I am Stephen. I live in Bristol, UK. I decided to shorten my profile...to this: Wildlife, haiku, travel, streetart, psychogeography and my family. Not necessarily in that order.
Another Bristol artist who has been very busy over the last eighteen months or so is Acer. Whether collaborating or painting alone, his productivity has been on the up, and that is definitely a good thing.
Acer, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September2021
This quick piece was painted alongside Benjimagnetic, way back in August this year, but inexplicably ended up in my archive. I have picked it up and posted it as part of my constant review of photographs languishing in archive folders. Here Acer is keeping it simple, spelling out his name with his familiar geometric design and technique.
I have never made any secret of the fact that I love the work of JPS and that he is without question in my top five favourite street artists, although I don’t know who the other four would be. For this reason, it is always a pleasure to visit Weston-super-Mare, his original hometown, where so many of his stencil pieces adorn the town’s walls.
JPS, Alexandra Parade, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021
This is quite an old piece, but one that I have always admired. I took this picture on my recent visit, but I think I have a pictures from some time ago that just never got published on this blog. Shame on me, although my heightened sense of self-doubt wonders whether this might be a repeat of a stencil he painted elsewhere.
JPS, Alexandra Parade, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021
This innocent-looking piece is a potent reminder of the fragility of planet Earth, but one that also transports us back to both our own childhoods but also to an era of innocence that is now long since gone. These retro scenes are always beautifully presented and executed and demonstrate why JPS is held in such high regard.
Another absolute belter from the unstoppable Stivs on the M32 roundabout. He really is going through an incredibly productive and inspired period… long may it last. I often wonder, when artists are so prolific, how they afford the paint, because it is not cheap to paint a wall this big.
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2021
This calligraffiti piece is notable for the exceptionally brilliant fill that is not only beautiful, but also has the appearance of being a piece that has been painted over… clever stuff from Stivs. As with so many artists in Bristol at the moment, Stivs seems to be hitting a new level, and shows no signs of letting up. A masterful piece.
Really short on time today, but a Thursday doesn’t quite feel right without a Thursday doors post. This is a quick ramble through some already posted doors from Natural Adventures earlier this year in May and June.
Hope you enjoy them:
Ejits, North Street, Bristol, April 2021
Kid Crayon and Zubieta, North Street, Bristol, May 2021
Paul Monsters, Bedminster Parade, Bristol, April 2021
3F Fino, Leonard Lane, Bristol, May 2021
The ‘six sisters’ – Bex Glover, Alex Lucas, Zoe Power, Gemma Compton, Sophie Long and Ejits, North Street, Bristol, May 2021
Mr Penfold, Church Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 2021
Kleiner Shames, Argus Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Hannah Edwards, North Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Peter Sheridan, North Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Gage Graphics, West Street, Bristol, June 2021
So as another week passes, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy 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.
To get the colours right in these pictures, I had to do a bit of manipulation, which if I hadn’t would have left them as yellowy-orange stains on the wall which really wouldn’t do. Instead, you can see the colours, which you can see with the naked eye, but in photographs are negatively impacted by the orange lighting in the tunnel.
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2021
The letters STICK are by Corupt, who is going through a bit of a purple patch at the moment which means that you should look out for more of his work appearing on these pages soon. Corupt is an artist who keeps himself to himself, and although I have seen him paint, at the top of a ladder, I still haven’t met properly.
From a technical point of view, this piece is on-point and skilfully crafted, but it is also rather beautiful too, with some excellent blended shading in the letters. More outstanding work from Corupt is in the pipeline.
It looks very much like Mudra and Nugmoose have recently discovered the joys of painting the columns under the M32, which in turn brings happiness to people like me who enjoy seeing their work, and making little discoveries in dark and dingy places.
Nugmoose, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2021
This alien column piece, with cut-away skull and hair exposing a purple brain, is a bit of a beauty from Nugmoose and clearly demonstrates his creative and rather eccentric work. The alien script at the bottom is better than any signature for identifying the artist. A cool piece.
I said that I would be posting more John D’oh pieces from this wall outside Bishopston’s Tiles on Gloucester Road, and true to my word here is another. This wonderful single-layer stencil is so much more than just a cute cuddling Simpsons piece, it is a nod to the genius of Banksy with a John D’oh twist.
John D’oh, Gloucester Road, Bristol, November 2021
Some of you may recall Banksy’s amazing ‘Mobile Lovers’ which appeared on the door of a boxing club in Bristol. Well, this Homer and Marge embrace is a little pastiche of that piece and brought an instant smile to my face. On this occasion John D’oh is not being political, but his humorous look at popular culture and commentary on social behaviours is alive and kicking. Great piece – even down to the detail of placing it on a door.
It is too easy to forget that nearly all of the artists who decorate the streets of Bristol have jobs, and that they have to fit in the painting around their work and families etc. For this reason, many artists will have peaks and troughs in activity. Slakarts, it would seem has recently emerged from one of those troughs and is firing on all cylinders with some marvellous work.
Slakarts, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2021
This piece on the M32 is a beautiful example of his work and is full of life and dynamism. Slakarts likes to work with big bold shapes and strong solid fills, and in this piece he has sprinkled in some additional decorative circles and dots. A lovely confident piece and another in his superb portfolio of work. More on the way.
Natural adventures 