Speak your heart. If they don’t understand, the message was never meant for them anyway.
Yasmin Mogahed
I love Donna’s theme this week. To tell you the truth, I’m a big collector of signs and street art with messages. So, this week I’m posting some of my favorites.
I’ve posted this image before, but I couldn’t resist posting it again because it visualizes the type of message that appeals to me. It tells a story from another era and it reminds me of the moodiness and stark beauty of the long stretches of open land and sky in the American West.
This sign was written by a member of the fire rescue crew on the one remains wall of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building after the terrorist bombing. This site is a sad reminder that the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 ushered in an era of home-grown violence in America.
During the pandemic, I lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and often took walks throughout the city. Sometimes my route brought me through a small local cemetery.
I often paused by this loving and heartbreaking tribute to a child who died at a very young age. The stone is engraved with a very tender and moving message from his family.
This sign outside Herb’s Deli in Canada made us laugh….and we also stopped there for lunch.
Clet Abraham is an Italian artist who creates funny and original traffic signs in Florence. He posts them over existing traffic signs in major cities across Europe. His message is partly-humorous and partly a poke at authority.
During the pandemic, I was frustrated at the public health messaging which was sometimes conflicting and ambiguous. (For example, does social distancing mean avoiding all social contact?)
When I saw this sign in a hotel elevator in the Canadian Yukon, I wondered why the term physical distancing wasn’t adopted in America. I loved how the messaging was concrete and specific to people who lived in that part of Canada.
In your part of the world, would the public health message use ravens or another animal? (In Tina’s part of the county, would people use an alligator for reference? Apparently not. According to Wikipedia, they can be as long as 13 feet!)
Whether or not you believe in the legalization of marijuana, you have to admit this sign delivers a very funny message during the holidays…unless of course, you are an in-law.
I’ll end my post with another example of street art, which will hopefully make you smile. The Florentine artist known as Exit/Enter uses minimalist stick figure drawings often with hearts. His drawings always make me stop, think, and smile.
A special thanks to Donna for giving us this wonderful bit of inspiration this week, which has me reflecting on different types of messages, how they are delivered and how they are received. Is the messenger delivering a truthful message or is meant to deceive? (You know I’m thinking of some politicians right now.). Better still, does it come from the heart?
We invite you to visit Donna’s site and enjoy her images and thoughts, which are truly inspiring. Be sure to link to her post and use the Lens-Artists tag so we can easily find your post in the Reader.
Last week, Anne led us in a One Lens Walk, which was a terrific way to explore our cameras’ capabilities and their lenses. A special thanks to you, Anne! Next week, it’s my turn to lead, so be sure to stop by here next Saturday at noon EST. Here’s a sneak peak of my theme: Shadows and Reflections in Monochrome.
Until then, have a week filled with good health, sunshine, and lots of inspiration.
Categories: LENS-ARTISTS, Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, Photography
P.A. Moed 
Your first photo is spectacular. Otherwise your messages were fun and interesting 😀
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Hi, Cee. That photo is one of my favorites. I’m delighted you like it too! Looking forward to your messages….if you can join us.
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The plaque to the child was so sad, good to share though. Loved the others very funny.
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Hi, Alison. It is so sad and touching, isn’t it? And yes, the others are funny! I was looking for a mix of emotions! Thanks so much for stopping by. I always appreciate that.
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What a mix, love the fun ones, and the child one and others are so poignant
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Hi, Karina. I was looking for a wide variety of types….glad you liked that. I know what you mean about poignant. So true. What a heartache for the family to lose a child so young. Take care and have a good week.
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It looks like you had fun preparing for this challenge Patti. Your signs showed us compassion and humor. I’ll always remember to stay six ravens apart when in a line. Take care!
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I did have fun! Thanks, Anne. Yes, 6 ravens apart…I love it!!
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Lovely example Patti 🙂
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Thank you so much, Brian. Have a great week and weekend.
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Speak your heart. If they don’t understand, the message was never meant for them anyway.
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It’s a great quote, isn’t it?
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I like that closing street art! Exit and the heart and light vibe to it
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Hi, Yvette. I really enjoy his work, too. I’m going to look for more of it around the city. Thanks as always for you thoughts and have a great week.
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Hope you have a good week also
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I love your examples especially in laws one.
Had many smiles.
