. So, given my and Faye’s love of his work it seemed natural for us to make a tribute ebook which we titled, The Places Your Cat Will Sleep. As usually you can download the low-res version on this site or purchase the high-res version from our Etsy store. We tried to match his love of the English language and his funky art, but ultimately opted instead for a more minimalistic illustration style.
We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed making it.
The Places Your Cat Will Sleep is our tribute to our favorite author, Dr. Seuss. Join us as we explore all the places your cat will sleep in your house. From a fan to a sink and even on your head you will be amazed at where your cat will slumber. Suitable for all ages.
Pages: 14
Authors: Ted and Faye Harris
First published: 2011
As stereotypical as it sounds, Paris is one of the most artistically inspirational place I have ever been. And it is not the museums and touristy places that I found so inspiring but the everyday expression of art from food packaging, to displays of pastries to graffiti to store signs. Parisians take the time make sure things are atheistically pleasing, creative and, above all, display a love of life. Humor is often the key ingredient that is missing from other picture-perfect cities. And this is what Paris has in abundance, a love of life and humor that comes from long and rich artistic cultural heritage. This series of Paris shop signs should reveal my love of cats and the wonderful humor of the Parisians. Each cat has a whimsical arch in their tail and an expression that you know means trouble; yet every cat is unique. I never tired of seeing these perfectly crafted store signs.
I found this bit of graffiti while visiting Paris a few years back. Fitting to the French, it is the naughtiest piece of graffiti that I like. Overall, the French graffiti was much more stylized and expressive than the US’s. Often the graffiti in New York or San Francisco seems like it had been planed for months and is carefully designed to fit perfectly into the artist’s portfolio. The French seems to be spur of the moment, more emotional. I actually enjoy it more than the perfectly crafted stencil. However, it may have something to do with how hard the police and business owners crack down on street artists.
This wonderful mermaid was found well off the beat path, near the Musée national Gustave Moreau.
I have seen this stencil several places around San Francisco but I took this in the Mission Distinct  in front of a second hand clothing store about 3 years ago.  It is a  bit understated but makes me think of Hawaii which is always a good thing. I love how they use shadows making the stencil seem to pop out of the pavement.  I suspect most of the stencil work in San Francisco is done by two or three groups.  I know one of them is “associated” with a design studio.
