The Tea Squirrel’s journey around San Francisco continues. (If you missed the first post of this series, go check it out here). As part of my quest for beauty in everyday life, I’m on the hunt for out-of-the-ordinary “works of street art” around San Francisco to pair with teas that tickle my imagination. Tea deserves more attention, and so does street art. Remember, beauty can be found anywhere, often in unexpected places, sometimes it’s in a tea cup, sometimes it’s on a garage door. 

Today’s mural is on Oak Street at Divisadero, in the Lower Haight neighborhood, not far from Alamo Square Park and the Painted Ladies. It’s the “Honey bears with bicycle” by artist fnnch. Fnnch paints with multi-layered stencils that are laid on top of each other to apply different colors. This playful, pop-art-inspired mural is a celebration of the music culture and bike-friendly environment. 

"I’m attempting to convey a few things with my art. First and foremost, I want it to bring a bit of surprise and joy to the onlooker. I want to snap people out of their usual routines, pull them away from their phones, and give them beautiful."

Excerpt from an interview with the artist (*)

Such a playful mural needs an equally playful tea pairing! I picked Shan Lin Xi Winter Sprout by Song Tea and Ceramics. This Taiwanese oolong definitely brought surprise and joy. It brought back carefree, happy memories. Its notes of cotton candy and kettle corn are incredible and, as you steep it, subtle floral notes become more noticeable. Such a fun, delicious tea! The honey bears were hooked ;-)

Which mural do you want to see next? Let me know in the comments!

(*) https://www.streetartsf.com/interview/fnnch/

Disclaimer: I was not paid to mention or review businesses, products or services mentioned in this blog post. This is my honest opinion.