Photo by the bumblebee via Flickr Just as Banksy was hosting the Cans Festival in a London derelict train tunnel this weekend, New England artist Caleb Neelon hit La Brea near Melrose this weekend to paint a beautiful mural of leaves against a cloudly blue sky in preparation for his West Coast debut at the Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art. Neelon uses leaves from beech trees. For Neelon, they are a symbol of strength......

Before playing William Adama in Battlestar Galactica, Edward James Olmos was mostly known for his portrayal of Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver. Based on real life events, the movie follows Escalante as he enters James Garfield High in Los Angeles and makes a difference on the young tough kids through his teachings of mathematics. Kinda like Dangerous Minds but with no Coolio. Right next to MacArthur Park on Wilshire Blvd. you'll find "Los Angeles......

On Saturday, LAist Featured Photos contributor Victoria Bernal found this mural in Echo Park on Morton Place. Unfortunately, it's graffitied. Bernal writes down the quote, adding "and Woman" at the end: "When we are really honest with ourselves, we must admit that our lives are all that really belong to us. So it is how we use our lives that determines what kind of men we are...only by giving life do we find LIFE.......

New mural of Madonna and Britney Spears making out, found in Los Angeles I Photo by Osmany Rodriguez for LAist> Remember that one time Madonna and Britney Spears made out in front of millions of people, and more importantly Brit's ex Justin Timberlake. Before the new Tila Tequila MTV where girl-on-girl kissing is encouraged, preferably in front of parents.......

Before Halo, before Gears of War, before Doom, there was Space Invaders: the first intergalactic shoot 'em up video game. If you're a child of the 80s you probably spent way too many hours at the arcade or with your Atari playing this classic game. A French artist, known only as "Invader," has taken the alien figures from the game and transposed them to the streets of the whole world. Using ceramic tiles he......

New mural of Marion Cotillard, Oscar winner, found in Los Angeles I Photo by Osmany Rodriguez for LAist> That's Marion Cotillard, this year's best actress winner at the Academy Awards. Pictured is a mural depicting a moment from her very sweet Oscar speech. Sadly my name isn't Olivier, I am at the moment providing 0.00% of rock to Marion's world. She's referring to Olivier Dahan, her director in the Edith Piaf biopic "La Vie......

Photo by Andy Sternberg/LAist Who knew an early Monday morning post about graffiti on a mural posthumously made famous by singer/songwriter Elliott Smith would lead to such wonderful results. Nearly six months ago, then-editor of LAist, Tony Pierce, posted a photo of the graffitied wall stating that "this is why we can't have nice things." Then, on Monday, reader Robert T. wrote an e-mail attaching a photo of a new tag on the wall.......

Eight Oscar nominations, a healthy box office gross and a popular catch phrase was not enough for There Will Be Blood. Now it sports the coolest billboard in town. The altered ad, located on Melrose and Mansfield, is another great piece of art by LA's own AUGOR.......

Mural of a dancing couple in Silver Lake....

Melrose Alley Street Art...

Thomas Suriya of Taos, New Mexico had never painted a mural before, or even a portrait. and yet in 1983 he busted with an iconic Hollywood mural on his first try. Now 24 years later he has returned to LA to give "You are the Star" a touch up. Thanks to a grant by the Hollywood Arts Council, 59-year-old Suriya is back in town to put some life back into a mural that has been......

La America Tropical, the once-controversial, then painted over mural is coming back to Olvera Street thanks to the city and The Getty: The mural, one of three done during Siquieros' six-month stay in Los Angeles, depicts an Indian being crucified on a double cross topped by an American eagle. The piece, depicting the struggle against imperialism, was considered so controversial at the time that it was painted over shortly after it was finished. Here......