December 2018 – Page 8 – Natural adventures

1885. We the Curious (2)

It is great to see that VisitBristol (the local tourist authority) is putting its weight behind the creative arts, in particular street art, by commissioning this mural on one of the walls of We the Curious (formerly @Bristol). The idea behind the mural is to increase visits to the city over the Christmas period to boost tourism as this little YouTube video shows.

Silent Hobo and Cheo, We the Curious, Bristol, November 2018

The artists chosen for the commission are Cheo and Silent Hobo, both of whom have featured on these pages many, many times before. Here they combine to produce this sumptuous Bristol-themed Christmas mural with a whole ton of identifiable Bristol icons.

Silent Hobo, We the Curious, Bristol, November 2018

The left hand side of the mural is mostly the work of Silent Hobo and features the aquarium, the ice rink, the cathedral and harbourside among other things and in the foreground we have a few bristol carol singers representing the two (rival) football teams.

Cheo, We the Curious, Bristol, November 2018

On the right Cheo’s mural includes the Clifton suspension bridge, the zoo, the Christmas market, the M Shed and Isembard Kingdom Brunel (the greatest ever Englishman). The whole thing is surrounded with a golden frame and the whole thing is rather delicious.

Given that street art and graffiti are part of the USP for Bristol, I would love to see VisitBristol and the Council do more of this kind of thing in recognition of the street artists who bring free art to the city rather than locking it down, for example in The Bearpit.

#MerryBristmas

1884. The Bearpit (169)

Even though it is becoming more difficult to find clean walls to work on in The Bearpit, and the Council are taking more of an interest in artistic activities, some of Bristol’s finest are still able to make their mark. This is a fine piece by Nevla.

Nevla, The Bearpit, Bristol, November 2018

What makes this quite unusual for a Nevla piece is the inclusion of colour. Most of the work I have seen before has been two or three colours only. I don’t know if this is a budget driven thing or a fast getaway thing, but this time he seems to have branched out a little. His cartoon style continues to keep up a happy and light-hearted perspective in this little corner of Bristol.

Thursday doors

Door 54

At the far east end of North Street, Bristol, is the colourful Steam Crane pub, which during Upfest plays host to several walls in its beer garden/back yard. There is a little side passage just to the right of the pub which leads you directly into the yard, and the wall on the right is always crammed with great street art.

On entering into the yard, the far left-hand wall is also given over to a large piece for Upfest. Along the back brick wall however, there is no street art, except for this cheeky little red squirrel by Bristol’s Stewy, whose stencils can be found all over the city.

Thursday doors, The Steam Crane, Stewy squirrel, Bristol

The door is plain, but the whole scene – the grey timbered facade, white door and squirrel – seem to come together in a pleasing way.

Squirrel by Stewy on a door in the back yard of The Steam Crane

The squirrel is a stencil that Stewy has used many times about the place but it doesn’t matter how many times you see it, it always charms.

Here are some Upfest pieces from the walls of The Steam Crane:

Pakone, the Steam Crane, Bristol, January 2016

Gemma Compton and Copyright, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Hannah Adamaszek and Saroj, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

by Scooj

Loads more amazing doors at: Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

Home at work

Unusual sound

baby cries in the office

to mixed reactions

a human reminder in

a sterile environment.

by Scooj

1883. M32 roundabout J3 (109)

I’m not sure how often Andy Council participates in paint jams (I can’t recall any recent occasions) but he certainly joined in the spirit of this one down on the M32 roundabout between St Agnes and Easton.

Andy Council, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, November 2018

Andy Council is well-known for creating pictures of animals or birds that are composed of natural of built features. He has excelled himself with this beautiful duck-billed platypus swimming through a watery scene. This is a wall that just keeps on giving and will continue to do so until its next makeover and then its next.

1882. M32 roundabout J3 (108)

I may be imagining it or it might be a real thing, but Soap seems not only to be doing a lot more work on the street recently, but also is doing more writing. This is a lovely colourful little piece in one of the tunnels of the M32 roundabout combining his writing with his trademark mouths.

Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018

These tunnels must be a nightmare to paint, because they act as both footpaths and cycle paths and seem to be forever busy. Anyone who can produce art of this quality in these tunnels gets my instant admiration.

Juxtaposition

Northern hemisphere

writers scribble winter thoughts;

its sunny down south.

by Scooj

1881. Upfest 2018 (100)

My hundredth post on Upfest 2018 and I have been saving this piece to mark the occasion. Sometimes in this game you get to see something very special, and when I heard that Odeith was coming to the festival I had high hopes. This piece not only met, but far exceeded my expectations, and it was a real privilege to see this master of anamorphic street art at work.

I have seen a lot of Odeith’s work on social media, most of it of insects and spiders stretched across a corner, but this is the first time I have seen anything on three walls and under water. The effect is quite astonishing and how well it plays tricks with your eyes and mind. Even with the artist standing in the middle of the space, disrupting the effect, it still looks amazing.

The water level is so brilliantly devised that it feels like the viewer is swimming about a foot or so under the surface, and the water distorts the back of the scene where the crocodile’s head breaks the surface.

The walls of the tank are composed of large stone block letters, spelling out ODEITH. Not only is the concept of this piece extraordinary, but the skill and attention to details, light, shade texture and so on is second to none. I think that in most people’s eyes, this was the piece that stole the show. A technical masterpiece.

1880. Upfest 2018 (99)

Antonia Lev is one of those lucky artists who managed to paint two walls at Upfest 2018. The first, in The Hen and Chickens yard I covered a few posts back was complemented by this hoarding piece in South Street Park.

Her work has a really interesting feel to it and the colours are in the bright pink/purple/blue range which makes it stand out from the crowd. I think there is a story going on here, part of which is a social media commentary, which is rather pertinent as the artist (on the far left of the picture) is herself using the keypad on her smart phone in these pictures. Great to get an introduction to this artist from Russia.

Decay

A collection of wonderful abstract street art by Bristol artist (formerly of Cheltenham), Decay (DK)

Instagram: @dk_tmp_lrs

All photographs taken by Scooj

	Laura Newhampshire on 7449. Greenbank (180)
	restlessjo on 7449. Greenbank (180)
	Cethru Cellophane on 7449. Greenbank (180)
	Suzette Benjamin on Thursday doors – 5 Febru…
	Suzette Benjamin on 7449. Greenbank (180)

	Laura Newhampshire on 7449. Greenbank (180)
	restlessjo on 7449. Greenbank (180)
	Cethru Cellophane on 7449. Greenbank (180)
	Suzette Benjamin on Thursday doors – 5 Febru…
	Suzette Benjamin on 7449. Greenbank (180)

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