Street artists of Mauerpark

While we were eating our breakfast in Mauerpark today, I noticed a man with three children spraying graffiti on the wall, not far away from us. I liked the two young ones participating in creating art. Graffiti can be beautiful when done properly and in the right places. And the long wall, full of different graffiti on the top of the Mauerpark looks amazing and gives some colors to the grey city. I would prefer my future children spending sunday morning creating nice looking street art befor spending it at home watching TV.

Not far away from there was a guy with amazing long dreads sitting on the bench with didgeridoo next to him. I stopped there to ask if I can take the picture and if he plays the instrument (i love the sound!). He said no, but his friend (who was on the swing at the moment) plays. I thanked for the picture and was just about to leave, when the other guy came and say he would play for me! :) I was surprised on such a kindness and it was amazing feeling knowing he plays just for me, some stranger passing by :) 

Yap, the street artist in Mauerpark had really amazed me. A band of crazy guys playing songs about how disco will never die, dressed in old disco clothes of course. A rapper and his crew recording a video. People painting on the walls and on the floor. Musicians and painters in every corner. Something I would never experience in my hometown. And I love, I love it a lot, the whole place and the people and the sunday atmosphere :)

Ernesto, the artist

It was friday night and we were hanging out at the Yaam, having fun, meeting new people.
At one point, I had to go to the toilet and at the door I stopped - there was a boy with paint and brushes, painting on pink walls of ladies bathroom. I was impresed - you don´t see something like that in Slovenia. I´m sure if someone would try to paint on the bathroom walls it would get arested :D
I asked him if I can take a picture and then went back to my friends.

 

Later, Aimee and I went there again and the picture was almost finished. He painted a really cool monkey (mustache was painted by Rachel, one crazy Australian girl, tho).
We stayed there for a pretty long time, just watching him finishing the paint with details and chatting about his work and his life.
Ernesto used to work in circus before and he showed us some cool juggling tricks with brushes.
How can you not be impresed by such a talent? :)

Aimee asked him if the monkey is his favorite animal and I really liked his answer - "Sometimes. At the time my favorite animal is octopus." I also like changing my mind about favorite things sometimes :D
Oh, and he was the first foreigner who pronounced my name like I do - with this hard R. I know that Martina is pretty international name, but in the ot of countries is pronounced a bit diffrent than in Slovenia.

Later he decided to add another painting attached to this one, but we didn´t stay long enough to see what it´s gonna be. But we´ll be back in Yaam soon, I´m sure. We can´t wait to see the finished paintings. And We hope to meet Ernesto again and have another interesting talk with him. He´s one of the most awesome people I met so far and I´m really glad I had that opportunity :)