This piece, and one or two other recent ones, mark a slight change in style for Pl8o, whose large block letters might be more familiar to regular readers. This time he has gone with something more akin to script lettering and it all comes together rather well.
Pl8o, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2021
It is always refreshing to see artists try something different, switching things up a bit. I like this piece a lot, but I think that prepping the wall with a slightly more solid wash would have been beneficial. Other than that a fun new direction from Pl8o.
What a terrific way to mark my 3,800th street art post with this magnificent mural tucked away just off North Street in a miniature park called Ebenezer gate pocket park, by Hampshire artist Sian Storey.
Sian Storey, Ebeneezer Pocket Park, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
The park is so small that it is quite quite difficult to get a full shot of the wall, so it is best visited in the flesh where you can soak up all the beauty and detail from the comfort of a bench. The watercolour effect of the piece brings a light and delicate touch to the wall, and the composition of two hummingbirds surrounded by flowers over a central patterned circle is delightful.
Sian Storey, Ebeneezer Pocket Park, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
This is a skilfully painted piece that typifies the high standard of murals at this year’s Upfest event, and although things haven’t quite turned out as expected this year, the 75 walls in 75 days initiative has really captured the imagination and will leave a legacy of stunning artwork for both Bristol citizens and visitors alike.
Oh my goodness, Laic217 has just raised his already very high bar a little bit higher with this stunning piece on the long wall at Sparke Evans Park. He really is one of my favourite artists in Bristol, and seeing him develop over the last five years or so has been such a pleasurable experience. One of the great thrills of wandering around the graffiti spots of the city is coming across a fresh Laic217 piece.
Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2021
In this elaborate combination piece we get not only a sensational character, but also some pretty sharp writing too, spelling out LAIC. I could go on for hours about this piece, but I will try to keep it short. The cyborg head and face is straight out of the dystopian future world of films like Terminator or A.I. and is simply brilliantly well painted with a real sense of metal, flesh and material combining to create the character. The letters ain’t half bad too. Overall I have only good things to say about this outstanding piece.
This stunning piece from RichT was painted way back in April, before I even knew of the existence of this little alleyway, and has been in my archive for a little while too, so I am a little late to the party. But better late than never.
RichT, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, May 2021
The mural is beautifully proportioned and makes really good use of the gateway and turns it into a feature. The message is clear – breathe – smell the flowers and connect with nature… slow down. It took me a little while to notice the hand holding the flower to the right hand side of the piece because it is quite stylised. A really lovely piece from RichT.
It is a great pleasure to bring you two more delightful pieces by Maybe from beneath the rather noisy Brunel Way flyover. Particularly gratifying is observing the tangible improvements being made in his work, and with these two examples, it is easy to tell which is the older and which is the newer.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2021
The space kite is a sophisticated piece in which the artist has really nailed his planet ecosystem – I’d love to know the technique he uses to get this effect. A kite, with a face, drifts serenely through space. This is a wonderful creation and one of my favourites.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2021
Rather less sophisticated, but using the two interlocking face theme, is this simple circle. With all his work there is a dream-like quality and an element of humanity, hope and joy. These are all things we could do with these days. Keep it up.
What a treat it was to meet Ant Carver while he was painting this beauty, not once or twice, but three times. Perhaps this was because I visited the area quite a few times but also because he took his time completing the piece. It is funny how some artists can fly in and out in a day while others take considerably longer.
Ant Carver, Lime Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Ant Carver used a technique called a doodle grid to paint this magnificent portrait piece. The way it works is a little bit like a combination of grid squares and tracing paper. The wall is painted with squiggles and patterns that act as reference points. The doodle is photographed and then the desired design superimposed onto the photograph of the doodle and made slightly transparent, so that the doodle comes through. The artist is then able to look at the photograph composite on their phone and use it to get all the lines and detail in exactly the right place on the wall. Worth checking out on the Interweb if you are interested.
Ant Carver, Lime Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
This portrait has been painted on a new wall for Upfest, adding capacity, which is great because you can never have enough walls.
Ant Carver, Lime Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
The piece is called ‘The Hand We’re Dealt’ and can best be described using the artist’s own words from his Instagram account:
‘‘The Hand We’re Dealt’ is the latest piece in my series of work exploring loss. Over the past few months I’ve been using my paintings as a way to reflect on my experience with grief. This is the latest painting in that series. Each element of the painting can be interpreted differently by the viewer, but to me the candle represents the passing of time and the luxury it is for that to happen. The skull symbolises life and death, and the cards reference the lottery of life and the hand we’re dealt.’
Ant Carver, Lime Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
This is another superb piece from the London-based artist. I only wish my photographs could do it justice.
Having been a COVID household for the past two weeks (mercifully all is well and we are no longer self-isolating), door opportunities have been limited which is why I am recycling some old doors from previous street art posts. On a more optimistic note, I am taking a mini-break imminently and should be collecting a few new doors from somewhere other than Bristol.
Here we go with some doors first published in December 2020 and January 2021:
Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, December 2020
Hanski, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2021
Sepr, Brigstocke Road, Bristol, December 2020
Pekoe, Ashley Road, Bristol, December 2020
3Dom, Sevier Street, Bristol, December 2020
Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2020
Alex Lucas, Picton Street, Bristol, January 2021
So there we have it for another week. Fingers crossed, I should have some new doors for you next 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 from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.
Natural adventures 