One of my favorite things to do at home and on the road is taking photos of street art. It’s especially great in New York City, a place in constant flux where nothing stays the same for too long. Wandering the city’s varied neighborhoods on the lookout for new stencil, sticker and graffiti art is a fun way to spend an afternoon. What adds to the beauty of it is the fact that the street art probably won’t be there the next time I walk along the same street. So I find it exhilarating to catch that fleeting moment, that glimpse into someone’s mind and heart, that slippery notion of beauty that comes and goes just like the rains.

It is pouring outside on this late July day in New York City. As I sit and watch the rain through the windows of my Brooklyn apartment, mentally and emotionally preparing for another two-month absence, I wonder how many of street art pieces will be washed away in the rain by the time I’m back in September. In honor of all the people beautifying our streets with their art, to all those artists offering a dose of laughs, thought, color and insight, here are some of my photos of New York street art.