Never Avoid What Makes You Smile (8 Photos)

November 21, 2025

By Vidar

This set brings together 8 pieces that use humor, surprise, and simple visual tricks to change ordinary spaces. A pigeon statue crowns the Duke of Wellington monument in Glasgow, a girl with bubbles rises across a tower in Long Beach, and a giant cat appears to crawl from under a brick arch in Cheltenham. Painted shadows, googly-eye interventions, a Janis Joplin portrait in Texas, a staged moment with a stone sculpture, and a snowman-shaped mailbox complete the selection.

1. What if you can chase dream as you chase bubbles — Brian Peterson in Long Beach, USA

A tall mural of a girl holding a bubble wand, surrounded by floating bubbles. The piece uses layered colors and light reflections to give depth to her face and hair.

🔗 Follow Brian Peterson on Instagram

2. Cat Under the Bridge — Andy Dice Davies in Cheltenham, UK

A large cat is painted beneath a brick archway, positioned as if emerging toward the viewer. The mural features wide eyes, detailed fur, and an extended paw reaching forward. The surrounding foliage and brickwork frame the illusion.

Andy Dice Davies: this is a painting of my actual cat and that’s my son in the picture! Its in Cheltenham at Little Herberts Nature Reserve. As soon as I saw the line of black bricks I had to paint this!

🔗 Follow Andy Dice Davies on Facebook

3. Monster Shadow — Damon Belanger in Redwood City, USA

Damon Belanger paints playful “fake shadows” across the streets, like this bench whose shadow transforms into a friendly monster. His works make passersby look twice and smile. More!: Funny Fake Shadows! (20 Photos)

🔗 Follow Damon Belanger on Instagram

4. Tree Face — Vanyu Krastev in Bulgaria

A tree squeezed between metal bars is given googly eyes and a stump nose, turning a natural deformity into a goofy, expressive character grinning at passersby. More!: Googly-Eyed Art (17 Photos)

🔗 Follow Vanyu Krastev on Instagram

5. Janis Joplin — Paola Sire in San Antonio, Texas

A mural of Janis Joplin wearing round pink glasses and colorful accessories, with bright tones in her hair and clothing emphasizing her lively expression.

🔗 Follow Paola Sire on Instagram

6. The Duke of Wellington Pigeon — The Rebel Bear in Glasgow, Scotland

A bronze pigeon stands on top of the equestrian statue, holding a newspaper and wearing a small traffic cone. The added sculpture plays on the city’s long tradition of decorating the monument with cones.

🔗 Follow The Rebel Bear on Instagram

7. Playing with Statues

Caught mid-action, this classical statue seems to lash out at a woman reacting in mock pain, her hair and body frozen in dramatic motion. More: Playing With Statues (23 photos)

8. Snowmail — (Location Unknown)

A snow sculpture shaped around a mailbox, giving it the appearance of a shouting or surprised snowman with stick arms and painted facial features. More!: Snow is fun! (35 photos)

More: Made You Smile (11 Photos)