6648. Hornsey Road, North London

Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

It feels odd posting this Banksy piece from the comfort of a Marrakesh hotel room only a couple of weeks after photographing it. I took the pictures in the dark on a cold night walking to a football match with my son after seven hours of driving. It was my son who spotted the famous piece painted last year, and in the spirit of taking pictures, no matter what the conditions, I managed to get these unusual snaps.

Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

I had wondered where this piece was, but love the fact that we accidentally walked past it rather than sought it out. The misty night scene adds a different perspective on the piece, which was a clever work by Banksy, who replaced the foliage of a tree on the wall behind it, after it had been heavily cut back.

Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

In the bottom left of the piece is a stencil figure with a spray gun in his hands who presumably had been spraying the foliage on the walls. The figure is now behind Perspex. Last year was a good year for the Bristol born artist, and maybe on future trips to the old smoke I’ll find some of his animals from 2024. Arsenal won a tricky match against Ipswich 1-0, so overall a good day out.

6647. Peel Street Green (36)

Werm, Peel Street Green, Bristol, December 2024
Werm, Peel Street Green, Bristol, December 2024

Werm has had a very good year in 2024, and tried out several new variants of his letters, sticking with some and abandoning others. This was a particular theme that saw him through most of the year, crafting the letters WERM into a bilaterally symmetrical pattern.

Werm, Peel Street Green, Bristol, December 2024
Werm, Peel Street Green, Bristol, December 2024

This one looks like it might have suffered a little at the hands of the weather, or the background wasn’t fully applied, which is a pity, because it distracts a little from the writing itself, demonstrating why backgrounds can be so important. It’ll be interesting to see if Werm moves on from this style in 2025.

6646. Dean Lane skate park (787)

Smak, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2024
Smak, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2024

What an honour for Pekoe to have a lovely birthday tribute piece from Smak back in December last year. This is a classic piece of traditional Smak graffiti writing, and reminds me of some of the first pieces I noticed by the artist, many years ago.

Smak, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2024
Smak, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2024

The letters are mostly created by the outlines, and the fills resemble the background, giving them a bit of a transparent look. This piece also picks up on Smak’s current theme of including palm trees and hinting at the tropics. Great work from Smak.

6645. Coach and Horses

Misc, Coach and Horses, Bristol, December 2024
Misc, Coach and Horses, Bristol, December 2024

Today I am off to a valley in the Atlas Mountains, and wrote this last night after a very long day doing a lot of walking. So today’s posts will be quick ones like yesterday and might not be very coherent. This is the third piece in a superb collaboration between Sled One, Smak and Misc, whose stunning heron clutching an eel in its bill is wonderful.

Misc, Coach and Horses, Bristol, December 2024
Misc, Coach and Horses, Bristol, December 2024

I don’t know Misc, but believe he painted a couple of pieces on this particular trip to Bristol. The stylised natural history piece is amazing and really captures the struggle between the fish and the bird. I would like to see much more work like this, as it is right up my street.

House Bunting

House Bunting, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2024
House Bunting, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2024

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Sparrow family

cheeky opportunism

full of character

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by Scooj

6644. M32 roundabout J3 (648)

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2024
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2024

Not much time to talk about this fun piece from Face 1st in one of the short tunnels under the M32 roundabout. So here it is.

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2024
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2024

6643. River Avon (74)

Solar, River Avon, Bristol, December 2024
Solar, River Avon, Bristol, December 2024

While this is far from my favourite piece by Solar, and not the easiest to photograph, even on a wide-angle setting, I have included it in the name of completeness and documentation. I think it is only honest to post work by artists, warts and all, if and when possible. All too often such pieces get deselected, but during the Christmas and winter period there is lower turnover and I can post more of what I see.

Solar, River Avon, Bristol, December 2024
Solar, River Avon, Bristol, December 2024

In this piece the letters SOLAR are stretched out, and difficult to notice when walking along the narrow pathway. Painted in subtle shades of grey with tints of duck-egg blue, the unruly letters touching on anti-style, are actually quite nicely done. I sense that this writing has been here a long while, but that I haven’t noticed it before.

6642. Sussex Street

Sepr and Andy Council, Sussex Street, Bristol, December 2024
Sepr and Andy Council, Sussex Street, Bristol, December 2024

This is a wonderful political commentary collaboration from Sepr and Andy Council, who are unhappy with the Government’s attitude towards the situation in Gaza. On the left Sepr has painted a passive protest piece featuring a dove sitting on an olive branch. It is both witty and poignant and is beautifully painted.

Sepr, Sussex Street, Bristol, December 2024
Sepr, Sussex Street, Bristol, December 2024

To the right, Andy Council presents on of his ‘stitched together’ composition creature pieces, which this time is a snail, perhaps representing the slow speed of any progress on ending the Israeli occupation and systematic demolition of Gaza. The snail is painted in the colours of the Palestinian flag. Brilliant stuff from the duo.

Andy Council, Sussex Street, Bristol, December 2024
Andy Council, Sussex Street, Bristol, December 2024

6641. Hornsey Road, North London

Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

Good morning folks, a really quick couple of posts today, there is lots of sightseeing to be done. Two more Arsenal characters from Northbanksy in the railway tunnel for you, starting with a fan’s favourite, Gabriel Martinelli, one of three Gabriels in the current Arsenal squad. We could do with a few more goals from him, but he loves the club, and that can be enough.

Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

The second piece portrays an unlikely hero at Arsenal, but one who is proving to be invaluable. It is Nicolas Jover, the set-piece coach, whose tactical genius is the envy of teams all over the world. There is a little plaque, which I failed to photograph, in the style of a street sign just above this piece which reads Jover’s Corner, which is a fun play on words. Northbanksy doing the faithful proud.

Unprepared

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Wandering around

an unexpected shower

petrichor pervades

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by Scooj