scooj

4931. Elton Street (15)

Merny, Elton Street, Bristol, December 2022

I was a late adopter of these wonderful boards on the side of the Lost Horizon Arts Centre – somehow I just didn’t discover them until about a year ago. Now, Elton Street is definitely on my radar, and has become a refreshing outdoor gallery that tends not to get tagged, where the artworks remain intact until they are simultaneously repainted in a curated way.

This is a fine commentary piece by Merny, who tends to see the world through a socio-political lens. In this piece, the blue man is filming/photographing other people. I guess it is demonstrating that in this digital age, everything is recorded in one way or another, there is no privacy or freedom from the camera lens gaze. “We’re watching you” happens on a personal as well as institutional level. A lovely piece from Merny.

4930. St Werburghs tunnel (335)

Wispa, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2022

There was a little bit of an RBF crew party in the tunnel just before Christmas, with a great turnout, and one of the artists, whose work I have not seen much of, is Wispa. Her writing and character might have been the pick of the bunch on account of the snowman, I mean who can resist this guy at Christmas?

Wispa is clearly an accomplished writer who typically writes WISP and occasionally adds a character, and with this piece she has smashed both. The letters are nice ones to play with, and give plenty of scope for fills, curves and straight lines. The triple border works really well, picking out the letters and helping them to stand out from the wall.

Raymond Briggs, may he rest in peace, would have loved this faithful rendition of his loveable character, right down to the cross-hatching on his hat and scarf. This is a fabulous Christmas piece from Wispa. I hope she comes back to Bristol soon with more great work.

4929. M32 Cycle path (193)

Benjimagnetic, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2022

A constant high-performer in Bristol is Benjimagnetic with his highly disguised abstract letters that usually, but not always, spell out BEN. This nice little reminder o0f his talent is on the M32 cycle path, immediately below the motorway. It is a good spot to paint if there is light rain or the threat of rain, as it has a bit of an overhang to shelter under.

Benjimagnetic always chooses a clever colour palette and then works his magic, rather like a choreographer, placing each of the elements and details in exactly the right place, to create a pleasing end product that can be viewed superficially or in more depth. A nice piece from the artist.

Thursday doors – 5 January 2023

Doors 204 – Croatia doors (part 1)

Happy New Year, doorsters.

Although it feels like a distant memory now, it was only a few months ago that we had a fabulous family summer holiday in Croatia. It was our first visit to the country, and I am certain that we will return together or individually in the future.

For the first phase of our trip we were based in a small town called Zaton, situated on the coast between the Istrian Peninsula to the North West and Zadar to the south, and the doors this week are all from Zaton. Posting these photographs is filling me with nostalgia, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I have on revisiting them:

Old doorway and newer door, Zaton, Croatia, August 2022

Door and shutter, Zaton, Croatia, August 2022

Double door and windows, Zaton, Croatia, August 2022

Weathered door, Zaton, Croatia, August 2022

Outhouse door, Zaton, Croatia, August 2022

Old door and window, Zaton, Croatia, August 2022

It feels good to be back on the Thursday doors rails, and I look forward to sharing my and viewing your doors in 2023.

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.

by Scooj

Uplifting

Song to melt the heart

a bird deep in a thicket

welcomes longer days

by Scooj

4928. Temple Way (5)

Acer One and Andy Council, Temple Way, Bristol, December 2022

I have driven past this piece countless times on my way to Temple Meads station, and always meant to stop for a couple of pictures, but I only got round to it about a month ago…it sometimes happens you know.

The innovative collaboration is by Acer One and Andy Council, who have done so many collaborative pieces in recent years, and rarely produce anything other than outstanding work. The piece is entitled Hybrid, and I am guessing that it is a reference to their different styles working together. The collaboration feels a bit like a half-finished page from a colouring in book, and I wonder whether Andy Council has considered producing a colouring book… on this evidence he could probably create a whole new income stream.

A fabulous collaboration, shared with you at last.

4927. Church Road

Farrah, Church Road, Bristol, December 2022

Accidental finds are often the most rewarding, and to come across a mural of this size that I had no idea existed was a particular joy. Farrah has painted commissions all over Bristol, and her unique brand of abstract brush stroke pieces are becoming another established feature of the Bristol USP.

This end of terrace wall was sponsored by Park Insurance, for which we are all grateful I’m sure. Farrah, in her Instagram feed, talks about the importance of trees that give us “shelter, stability, food, water and oxygen”. Trees give us a whole lot more, including habitats for wildlife, food, carbon storage and an enormous sense of wellbeing. Although this tree mural can’t provide all of those things, it can certainly help to remind us how important trees are.

Farrah has expertly crafted the tree and some of the creatures in it, such as the squirrel, using her attractive brush stroke style that seems so effortless when you watch videos of her at work. It is a technique that she has perfected and seems to be taking to a higher level all the time. This is a piece definitely worth seeking out if you happen to be in the St George area of Bristol.

The grindstone

Reluctant return

emails and video calls

when is the next break?

by Scooj

4926. M32 roundabout J3 (443)

3Dom, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2022

As I mentioned last week in a post featuring Acer One’s tribute to Dring (a friend to many in the Bristol street art community) there would be other tribute pieces out there, and this one is of them, by 3Dom.

It feels like an age since I last posted anything by 3Dom, so I am assuming that he must be busy with ‘real life’ at the moment, but he has managed to find time to paint this beautifully crafted tribute. The letters are stunningly presented, with an atmospheric fill, all topped off with a bright yellow star on the ‘i’. It feels like Dring will be sorely missed.

4925. M32 Roundabout J3 (442)

Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2022

Kool Hand has been a steady presence on the streets of Bristol in recent months, and each time his work is improving and diversifying. This dog character was recently painted in the St Agnes tunnel of the M32 roundabout alongside Daz Cat and Zake.

Although relatively simple in design, this character has been perfectly finished. The fills are solid, the feature lines add interest and depth and the border is very clean. Set on an interesting orange buffed background, the piece stands out clearly. There are a few nice bubbles too, filling the blank space.

	Sheree on 7910. St Werburghs tunnel…
	paulh121 on 7910. St Werburghs tunnel…
	M. on 7909. Stapleton Road
	paulh121 on Dorset bound
	paulh121 on 7909. Stapleton Road

	paulh121 on 7910. St Werburghs tunnel…
	M. on 7909. Stapleton Road
	paulh121 on Dorset bound
	paulh121 on 7909. Stapleton Road
	paulh121 on 7908. Purdown (107)

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