Artists are trying all sorts of techniques to get by right now. The occupants of a top floor terrace on the corner of Forbes and Burton Streets, Darlinghurst, have paintings in the windows with a sign saying they are for sale.

Then these appeared.

Norman Pentzien, who’s based at 3 Darlinghurst Road, according to this, plastered poles around the neighbourhood this week.

If you need artwork on your wall, truck, clothes, or anywhere, small, big. Call me: 0406075108. Norman, I am experienced with any kind of architecture.

He’s on Facebook, and according to his Myspace page, on the road – Berlin, Goa, Sydney?

This chalk alphabet riddle is puzzling, but we have eyes on the street. Step by step, we’re getting closer to the answer.

One of our regular contributors, Blake, doesn’t think it’s a riddle/code. But he’s been keeping his eyes open for new examples. He found a copycat today, right next to E is for “entropy” on Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst.

And Blake seems to have caught the (original) alphabetic graffitiist in the act:

Lex and I came across this copycat graff this afternoon right next to E is for Entropy and started chatting to another couple who were admiring the work. One of them had seen the culprit in the act! He was described as male, with a beard, carrying a shoulder bag-satchel type thing and an English Staffordshire Terrier by his side.

We’ve had another eyewitness account in the comments, from Nathan:

On Wednesday evening, a surreptitious man was seen on the corner of Hardie and Liverpool Streets, before producing a large piece of chalk from his pocket and wielding it in front of an innocent group of bricks. His accomplice was an unleashed wolf on lookout. The man left the scene and may or may not have a fake beard.

Copycat graffiti! Eyewitness accounts! We’re getting close.

Spotted on McLachlan Ave, Rushcutter’s Bay, underneath the railway line is this addition.

Someone, crack the code!

UPDATE (28/8/09):

This one on the left is fading, it’s on Liverpool Street between Womerah Avenue and Victoria Street in Darlinghurst – just across from the Green Park Hotel. The one on the right is newer, it’s on Liverpool Street, near Darlinghurst Road (thanks, Blake).

So now we have:

A is for “azimuth”
C is for “cephlapod”
E is for “entropy”
K is for “kibosh”
M is for “modulate”
N is for “nebulous”
T is for “thought bubble”
Y is for “yesterday”
Z is for “zipper”

Riddle or just randomly chalked letter clarifications?

Walking past the Green Park Hotel this morning, I caught sight of a familiar couple.

Keep your eyes peeled.

They get around those two.

Our occasional contributor BT picked up on one of these quaint (and informative) chalk pieces on the wall of a house on Oswald Lane, Darlinghurst, in May.

Two months later, there’s more. This time on Liverpool Street.

They’re taken with a phone, so the resolution isn’t great.

Pretty charming stuff, I’d love to get photos of the whole alphabet…

We’d also love to know who’s behind these adorable chalk pieces of graffiti. Keep them coming whoever you are.

Swastikas with the words, “We’ll be back,” have been chalked at the corner of Bourke Street and Liverpool Street, at the corner of Farrell Avenue and Kirketon Place, and at Forbes Street and Liverpool Street.

These shots were taken by one of our readers. The bottle shop on Farrell Avenue and Darlinghurst Road is reportedly checking its CCTV for clues.

OK, so this is a bit late. I blame good food and summer.

Several months ago, we blogged about the interesting case of a missing spider in the area. It’s back.

Nathan, pointed this out in the comments in mid-November, but it’s taken us a while to get over and check it out.

It even has a morsel of some kind.

We’re always tempted by cast-offs on the street.

I was struck by this deconstructed barbecue as I walked up Liverpool Street.

I found myself wondering who has three derelict barbecues sitting around just waiting to be assembled into a poetic bit of street art, but then I realised. Maybe someone else is dreaming of taking things home and seeing if they work.

We noticed this unusual new publication on Liverpool Street this morning. The Darlinghurst Times. Seems like a one-issue rag.

We came across the scene of the crime around the corner on Hardie Street.

“Spider + web, THEFTED!
on Thursday…
bloody well return it!!”

There’s no contact information, so if you’re responsible for this crime (or know who is), probably best to head over to Hardie Street.