Month: March 2018

1360. Newfoundland Street (1)

I’m not quite sure how this spot has passed me by until a couple of weeks ago. On the site where my old garage used to be – the place where I got my car MOTd – there is now a large development under construction. I believe that an hotel is being built, although I’m mystified as to why they have chosen to locate one here, it is not exactly a prime site.

Aspire, Newfoundland Street, Bristol, March 2018
Aspire, Newfoundland Street, Bristol, March 2018

There are several Bristol artists featured on this hoarding and the first of these I am witing about is Aspire. His work is always a real treat to find, especially as he now lives in London, and seeing new work by him in Bristol is a rarity. His depiction of birds is in the same category as ATM and Louis Masai and is always an eyebrow-raiser in these urban locations.

Aspire, Newfoundland Street, Bristol, March 2018
Aspire, Newfoundland Street, Bristol, March 2018

In this piece Aspire has painted four pigeons, although these are so beautiful I’d prefer to call them rock doves. In the centre of the picture is, I think, a partridge. I’m not sure of the significance of this…maybe there isn’t any, but it is an unusual assembly of species. Aspire’s work is always brilliant and this piece simply confirms that.

Spider crab

 

Spiny long legs and

decorated carapace;

harmless omnivore.

 

by Scooj

  • Atlast, after years of looking, I have found another transposable animal name. The first was goose barnacle/barnacle goose, now I can add to it spider crab/crab spider. Phew.

1359. M32 roundabout J3 (68)

I do like Mr Draws. It has been fun following his progress over the last three or so years and seeing his unstoppable enthusiasm for experimentation. His pieces are raw and creative, but not the highly polished design pieces we see from several other Bristol writers.

Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2018
Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2018

Mr Draws ploughs his own furrow and will not be intimidated by any nonsensical hierarchy – he just gets on and does what he loves. I caught up with him while he was spraying this unusual piece and he announced that he was going to be moving to Berlin later in the year. I will definitely miss tracking down his work, but I think he will have an amazing time.

Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2018
Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2018

This week artists from all over the globe have been finding out whether their applications to paint at Upfest 2018 have been accepted. Mr Draws has made the cut and will be there.

1358. Moon Street (41)

One of my favourite streets and one of my favourite artists – the perfect match. This is a lovely piece by Face F1st, who is probably one of Bristol’s most consistently prolific artists on the street at the moment.

Face F1st, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2018
Face F1st, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2018

This is a large work, with all his characteristic swirls and figure of eights worked into a pattern and the letters FACE book-ending the face in the middle. Sadly this fine work lasted less than a week.

Face F1st, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2018
Face F1st, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2018

Hare

 

Slender herbivore

tall ears and like a rabbit

but not a rabbit.

 

by Scooj

Antlion

 

Great gladiator

conical dust arena

jaws at the ready.

 

by Scooj

 

1357. Dean Lane skate park (112)

I always like finding Elvs pieces, there is something about how intricate and so very clean about them. Fantastic detailing and sharpness that so many pieces I see every day just don’t have. One of the features that helps his work stand out, is that his vanishing point for the shaded edges of the letters is somewhere in the middle of the piece, whereas much of the writing you see has a vanishing point to one side or the other. Small thing I know, but these things help give artists their uniqueness.

Elvs, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, March 2018
Elvs, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, March 2018

As ever his lettering is outstanding and the colours really stand out on the blue background. I get the impression that his work probabkly takes quite some time to do, no sign of a quick throw up mentality here. I have not yet med Elvs, but would sure like to se him at work.

1356. Horfield skate park (2)

I don’t go to this spot often, but just happened to be picking up my daughter and a friend from Horfield Sports Centre and had five minutes to kill. I took a short walk around the perimeter of the skate park, in the melting snow, and was pretty happy to find this writing from Rusk.

Rusk, Horfield skate park, Bristol, March 2018
Rusk, Horfield skate park, Bristol, March 2018

Most of the stuff here is pretty elementary and it is a bit of a practice wall, so it is always nice to see something a bit more polished from an established graffiti writer. The class of this piece stands out, and even on a wall that not many will see, Rusk has taken his time to produce something of quality. A nice March surprise.

Thursday doors

Door 23

Door, Hotwell Road, Bristol
Door, Hotwell Road, Bristol

I do love a door within a door, and this beautiful red one in Hotwell Road really ticks some boxes for me. It is not particularly old nor is it all that interesting in that it has few features to speak of, but it has bundles of character. Most people probably wouldn’t give it a second glance, but to those who like to look might like it.

It was a double-take door for me. I actually walked past it, stopped in my tracks and went back to it to take these pictures. A nice simple door.

by Scooj

More doors at: Thursday Doors – Norm 2.

 

 

 

1355. North Street Green (10)

I recently took a few work colleagues on a guided street art tour to Bedminster as part of an organisational event designed to share skills, learn more about the work we do and to get to know each other better and the city we live in as part of a wellbeing initiative. The tour was very oversubscribed, and I may have to run some more. It was something of a success and all the participants told me that they had really enjoyed it.

Andy Council, North Street Green, Bristol, February 2018
Andy Council, North Street Green, Bristol, February 2018

What luck it was then that we came across one of Bristol’s most well known street artists at work, just finishing off a new work as part of his nomination as Upfest artist of the month for March in the build up to Upfest 2018, Andy Council.

Andy Council, North Street Green, Bristol, March 2018
Andy Council, North Street Green, Bristol, March 2018

His style and presentation should come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog. He has created a wonderful dinosaur, a stegosaurus type I think, which is composed of architectural features, including the Clifton Suspension Bridge on the head of the beast. I stopped for a quick chat with Andy, but it was the coldest day of the year so far and I felt I needed to keep the tour moving. It was nice to be able to show people an artist at work, and even better that it was Andy Council.