Face 1st and Zake, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2024
True to his word, Face 1st said that despite moving to Herefordshire, he would be back in Bristol to have a paint from time to time, and who better to team up with than his PWA partner in crime Zake, who thrives on collaborations. This is a combination piece, with Face 1st’s writing wrapped around an unusual portrait by Zake.
Face 1st and Zake, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2024
Face 1st has enjoyed using the block letters idea, which he has used quite a lot to good effect, and here, they frame a rather sinister portrait from Zake. Seeing Zake’s characters with hair always adds a little bit of weirdness, especially in this piece, where the face is green and the hair purple. Although I photographed this collaboration not long after it was painted, the dampness of the wall has caused some damage on the character’s nose. I am so glad to see Face 1st popping down to see us.
Every time I write about Mr Underbite’s character pieces, the word that always springs immediately to mind is ‘hapless’. Just looking at the face, the Underbite character looks like he is down on his luck, or simply unfortunate. It is clever that the name and the portrayal create this image.
Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024
I haven’t seen any new pieces by Mr Underbite for a long while, so it was great to find this one at the Southern end of thee Brunel Way spot. This is the standard version of the character, in mono colour and without any ‘extras’. As ever, it is always great to find these distinctive pieces.
I woke at ten past four when the dog started barking at something in the street. Unfortunately I didn’t get back to sleep again after that and lay awake with my mind churning. One of the outputs from the unrest was this haiku. Another, was a long rant about the state that the last government left the country in. Broke with horrific debt and with public services hanging on by their fingernails. The rich, richer and the poor, poorer. Any new government coming into power picking up that mess would struggle. The loudest voices of complaint now are from the haves, not the have nots. I’ll leave it there.
The main preoccupation in my head was composing a speech for my mother’s 90th birthday party in February… I think I made good progress.
I met Awkward for the first time at the Ikea Wall of Fame Metalheadz paint jam organised by Goldie. As is usually the case, Awkward was nothing like the image I had of him in my mind, based on his artwork. It was so good to have a chat with him and understand a little about his motivations around art and music, where his music is his main thing.
Awkward, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2024
This cheeky piece (why is it that most of his character pieces seem to be on the cheeky side?) features a pink faced character with enormous eyes and a speech bubble with the words ‘Universal magnetic’. This may be a reference to his friend Benjimagnetic. To the left of the face, Awkward has left his customary signature split into two halves, AWK…WARD.
It has been a very good year for Mr Klue, who has been both productive and creative. This new piece in the tunnel differs from many of his others in the use of several colours in a single piece. Perhaps it was a dregs piece, or maybe he simply wanted to switch things up a bit.
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2024
The letters KLUE are about as obvious as you are going to seen in a Mr Klue piece of abstract graffiti writing. The top edge of the piece is noteworthy too, with his piece bleeding into the cream background. The photographs don’t really do this one justice, as I remember thinking when I saw it how stunning the colours were. All good stuff.
Doors 289 – Doors from Exeter, Devon, October 2023 – Part VII
Thank you for your patience. Today I complete what has been a marathon sequence of posts of doors photographed during a two-hour doorscursion in Exeter in October 2023. I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing these doors, but am also looking forward to moving on to some other themes and places in the new year.
There are quite a lot of doors in this last selection, which rounds off the walk and picks up a few odds and ends too. Let’s get cracking:
Plain panelled cream door (no handles) and boot scraper, Exeter, Devon, October 2023
Two black doors, and curious trapezoid windows (reminiscent of the Egyptian House in Penzance), Exeter, Devon, October 2023
Functional black glass-panelled door and fancy surround, Exeter, Devon, October 2023
Black door with ornate wooden frame and stained-glass panel, Exeter, Devon, October 2023
Black door with columns at number 5, Exeter, Devon, October 2023
Storage unit doors built into a huge wall on the quayside, Exeter, Devon, October 2023
Shop doors and wonderful ancient lintel, Exeter, Devon, October 2023
Ruin with a fine archway, Exeter, Devon, October 2023
‘Chocolate box’ scene in Exeter (plenty of doors to choose from), Exeter, Devon, October 2023
Gatehouse entrance, Exeter, Devon, October 2023
When two buildings collide – the view from inside the church must be a little odd. Blue door, Exeter, Devon, October 2023
Two Tudor timber-framed buildings in the city centre – doors somewhat obscured and downgraded, Exeter, Devon, October 2023
If you have the time, you can read more about these two Tudor buildings here.
Well, that really is it from Exeter for the time being, unless I go back for another doorscursion. Next time I think the idea is to post favourites from the last 12 months, which could be a little challenging. Have a great weekend.
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.
This was my second attempt at photographing this piece by Zubieta, just outside the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft. The first time I came, there were significant shadows across it, and some people sitting on chairs in front of it – all quite unhelpful. The piece is painted on the PRSC blanket and tent exchange, which in itself tells a story of the times we live in.
Zubieta, Jamaica Street, Bristol, November 2024
Zubieta is a muralist whose work often encompasses nature, particularly floral scenes. I think she uses brushes to paint her murals, rather than spray paints. This decorative piece includes some pink flowers with lips in the centre, a caterpillar, a heart and a figure, and many of the leaves contain beady eyes. The content of the work is not so different from Peggy, but the styles are worlds apart. A nice piece enhancing an otherwise utilitarian storage facility.
This is the second piece by Sworm that I have posted from this wall in the last couple of weeks, and although they were painted several months apart, I photographed both at the same time. While his first piece concentrated on the most extraordinary explosion of colour, this one turned the attention to the form of the letters.
Sworm, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, November 2024
Sworm paints only occasionally in Bristol, but it is great to see his work, because it is, in my view, really classy. The letters here are not uniform, but instead they blend in well together, filling all the gaps between them. The mid-line running through the letters and the subtle contrast in shades of cream create a lovely 3D effect. This is a really neat and tidy piece from a talented graffiti writer.
Klashwhensober gets a lot of practice with painting walls, which directly leads to improvements in his work. Over the last few years he has managed to develop his style, which has gradually developed into a sophisticated blend of writing the letters SOBER with animated fills that ooze out from them.
Klashwhensober, Greenbank, Bristol, November 2024
This piece illustrates really clearly how the fill tells its own story, or has its own place, and you could almost imagine a scene unfolding, but you only get to see that scene within the confine of the letters. There is always a lot crammed into Klashwhensober’s work, perhaps an indication of a busy mind. This is a nicely executed and finished piece.
Natural adventures 