Category: 5. Street Art

3818. Upfest 2021 75×75 (19)

This enormous mural was one of the first to be completed for the Upfest 75×75 event and is by Emotional Waterfall Art. The piece is a colourful abstract explosion of shapes on a white background – a confetti mural, which is an absolute bugger to photograph and can’t have been all that easy to paint.

Emotional Waterfall Art, Smyth Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Emotional Waterfall Art, Smyth Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

Emotional Waterfall Art is a Bristol-based outfit run an artist who plays hard to get on her website and doesn’t disclose her name, simply that she is the creator of Emotional Waterfall Art. I’m not sure how many murals she has painted before, and I am not familiar with her work, but this is a very impressive introduction.

3817. Frome side (12)

I don’t know if there is an awful lot more I can say about the kawaii cuteness of Maesyhook’s work, other than to say that here is another fine piece hot off the production line, this time underneath the M32.

Maesyhook, Frome side, Bristol, June 2-021
Maesyhook, Frome side, Bristol, June 2-021

I think that this a rather sweet little creature emerging from a banana – how do you think of such a thing? Usually we associate large spiders with bananas, having hitched a ride from their native countries. This is a very nicely finished piece, painted with her soft pastel colours that lend themselves so well to these (edgy) cute characters.

3816. Greenbank (11)

One of the things that regular readers of Natural Adventures might have noticed is the high proportion of female street artists that are featured. This is not me being selective, but an honest reflection of just how many female artists are regularly painting these days. I am saying this as a brilliant thing, not as a surprising thing, which I think might shatter a few people’s preconceptions about street art and graffiti. There are few artists, male or female, who appear as regularly as Pekoe.

Pekoe, Greenbank, Bristol, June 2021
Pekoe, Greenbank, Bristol, June 2021

This wonderful portrait piece is on the (very) long wall at Greenbank. The face, in yellow, has features that are really clear and sharp, and the blue lips are particularly eye-catching. The big hair, a Pekoe trademark, is beautifully decorated with all sorts of squiggles and symbols. Another triumph from the lovely Pekoe.

3815. Upfest 2021 75×75 (18)

This mural by Carla James is utterly, utterly stunning and a serious contender for my favourite piece of Upfest 21 so far. It saddens me to report that this was one of the dozen or so pieces that was vandalised recently, which is a dreadful shame, and makes my blood boil. However, I was lucky to see it in its original condition. Carla James lives just outside Bristol, so she might be able to salvage it, depending on her work I guess.

Carla James, Exeter Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Carla James, Exeter Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

This wall is so difficult to photograph, like so many in Bedminster – I recommend that more double yellow lines are introduced, which is what we should be doing in the name of reducing car use and mitigating for climate change. The artwork and general feel of this piece is extraordinary, and I simply cannot praise it enough. Carla James has mastered the technique of painting helium balloons (a Fanakapan speciality) but it is the exquisite beauty and colours of the hummingbird that really stand out.

Carla James, Exeter Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Carla James, Exeter Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

I think that if I could take a piece of art home with me from Upfest 75×75, it would be this one (so far). I am blown away.

3814. Muriel Alleyway (5)

Hurrah! For Yoliws ( Yoli Ward-Streeter) a Bristol artist and member of the fabulous Bristol Womxn Mural Collective, hurrah! I say again for this delightful mural in one of Bristol’s less visited street art spots. This mural is bright and full of joy.

Yoliws, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, July 2021
Yoliws, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, July 2021

I managed to take these pictures on a bright day and without the trees casting a shadow, which is something of a feat in this particular spot. The character has been painted with Yoliws’ characteristic wobbly lines and the orange body filled with beautiful stars and squiggles. The piece has loads of movement to it and an underlying happiness, which is so great to see. A truly uplifting mural.

3813. Gerrish Avenue

Three dancing octopus girls seems to be what is going on in this superb mural from Sussanah Polley who appears to have moved from Western Australia to the fine city of Bristol, and that is great news for us. This mural, ‘naked octopus party’ is one of a few adorning pubs around Bristol, and I need to seek out some of the others.

