Made You Smile (9 Photos)

A sidewalk plant becomes a ladder. A flower gets a little magic. A family of cabinets walks away.

Across these nine works, artists turn ordinary details into characters, props and visual jokes.

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🌱 “Nadine and the Vertical Commute” — By David Zinn in Ann Arbor, Michigan 🇺🇸

Zinn draws a chalk stem beneath the real plant, giving Nadine a ladder out of a blue opening in the cracked pavement. David Zinn’s original Instagram post gives the title and tags the location as Ann Arbor.

💡 Nerd Fact: Zinn’s official biography calls Nadine “a mouse of adventure” and says his temporary street drawings are improvised on location with chalk, charcoal and found objects.

More: See the original Street Art Utopia post.

Visit David Zinn’s official website.

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🧚 Fairy with a Watering Can — Artist and Location Unknown

A purple fairy-like stencil tips a watering can toward a real white flower. Painted stars and dots spill from the spout instead of water.

Street Art Utopia published the image as “Tingeling” in 2021; neither the artist nor the location was identified.

More: See the original Street Art Utopia post.

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🚶 Vern and the New Arrivals — By Judson Beaumont 🇨🇦

The tall four-drawer dresser is Vern. Three smaller cabinets stand beside him; all four have curved sides, dangling arms and splayed legs.

💡 Nerd Fact: In a 2013 studio post, Straight Line Designs introduced Vern, Vinny and the “adorable babies” as new members of its furniture family. The group was scheduled to appear at IDS West in Vancouver, September 19–22, 2013.

More: See more furniture by Judson Beaumont.

Read a 2013 Vancouver profile of Beaumont and Vern.

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💜 Sideshow Bob — By Pappas Pärlor near Kanalbolaget in Motala, Sweden 🇸🇪

A fuse-bead Sideshow Bob face is tucked into a lilac bush, with the real purple blossoms filling out his enormous hair. In a comment on the original Instagram post, Johan Karlgren places the work by Kanalbolaget in Motala.

💡 Nerd Fact: According to URBAN NATION’s artist profile, Johan Karlgren prefers small, minimalist works. Some use no more than 90 fuse beads and take about two minutes to make.

More: See four more works by Pappas Pärlor.

Follow Pappas Pärlor on Instagram.

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🗑️ The Friendliest Trash Can — By Vanyu Krastev in Bulgaria 🇧🇬

The open metal lid already looks like a broad grin. Krastev adds two googly eyes to finish the face.

💡 Nerd Fact: Core77 reported in 2012 that Kim Nielsen and Peter Dam had coined the term “eyebombing” late the previous year.

More: See more joyful eyebombing by Vanyu Krastev.

Follow Vanyu Krastev on Instagram.

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🎢 Roller Coaster Shadow — By Tom Bob in Long Beach, California, USA 🇺🇸

Tom Bob’s Instagram post tags the work in Long Beach, California. When the sun reaches the right angle, the fence shadow forms a tiny roller coaster above the painted riders.

💡 Nerd Fact: A 2019 KABC profile of Tom Bob’s work in Long Beach reported that his pieces could be found from downtown to Bixby Knolls. It also said he obtained approval from property owners and city officials before painting.

More: See more street art by Tom Bob.

Follow Tom Bob on Instagram.

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🧞 “A Whole New World” — By Oakoak (2021)

Oakoak’s 2021 Instagram post is captioned “A whole new world.” Jasmine appears behind the real balcony railing, while Aladdin sits on the boarded doorway below.

💡 Nerd Fact: Oakoak’s official biography says he is from Saint-Étienne and has used streets, walls, pavements and roads as his playground since 2007. It dates his first solo exhibition to 2012 at The Outsiders gallery in Newcastle.

More: See six works by Oakoak.

Follow Oakoak on Instagram.

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🐦 Birds on a Pipe — By Ernest Zacharevic

An adult bird perches above two chicks on a real wall pipe. The tangled wire around it serves as their nest.

💡 Nerd Fact: Zacharevic’s official biography identifies the murals he made for the 2012 George Town Festival as his breakout series. They later became landmarks associated with Penang’s cultural revival.

More: See more street art by Ernest Zacharevic.

Visit Ernest Zacharevic’s official website.

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➕ “Simple Maths” — By TRUST. iCON

Global Street Art shared the work as “Simple Maths” in May 2020. Winnie-the-Pooh stands beside an equation in which a heart answers 1 + 1.

💡 Nerd Fact: The “Winnie” in Winnie-the-Pooh came from a real female black bear. London Zoo records that Canadian officer Harry Colebourn named her after Winnipeg. Christopher Robin Milne later named his teddy bear Winnie after seeing her at the zoo.

More: See the original Street Art Utopia post.

Visit TRUST. iCON’s official website.

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Which one is your favorite?