I have to confess that when I photographed this piece I couldn’t work out who it was by and it wasn’t until I saw Paul H’s Instagram post that I found out, and then of course it was blindingly obvious. It is funny how sometimes you can’t see the wood for the trees. It is of course by Mr Sleven.
Mr Sleven, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2020The piece is entitled ‘the devil wears khakis’ and is a fairly dark portrayal of a demon or the devil. I love the way the piece kind of blends into its surroundings and the end spot on this concrete wall is the perfect space for it. Mr Sleven conveys a strong sense of menace and horror – a fine piece.
At the far end of the bowl in the skate park is this fantastic illustration piece by Squinty. I’ve not come across the artist before, but this is a real beauty in a style that you don’t see in Bristol all that often.
Squinty, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2020
In his Instagram profile, Squinty describes himself as an artist, film maker, graffiti artist and illustrator. He describes this piece as a quick throw up. How can that be? This is a lovely piece and I’d love to see a whole ton more from the artist.
It says Biers and that makes me happy. Biers went through a phase over the last 18 months or so of writing OhYeah, but reverted to Biers at some point during lockdown. His Instagram handle is Jimothy_Cool_Aid, but Biers will do.
Biers, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2020
This is a nice little piece tucked around the corner on the M32 roundabout and includes a little ghost for good measure. The piece has the heading high spirits, which is a word play on the ghost smoking a spliff. The letter shapes are great and the fills ‘to die for’. A nice modest one from Biers.
As ‘Thursday doorsters’, you will all know that Norm is stepping down from hosting Thursday doors. This week’s post is some of my favourite doors from the last year or two to thank Norm Frampton for opening my eyes and helping me to see such door beauty in the world.
For Norm:
Blue door beyond a blue door, Montpelier, Bristol, March 2020
Two doors and street art, St Pauls, Bristol, May 2020
Multiple workshop doors, Frogmore Street, Bristol, July 2019
Multiple doors, Gibson Road, Bristol, March 2020
A pair of doors with beautiful stained glass widows above, Montpelier, Bristol, March 2020
Arched garden door with a boot scraper, Bristol, December 2019
Charley Box door and post box door, Montpelier, Bristol, February 2020
The all important Stage Door for cast, musicians, tecnicians and groupies, Bristol Hippodrome, December 2019
That is some red door, Cheltenham, September 2019
Old red door, Wareham, Dorset, October 2019
Hotwells doors, Bristol, August 2019
Main front door to the house dating back to the 17th century, Lanhydrock House, Cornwall, August 2019
Great doors, great shutters, great colours, Fournier Street, London, April 2019
Door accompanied by Sophie Long’s chickens, Kingsdown, Bristol, March 2019
Door, North Street, Bristol, Artist: Paul Monsters, February 2019
Door of the dead, Corso Cavour, Citta di Castello, Umbria, Italy, August 2018
Go well Norm and thanks for all the doors (especially Italy and Ruelles Vertes).
That’s it for another week.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors Norm 2.0 blog, where there are links to yet more doors in the comments section at the end.
* on the news that tomorrow will be Norm Frampton’s last Thursday Doors post for a while as he puts his efforts into other things. I shall miss his doors and weekly appearances and am eternally grateful for his opening my eyes to the magnificence of doors.
Sepr owns these two little walls at the end of Dighton Street. For several years now he has had a couple of musicians keeping us all smiling in these spaces and what pleasure they have brought. Each time they get tagged or a bit tatty he repainted them looking slightly different each time. This is the third incarnation that I am aware of, but there may have been more.
Sepr, Dighton Street, Bristol, November 2020
The first character is a gentleman with a trumpet, painted in the customary grey scale with a vibrant red tabard and ribbon round his hat. An extra special and contemporary element is the addition of a face mask in the PPE blue we have all become so familiar with.
Sepr, Dighton Street, Bristol, November 2020
The other piece features a lady musician playing a violin also masked. I love these pieces to bits and particularly like this recent makeover. Sepr has a great gift and we are privileged to benefit from it.
Sepr, Dighton Street, Bristol, November 2020
Below are some of the older versions for comparison:
One of the most recognisable ‘mega-tags’ in Bristol is that of Angry Face. What you see is what you get, and he rarely disappoints. One of the advantages of a ‘brand’ like this is that you can spend time doing a nice one, or spend ten minutes with a single-colour throw up, but they all conform to the stock format and identity.
Angry Face, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2020
I mentioned last time that after a long spell away, Angry Face seems to be hitting the walls pretty regularly these days, including with this recent one in St Werburghs tunnel. I’m not sure if the tags either side of the face belong to the artist or not, but the central face is more than enough for me. Good to see.
Some readers of this blog may not know that it is called Natural Adventures because it was started as a digitisation of an adventure I had to the Falkland Islands in 1988 when I was a young man. I was a fisheries scientist working for the Falkland Islands Government and at this point in the Journal had spent several weeks at sea on a Japanese squid jigger called the Koei Maru 30.
For context, it might be worth reading chapter 1, ‘An ill wind‘.
The adventure continues… (prompted by Cannibalrabbit to post about the Falklands again)
Thursday 7 July 1988. Koei Maru 30
Once again we aren’t fishing – Today I think it was more of a holiday than bad weather, although the waves are quite big.
It has been a newspaper reading and letter reading day. It is weird, but I am loitering in late May and early June at the moment – London marathon and things like that.
I suppose Wimbledon is happening round about now. I feel detached from summer, it snowed for a while here today, so I find it difficult to connect.
Africa still calls. I yearn.
17 days and I will be home – Yahoo.
In reading my letters I discover that my mother writes excellent letters, they are a real inspiration. Alex too wrote a very good letter indeed.
Is Jasper really getting hitched? I sincerely hope not. Getting married has to be a questionable act.
“Girl you really got me going” – The Kink
Abe, crewman, Koei Maru 30, Falkland Islands, July 1988
Friday 8 July 1988. Koei Maru 30
Spoke with John Barton this morning – it seems he wants me back by the 15th or so, that is fine by me, but when I broke the news to the Fishing Master he was not at all pleased – sometimes he is such a miserable sod.
The weather is still pretty poor, although there has been no snow or rain today.
There is so little that I can write about these days, I think boring is the phrase or word I would use to describe my life at the moment.
I pity Phil having to take over from me – I reckon He’ll get a pretty hard time of it.
Saturday 9 July 1988. Koei Maru 30.
Well if we do get into Port Stanley on the 15th then this is probably my last Saturday ever on the Koei Maru 30 – a joyous occasion, since each day of the week I spend here will now be my last of that day. I am scoffing my rations accordingly but will leave a few bits and bobs for Phil.
Why am I so bloody organised? I have devised loads of forms for Phil to fill out while he’s on board and have given him tons of info about how to get by. The truth being told, I don’t trust that he’ll do as good a job as me because he probably doesn’t give a monkey’s.
Coastal snow, Falkland Islands, July 1988
I have rediscovered my 0.70 Rotring pen which I used to often use for my lecture notes and diary etc back at Newcastle. Oh God, I miss my undergraduate days, they were a lot of fun and very exciting. The thing I’ve noticed most about being here is that I am not a kid any more and I can never be again – this is my biggest regret in life. If I had a wish, I would wish I could begin again – suffer the pains of school, puberty, embarrassment and the joys of discovery, adventure, exercise, childish fun.
It may sound pathetic, but I also consider a lot how good it would be to be a father – my time will come, but I am very excited about having children and being everything they could want from a father. Enough pondering. (Little did I know)
Natural adventures 