Susannah Pooley, Gerrish Avenue, Bristol, July 2021
Susannah Pooley, Gerrish Avenue, Bristol, July 2021

Sussanah Pooley’s pop surrealism art is a perfect fit for Bristol’s street art scene, combining originality and creativity with perfect execution. Any piece of art with naked ladies and octopi gets my vote for sure. I found this piece by accident, which was very lucky, but will try to be a little more deliberate in future. A truly wonderful piece and I look forward to finding more.

3812. M32 Cycle path (134)

Some might not have noticed the ‘changing of the guard’ piece on this wall as it is by the same artist and is not dissimilar to its predecessor. It is unmistakably by Claro-que-sssnoh and spells out his signature HONS letters.

Claro_que_sssnoh, M32 Cycle Path, Bristol, July 2021
Claro_que_sssnoh, M32 Cycle Path, Bristol, July 2021

His work is almost maze-like and the letters a combination of regular straight lines and curves which almost seem to compete with one another for the space. His fills are beautifully done and contain several of his favoured dots in a line, each smaller than the one before. It is always good to see new work from this Spanish artist living in Bristol.

Claro_que_sssnoh, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2020
Claro_que_sssnoh, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2020

3811. Greenbank (10)

I get a real buzz every time I see a piece by Merny. I don’t know why I like his art so much, but I think it is probably a combination of the deliberate naive style combined with humour and originality that really appeals to me. One can become blazé about the high quality writing we see every day in Bristol, but it is impossible to walk past a Merny piece and think that it looks like any other piece of art. It doesn’t.

Merny, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2021
Merny, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2021

This is a piece of our times and a commentary on the COVID-testing culture that we live in. There is a sadness and a sense of threat in the piece softened by the style and bright colours. Of course, the little labels make an appearance and add so much to this observational work. A very nice piece from Merny.

3810. Upfest 2021 75×75 (17)

Although we might not have seen as many international artists joining in with Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days event as we might have expected in a non-COVID year we have seen a lot of artists from all over the UK come to Bristol and brighten up our walls with their extraordinary talent. Fem Sorcell is a Cumbrian artist based in Sheffield whose arrival on the street art scene has come via textile design, illustration, art directing, prosthetics and makeup for film.

Fem Sorcell, North Street Standard, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Fem Sorcell, North Street Standard, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

This unusual piece is beautifully designed and crafted to fit the space perfectly and contains some great colours and details that demand more than a cursory glance. There are one or two elements that remind me a little of our own Bex Glover, particularly the red, yellow and white petals.

Sadly this was one of the dozen or so Upfest pieces that was vandalised earlier this week by some absolute idiot. There really are no words.

Thursday doors – 22 July 2021

Doors 155 – yet more archive street art doors

I had been hoping to post some squeaky, fresh new doors this week, and although I have taken the photographs, I haven’t been able to download them yet. I can be pretty confident that next week I will be able to switch it up a bit. Until then, you’ll have to make do with these archive street/graffiti art doors from earlier this year.

Nina Raines, Phoebe Tonks and Ana Cruz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021
Nina Raines, Phoebe Tonks and Ana Cruz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021

Dabuten Tronko, Felix Road, Bristol, February 2021
Dabuten Tronko, Felix Road, Bristol, February 2021

Tatty door, nice frame, Montpelier, Bristol, January 2021
Tatty door, nice frame, Montpelier, Bristol, January 2021

Mr Bloopy tag on a knackered old door, Bristol, July 2020
Mr Bloopy tag on a knackered old door, Bristol, July 2020

Mr Penfold door, St Phillips, Bristol, February 2021
Mr Penfold door, St Phillips, Bristol, February 2021

Corrugated iron gate, Boiling Wells Lane, Bristol, December 2020
Corrugated iron gate, Boiling Wells Lane, Bristol, December 2020

So that’s it for another week.

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