March 27, 2020: My chance encounter with a school of sidewalk koi on Levant Street made think about where I believed these fish originated. I remember seeing them on a storefront in Noe Valley, so I decided to return the scene of the crime for my morning walk. While walking down 17th Street, I found a pair of shoes, neatly positioned, heel to toe, beside a light pole. Why anybody would neatly place their shoes thusly is beyond me.
I found the storefront with painted Koi on the windows. The storefront window, situated in the shade, reflected the sunlit storefront from across the street. Sometimes these reflections make for distracting mashup of unrelated color, but this morning, I liked the effect.
Fish On! While walking back home on Diamond Street, I found a new school of seven sidewalk koi, complete with properly painted shadows. Unfortunately, I could only fit five of them in the composition. Either the aqua-artist has embraced adding this allusion to depth or a second artist, so inspired, has just raised the bar on sidewalk painting.
Here's looking (down) at you Kid, keep up the good work!
