Paint the town.

Detail from a mural by Shalak. Cambridge, Ontario.

I’ve taken a shine to graffiti (the artsy kind).

I’ve always lived in suburbia, and admittedly I’m pretty sheltered, so I can’t say I’ve had much exposure to street art.

But a few quick searches on the web are enough to blow me away. I’m always amazed by people who excel at skills that, in me, are simply non-existent.

These artists execute their visions in massive, full-colour glory – often with complex tricks of perspective that are incorporated into the existing urban design.

Today’s photo displays detail from a mural spray-painted on a building in downtown Cambridge, Ontario, where an International Street Art Festival was held last summer. This, so far, is the only true street art I’ve seen up close. The face pictured was painted by Shalak, a Canadian-Chilean artist whose work embodies “psychedelic magical realism.” Visit her website for more lovely examples of her art.

I didn’t attend the festival, but I plan to be there this year so I can actually watch the art unfold.

And then… I may just have to find more time to wander the streets, camera in hand, looking for more magic.