Author: scooj

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.

1413. The Bearpit (128)

I wasn’t too sure whether to feature this work from Unlucky 15th or not, mainly because up until now I have not been clear in my own mind whether this is a tag or graffiti art. Then I thought, does it really matter? This motif has been appearing around Bristol for a while now, and it is only recently that I found out whom it is by. It is highly distinctive and the artist keeps it consistent.

Unlucky15th, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2018
Unlucky15th, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2018

I think what I would really like to see is some other ideas, to establish whether Unlucky 15th is a ‘one-trick-pony’ or a budding Bristol artist. There is a part of me that really likes this piece, and the overall message is a good one…I think there is another level to achieve though.

1412. M32 cycle path (12)

I think this might be the third piece I have posted by Howl since meeting him a couple of months back. His style of writing is something quite different and has a unique character. Of course, the little dog character is like a signature and adds to the uniqueness of Howl’s work.

Howl, M32 cycle path, Bristol, February 2018
Howl, M32 cycle path, Bristol, February 2018

I particularly like the deep shadow in this piece with its blue dots, which contrasts nicely with the rest of the writing. I am pretty certain the whole thing spells out ‘HOWL’ although I must confess I have a little difficulty seeing it myself.

1411. M32 Spot (18)

I know very little about the artist who created this fun character down at the M32 Spot. I know he is called Roo, and he comes from London. I think he is probably mates with SkyHigh (also from London) because this piece is adjacent to the one by SkyHigh I posted recently and on Google image searches their work often appears together.

Roo, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2018
Roo, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2018

I actually really like this piece. It is very clean and fresh and there is a fun story going on. I like the addition of sort of bricks in the background, which brings the whole piece to life. It reminds me of a Hanna Barbera type cartoon. High praise. I would like to see more from Roo in Bristol.

Passing time

 

It’s fast approaching

and after all the waiting

time to say goodbye.

 

by Scooj

Thursday doors

Door 27

Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, February 2018
Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, February 2018

This door will be familiar to regular readers who might have seen my recent street art post about this amazing mural by Alex Lucas. I felt it was just too good an opportunity not to include it in this week’s Thursday doors offering. The door is so well disguised, it takes a while to properly make it out – you can just see the buzzers to the left of the double door.

Alex Lucas is a very well known artist, designer and illustrator in Bristol who has, through numerous commissions, decorated many buildings in the area and pretty much created a Bristol brand with her work. I think that this might be one of her largest murals, and probably the most complex.

You can see more of her work on her website Lucas Antics.

Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, February 2018
Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, February 2018

 

by Scooj.

More doors at: Thursday Doors – Norm 2.0

1410. Golden Lion

Sometimes I am too lazy for my own good, not an attractive quality, and one that I think I might have managed to pass on to my offspring. Not too far from where I live is the Golden Lion pub on Gloucester Road. I had heard that Sepr was giving it a bit of a face lift, but just hadn’t passed that way with my camera, and rather than make a special trip to get some decent photographs, I hopped out of the car and took these with my cell phone.

Sepr, Golden Lion, Bristol, February 2018
Sepr, Golden Lion, Bristol, February 2018

It was a wet and cold day, and I noticed afterwards that all my pictures were a bit misty, but rather than go up there and take some decent ones, the lazy in me took over, and here you are with some not so great pictures of a wonderful mural from the not lazy Sepr.

Sepr, Golden Lion, Bristol, February 2018
Sepr, Golden Lion, Bristol, February 2018

This piece really is outstanding and it is so good that in Bristol we have plenty of establishments that will commission our great artists to produce great work like this.

1409. M32 roundabout J3 (73)

The four pedestrian/cyclist tunnels around the M32 roundabout are absolutely covered from top to bottom with graffiti and street art, most of it pretty useless if I am being honest, but in amongst it all there are some better pieces. One artist who frequents these tunnels and who I have recently started to post about is Nevla.

Nevla, M32, Bristol, February 2018
Nevla, M32, Bristol, February 2018

Nevla produces these cartoon style black and white pieces, which portray street characters in various poses – maybe they are friends and acquaintances or just figments of Nevla’s imagination. Either way, the style is fairly unique to Bristol, and I am looking forward to watching the artist develop.

Vicuña

 

Andean highlands

home to the small cameloid

emblem of Peru.

 

by Scooj

1408. Stokes Croft

Every now and then, a significant piece of street art is created, one that becomes a landmark or a statement in the locality. This commission piece, Turbo Island’s coral reef, by Alex Lucas is one of those significant works. Turbo Island is a little patch of green created by a fork in the main road with Jamaica Street, directly opposite.

Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017
Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017

The piece was completed on Christmas Eve 2017 and took some six weeks to complete. I am not entirely sure who the commission was from, but I think it is the company who own the building/offices.

Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, February 2018
Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, February 2018

Alex is steadily brightening up Bristol building by building and I think that this is one of her finest yet. Of course, my marine biology background means that I am particularly fond of this one.

Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, February 2018
Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, February 2018

The detail on the piece is typical of Alex’s work and each of the creatures is crammed with its own character from the rather grumpy shark at the top of the piece to the little hermit crab at the bottom right.

Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, February 2018
Alex Lucas, Stokes Croft, Bristol, February 2018

This is a piece that can be studied over a long while, making little discoveries each time you look at it. A huge asset to the area and worth hunting down if you happen to be visiting Bristol. Thank you Alex Lucas!

1407. M32 Roundabout J3 (72)

He keeps on painting them and I just keep on writing about them – this is another nice piece at the M32 by Face F1st. My first impression about this piece though it that it looks a little hurried…the lines are not very clean and the white surround looks like the work of a bomber.

Face F1st, M32, Bristol, March 2018
Face F1st, M32, Bristol, March 2018

The face, as with all his pieces, is simple and charming and provides the focal point for the rest of the decoration. Normally, the surrounding patterns spell out FACE, but I can’t see it in this piece. Not his best work, but worth including, I felt. I snapped up two more of his pieces on my way to work this morning.