Love the exit figure. Interesting indeed!
Thank you Pattiomed for sharing.
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I’m so happy you liked that one, Philo! You’re the first person to comment on it. I thought it was so funny…but then again, I’m not an in-law!!! Have a good weekend/week, Philo.
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Haha!😃😃
The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is always unique and special too.
I loved watching the TV series ‘Everybody Loves Ramond’ (9 seasons/210 episodes 1995-2005).
By any chance did you watch this?
I am sure, You enjoy the mother-in-law role.
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I’m happy to see one of my favourite shots again, Patti, your posts’ first. I enjoyed the messages you shared, the humour of some of them and also your thoughts on the more serious ones.
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Ah…that’s one of your favorites! Mine, too! Now I’m curious about what messages you collected. I’ll visit your site next.
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This is a great take on the challenge Patti. Perhaps I’m most charmed by the image of Clet Abraham’s alteration of street signage, which I’d not come across before. Delightful, without being destructive or hiding the public service message either. But they’re all so different, and each one makes me pause for thought.
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Wonderful, Margaret! That’s what I was hoping for…food for thought. I love Clet Abraham’s work, too. Now I’m on the hunt for more of his work! Enjoy the weekend and have a good week, too.
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An interesting variety of signs here Patti. That last one makes me wonder what the message is. Hanging on by one’s fingertips? Scared to let go? Who knows.
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I wondered about that one, too, Jude. I’m not sure either. But now that I know Exit is the name of the artist, it’s a tiny bit easier to understand! Scared to let go…maybe… or love lifts us higher?? Have a great week.
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What a wonderful selection of messages! I love the street art by Clet Abraham and Exit, and that first shot is excellent 😀 And I do agree that ‘physical distancing’ sounds better and makes more sense than ‘social distancing’. After all, all of us who used Zoom etc to stay connected with friends and families were being VERY social during the pandemic while remaining physically distanced.
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So true, Sarah. Some people were VERY social! Glad you enjoyed Clet and Exit. Now I’m going to look for more of their work. Another collection! I hope all’s well with you. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
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Thanks Patti, you too!
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Terrific response Patti – you took us from a sad and horrific opening example to happier messages, and some incredibly creative messages as well. I absolutely loved the closing image as well as the sign with the little mice. Both would definitely cause one to stop and think, which is the best mark of an excellent design. The grave marker is a beautiful message. Not having known the child or the parents, it makes one’s heart ache for them all.
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I really hoped that our readers would appreciate the transition from one emotion to another. It’s great to hear that you did. I love the street artists here. Some, like Blub, have become quite famous. I’m going to follow these new artists, too. It’s fun to find their work all over the historic areas. I hope all’s well and have a great week.
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hahaha I like the idea of staying an alligator or two apart. Tina has shown us the way.
Lots of creativity here, Patti. The tenderness of the child’s grave in Portsmouth, makes we want to go visit next time I am home. We perpetuate life when we continue to “say their names”, don’t we? I am sure the family would be touched to know you shared their memory.
Sadly, I laughed pretty hard at the “in-Law sign thinking maybe THATS what I need. lol And my favorites were the mouse sign and the Exit. A fun response to the challenge. Thank you.
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Great set of messages, Patti Amongst the fun ones, Clet Abrahams’ alterations are rather good!
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Great messages – both moving and funny
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Great messages Patti. Doubly sad to see a child died.
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I love your messages, Patti.
In Spain, the social distance was clearly specified in 2 meters, with no crows, no alligators… I still keep the sign behind my desk in the office and when a colleague with a cold approaches me, I remind them of the safety distance… also those who come give me a lot of work. 😉
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I love your messages, Patti, from the humorous road sign artist to the somber message at the OKC Memorial. That Fire Fighter’s message moved me greatly when I first saw it on the wall of the building.
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On a second look at that sign from Yukon it strikes me that almost everything that was said in that first wave was wrong. Washing hands is generally a good thing, but it doesn’t help with that virus. And two meters is definitely not enough without masks. The good thing is that we kept learning.
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Great choices, Patti! I too loved the mouse (and cat) especially – Abraham is fun and very special. Hopefully you will show us more from him!
And, I remember many shops had their own way of showing how to make the distance – five loaves, five wigs, five pizzas etc.
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Love the selection Patti!
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