Category: 5. Street Art

898. Dean Lane skate park (66)

A  colourful party is happening here. Over a backdrop of a rather splendid Face F1st piece Guts has sprayed one of his characteristic doodles. The colours he uses really bring things to life, and when I use the word doodle, it is not in a derogatory way, but more a descriptive term for the aggregation of characters and forms. In some ways it shares a resemblance with Loch Ness.

Guts, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
Guts, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017

This spot is on a wall which is squeezed into a narrow stretch by the back of a skate ramp, and is therefore rather difficult to photograph. The more I see of Guts’ work, the more I like it. I haven’t seen too much of it around and will have to work harder to find it.

897. Dean Lane skate park (65)

When you see a really strong piece of writing like this and it says ASK, you can be pretty sure it is by Sled One, which indeed it is. This is a great work that the photograph fails to capture, there is some flaring on the lens, which is a bit annoying.

Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2017
Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2017

Although Sled One has been a little less active on the streets than he was, say a year ago, he is still capable of dazzling us with the quality of his pieces. He makes great choices with his colour selections and takes care with his shadings. I particularly like the eye sitting within the ‘A’, and the accent stars.

Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2017
Sled One, Dean Lane, Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2017Bristol, July 2017

A nice surprise down at the Deaner.

896. Stokes Croft, the Carriageworks (26)

This use to be one of the graffiti spots that I wrote about most frequently, but alas, the taggers have done their bit to deter a great many artists from spraying here. It is a pity, because these arches are probably the best feature walls in Bristol for street art.

Mr Draws, Stokes Croft, Bristol, July 2017
Mr Draws, Stokes Croft, Bristol, July 2017

This piece is a quick one from Mr Draws, that although probably not one of his best, is eye-catching nonetheless. You can make out the word ‘draw’ arising from a vanishing point to the left of the piece. I like the way that Mr Draws is fairly fearless about where he places his work, knowing that it is all ephemeral and that his own will in time be overwritten.

895. The Bearpit (78)

So the most prolific Bristol street artist, Laic217, continues to spread his love all over the city. This one is at the bottom of the steps on the north west side of The Bearpit. The story here is not entirely clear, but the bug spray would appear to be killing the bugs inside the skeleton’s head.

Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, July 2017
Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, July 2017

Laic217 is really perfecting these skull characters, and telling loads of stories on the way. There are emergent themes in his work: skulls and death generally; insects; bucket hats and spray cans. Few of his pieces don’t have two or more of these things.

Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, July 2017
Laic217, The Bearpit, Bristol, July 2017

You won’t have to wait long for another Laic217 post – I have several waiting in the wings.

894. Little Paradise (1)

I was on the hunt for a new spot in Bedminster, wandering around an area I am not so familiar with, and would you believe it? I came across this fabulous Feoflip piece in the charmingly named Little Paradise.

Feoflip, Little Paradise, Bristol July 2017
Feoflip, Little Paradise, Bristol July 2017

This must have been yet another of his little surprises left behind for Bristolians to enjoy from last year’s Upfest. His work is just amazing, and this is a perfect example from him. What is amazing is that several other Bristol graff spotters also found this piece recently, even though it has been here for some time. Scarily, we obviously walk the same routes. I sometimes wonder if I have a doppelganger.

893. Lower Approach Road (5)

Another fine piece at this relatively new location at Temple Meads station. This is a lovely work from Kid Crayon featuring a group of people and their obsessions with their mobile phones. Possibly representative of the crowds of people departing from and arriving at the station each and every day.

Kid Crayon, Lower Approach road, Bristol, June 2017
Kid Crayon, Lower Approach road, Bristol, June 2017

I am not sure if any of these characters are based on real people, but the fellow on the right eating his phone has an uncanny resemblance to Paul Monsters (Paul Roberts) who painted a collaboration with Copyright just around the corner.

Kid Crayon, Lower Approach road, Bristol, June 2017
Kid Crayon, Lower Approach road, Bristol, June 2017

Somehow no Kid Crayon piece feels complete without purple or blue-faced people, and here he offers lashings of them. The young girl actually looks quite sinister, reminiscent of the character from The Addams Family played by Christina Ricci.

Kid Crayon, Lower Approach road, Bristol, June 2017
Kid Crayon, Lower Approach road, Bristol, June 2017

Quite who the pretty lady with the squinty eye at the centre of the picture is I don’t know, but I love the detail of her necklace and freckled nose. All in all this is a superb piece from Kid Crayon…full of stories and beautifully executed.

Kid Crayon, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, June 2017
Kid Crayon, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, June 2017

892. Moon Street (32)

Once more we see a pairing of Laic217 and Cort on this hoarding panel in Moon Street. Unfortunately I arrived to photograph it just a little too late, and the Cort half has been dogged with a throw up. This is an all too familiar sight in the Stokes Croft area and can at times be really frustrating, and indeed has driven some artists away from the area, which is a real pity.

Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2017
Laic217, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2017

The Laic217 half of this collaboration features a rather menacing skull wearing a red bucket had with horns sticking through the top. the word ‘inferno’ stitched into the brim of the hat suggests that this may indeed be Satan.

Laic217 and Cort, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2017
Laic217 and Cort, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2017

Another nice piece from these artists and another weekly (at least) dose of Laic217.

I have just noticed that the shadow on the pavement in the bottom picture looks a little like it could be the shadow cast by Satan.

891. North Street Hoardings (8)

I think that Sirens must have been squatting uncomfortably on the ground for a while during the creation of this calming piece in North Street. It is tucked in amongst scaffolding and a small alcove, often used by graffiti artists and taggers. The space smells…well what should I say? a bit like a WC, and I guess that plenty of pub goers relieve themselves here after an evening out.

Sirens, North Street hoarding, Bristol, June 2017
Sirens, North Street hoarding, Bristol, June 2017

How fabulous then to see this uplifting piece so typical of Sirens. Silhouetted houses and rooftops with a magnificent setting sun; an inspirational piece so full of hope. I know that Sirens likes to surprise people with his choice of location and he has excelled with this one. I imagine many will walk past it none the wiser, but those who look around will see it and benefit from the joy it brings. Nice one Sirens!

890. Bedminster

On one of my lunchtime jaunts I got lucky enough to meet Andy Council working on a piece that didn’t incorporate animals, which judging from our conversation, I think is something of a ‘day off’ for him.

Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017
Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017

He was working on quite an awkward low stretch of wall on a ramp, but has managed to craft an impressive cityscape in his most distinctive style.

Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017
Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017

The location is a spot new to me, and there is a host of other treasures there from local graffiti artists. I’ll come on to these over the coming weeks.

Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017
Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017

What I particularly like about this work is the vibrant colours and use of the space. It shows how a bit of time spent in the hands of a skilled artist can improve the local environment of what was previously a dull grey utilitarian tiled pathway. Nice to meet Andy for the first time too.

889. Lower Approach Road (4)

This is a magnificent piece down on the black hoardings beside Temple Meads station by Lokey. His work is really beautiful and the 3D writing that he creates is so very easy on the eye.

Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017
Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017

A different take on wildstyle writing, Lokey never fails to impress. In this particular piece his colour selections work really well with the black background, and the way he has shaded the letters with graded greens adds another level of texture to the piece.

Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017
Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017

As with so many writers, he has included a little character to the right of the writing. The character is a beautifully sprayed robot whose edges are highlighted by the ‘glow’ coming from the letters. Masterful work.

Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017
Lokey, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, July 2017

Taking a close up look at his lettering gives a real appreciation of the technical skills needed to create the 3D effect. A lovely piece.