Month: December 2022

4895. St George skate park (18)

Haka, St George, Bristol, December 2022
Haka, St George, Bristol, December 2022

Haka is working his way through characters from the Ahlberg series of children’s picture books and in this wonderful piece on the back of a ramp in St George skate park he has created Grandma Swagg from the book Cops and Robbers, giving it a contemporary twist with the words ‘Cops and Tories’. Ha ha! It is also touching that Haka has paid a little tribute to Janet Ahlberg in the bottom left.

Haka, St George, Bristol, December 2022
Haka, St George, Bristol, December 2022

This is a beauty, on a wall that Haka rather likes, and suits this piece perfectly. I love the way Haka so lovingly and faithfully recreates these characters on a large scale for us all to enjoy. I’ll bet that this one is a real favourite with younger members of the local community.

4894. BB Gallery (3)

Conrico, BB Gallery, Bristol, December 2022
Conrico, BB Gallery, Bristol, December 2022

The Bristol to Bath cycle path gallery is one of those quirky things that Bristol is so good at. Creativity and generosity of spirit with a smattering of rebellion and a local community have attached original artwork to a short stretch of wall for all to enjoy. There are also one or two bare patches of wall which have been painted by local street artists, including this recent piece from Conrico.

Conrico, BB Gallery, Bristol, December 2022
Conrico, BB Gallery, Bristol, December 2022

The only problem with this spot is the speed at which the bicycles and scooters whiz past – I have to be extra careful photographing and keeping the dog safe. Conrico has painted a fabulous scene with a tiger dancing with/chasing a cat in a woodland scene. He includes his name in nicely crafted orange letters. His style remains utterly unique in Bristol, with a paintbrush feel to it. Nice one from Conrico.

 

 

4893. Greenbank (61)

Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, December 2022
Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, December 2022

As the development alongside the Bristol to Bath cycle track reaches its completion, the long hoarding is being dismantled in sections as each new block of the development is finished. We always knew this would be a temporary spot, but it feels rather sad that it is shrinking away and will soon be gone altogether.

Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, December 2022
Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, December 2022

One of the regulars here over the last few years has been Laic217, and here he is with another classic piece. This one, along with other recent pieces, reverts back to his rather sinister distorted faces. Distorted and trippy some might call it. All the elements of a Laic217 piece are there, but once again it is his attention to detail in folds in material that really stands out. He has become a master of painting the clothes worn by his skeletal characters. Brilliant stuff from one of my all-time favourite artists

4892. M32 roundabout J3 (438)

Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2022
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2022

Quick ones this morning – a bit of Christmas ‘ground rush’ with way too much to do in a short weekend. This is a lively piece from Daz Cat in one of the tunnels under the M32 roundabout, which have had rather a low turnover in recent months.

Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2022
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2022

Daz Cat’s work has grown over the last year or two and each piece adds a new layer of sophistication to his central cat characters. He has also created pieces which tells stories, and I wonder if this one is about heartbreak and sadness. Great colours and some real passion and emotion in this one. Poor cat.

Conflict

.

Archipelago

out of sight and out of mind

Galtieri strikes

.

by Scooj

4891. Dean Lane skate park (551)

Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022
Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022

Constantly out there in the background, rarely taking centre stage, is the magnificent Trafficity with his incredibly consistent form of letters spelling out ZIOM. This time, the PAD crew member ha painted on the swimming pool wall behind the railings.

Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022
Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022

Every time I see Trafficity’s work, I wonder if there is an extra line of letters running across the top, in this case the purple section, or whether it is just an artefact of his letter styling. I guess that I’ll just have to ask him next time I see him, although because He doesn’t paint all that frequently, it might be some time before that happens. It is always great to see his work.

4890. Upfest 2022 (65)

RJ77stencils, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
RJ77stencils, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

The 1M square boards at Upfest tend to lend themselves perfectly to small detailed stencil pieces which can sometimes be lost on larger walls, and this is a perfect example of an outstanding stencil piece in exactly the right format.

RJ77stencils, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
RJ77stencils, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

RJ77stencils has created this haunting and compelling piece of a girl with her head in her hands and the words: ‘Sometimes all I want to do is hide’. The greyscale stencil has at least five layers and possibly more, which bring out all the different textures in the piece, especially on the girl’s jumper. There is so much emotion conveyed in this clever and perfectly executed stencil, demonstrating how the technique comes into its own. Great work from RJ77stencils.

Frost

.

Accumulation

of perfect cuboid crystals

Freezing point drama

.

by Scooj

4889. Upfest 2022 (64)

Lee Ellis, Upfest 2022, Bristol, May 2022
Lee Ellis, Upfest 2022, Bristol, May 2022

I love it when fine artists paint at Upfest, it affords them the opportunity to ‘go large’ and make a big impression with their studio skills in an open air environment. Lee Ellis is a Bristol-based artist best known for his abstract portraits, which have a slightly sinister or unsettling quality about them. In this Upfest piece, Lee Ellis has treated us to not one but five portraits in this piece.

Lee Ellis, Upfest 2022, Bristol, May 2022
Lee Ellis, Upfest 2022, Bristol, May 2022

The portraits feature a blue-faced man (or men) in black shirts, each with a cup of tea. It is the contrasting red background that helps to elevate the work into something quite extraordinary. While the style may not be to everyone’s taste, this was definitely a unique piece that I’m sure would have remained in visitor’s memories for a long while. Striking.

Lee Ellis, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Lee Ellis, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

4888. Upfest 2022 (63)

Rich Simmons, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Rich Simmons, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

I love challenging and controversial pieces, especially ones featuring cultural icons, although it has to be said that two same sex superheroes kissing is far less shocking these days than it would have been when I was growing up, which I would suggest is massive progress on our pathway towards tolerance, equity, respect and understanding,

Rich Simmons, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Rich Simmons, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Rich Simmons has produced this superb pop art piece featuring Batman and Superman in an intimate moment, with black and white repetitions of the embrace in the background. An accomplished piece from an accomplished artist that fits the spot in the Tobacco Factory car park perfectly.