<<< Unicorn Hot Air Balloon, by MBI (Hamburg)

East Bay/Oakland

Hamburg, DE (thanks, txmx!)
 

Back West, in San Francisco

Upper Haight

Upper Market St. (just one)

Protest (just one; thanks, Mission Local and Josiah)

Tenderloin (just one)

Thanks to txmx's annual submission massive, Hamburg, DE may be one of the most historically-covered cities here on Stencil Archive. Of course, San Francisco's archives have over 20 years of photo documentation. Thanks to txmx for the photos! (photo at left by txmx, in Hamburg)

Over in Germany, walls are rocking!

Hamburg

El Bocho (just one)

F.P.T. (just one)

Here in San Francisco, stencils between the rainstorms…

The Mission

Protests in the streets

Eclair Everywhere

On Valencia St.

Literally in NoPa (just one)

rockin’ in Hayes Valley (just one)

<<<At the airport last weekend, in Philly

NEW inserra (from Italy, thanks txmx)

Argentina (thanks Amanda)

France (just one)

Greece (Women’s March)

Italy (thanks txmx)

UK (just one)

Meanwhile, in the USA… lots of protest stencils

NEW Bovey Lee

NEW Joseph Steininger (WA USA)

Oakland, CA

LA, CA (just one)

NYC (just one)

Philly

South Carolina (just one)

Washington, DC (just one)

I had a fun evening helping Mona Caron cut out the stencil she designed for this mural. We had tried before. A while back, I was going to cut/paint another stencil for another public art project of hers, but the muraled utility box was taken off the streets before the stencil could get painted. In the best way, these utilitarian stencils allow the viewer of the mural to see it at its best angle. Mona painted this ribwort plaintain weed in a way that makes it look flat on an unflat surface. Watch the video, and the stencil marks the spot to stand and see the magic!

In the past few weeks, between the downpours of rain, RIP ORFN tags have appeared all over San Francisco. Aaron Curry, aka ORFN, died in December after a quick, lost battle with cancer. While mostly running with the BKF and US crews, Curry's span of activity dates back to the 1990s. His tags and throws were stylish and quick; his characters were funny and easy to spot all over the Bay Area. He went large and small, and even dabbled in cutting stencils and painting sidewalks in the Mission as HUNGRY WAIF. Around five weeks ago, Curry's friend Mark Cross posted on Instagram that "in September, Aaron walked into a hospital complaining of back pain and a roller coaster of progress and reprieve (of hope and despair) ensued. He has fought hard. With unbelievable exuberance and grace. Alas, for the past few days, Aaron has remained unresponsive... asleep." ORFN passed away soon after, and is now amongst the graff writers memorialized in paint.

Generous, Prolific, “Loco” – Stencil Artist Michael Roman Dies at 60
By Laura Waxmann (Mission Local) Posted December 29, 2016
Here is Michael's Stencil Archive.
KQED also has an article about the life of Michael Roman.
<< Photo by Linda Wilson

In art and in life, Michael Roman was a man of many layers, colorful visions and haunting complexities.

The stencil artist and silkscreen printmaker, best known for layered prints depicting cultural and political icons, died on Monday, succumbing to severe health complications. He was 60 years old.

Three months ago, Roman was out to see a movie with his partner of six years, Kate Rosenberger, when he suddenly began heaving and panting heavily.

The movie date ended with a three-week hospital stay for Roman, said Rosenberger. It was then that doctors discovered lesions on his brain, that two of his heart valves had stopped functioning, and that a “massive tumor” had taken hold of his right kidney, she said.

... or was it Sparky? (Link to This Modern World)