5773. St Werburghs tunnel (399)

Raid, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2023
Raid, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2023

At around the time that this piece is published, my beloved Arsenal FC will be a few minutes into their first league match in a couple of weeks, against Crystal Palace, and I will be at the Emirates Stadium cheering them on. The result of the game could determine my mood for the next few days, so I am keeping my fingers very firmly crossed. Naturally, I have had to plan my day carefully, and I wrote this post last night, to provide continuity of publishing my daily two street/graffiti art posts at around 11.55 and 12.55 UK time.

Raid, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2023
Raid, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2023

Raid is another artist who has been regularly hitting the walls of Bristol throughout last year, constantly adjusting and refining his letters to great effect. This one in the tunnel is a little bit more like some of the first pieces I saw of his, back in March last year, with an ornate lower case ‘a’. There is a very nice colourful fill with a cosmic feel to it, and enough of a background to help the letters pop. Definitely time for a gallery, even though I have less than one year’s worth of photographs of Raid’s work. Watch this space.

Come on you Gunners!

5772. Brunel Way (252)

Jevoissoul, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2023
Jevoissoul, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2023

I am rather fond of Jevoissoul’s work. It doesn’t have the sharpness or precision of writers like Dibz or Smak, nor does it create extraordinary characters in the way that Sled One or 3Dom can, for example, but it has a charm and authenticity that underpins the vast spectrum of art and graffiti that we see in Bristol. On such solid foundations great things are built.

Jevoissoul, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2023
Jevoissoul, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2023

Jevoissoul has painted two of his characters with ‘Popeye’ smiles. The fills and shading is basic and effective, creating some contrast and depth in its simplest form. No Jevoissoul piece is complete without the word ‘slow’ in attendance, although I don’t know why he writes it, nor why it is pointed at the character on the left. One for the next conversation I have with the artist.

Arsenal v Crystal Palace

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Break the winter break

my adrenaline pumping

gun down the eagles

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by Scooj

* after a bit of a pause, my beloved Arsenal resume their season, having had a run of bad results before the winter break. For those not familiar with the English Premier football league, the nicknames for Arsenal and Palace respectively are The Gunners and The Eagles.

Also, Arsenal are the only team in the English football league who are not named after a place (although they were originally called the Woolwich Arsenal). The area of Arsenal in North London and the underground station are named after the football club after it relocated from Woolwich and dropped that part of the name.

5771. Purdown (65)

Benjimagnetic, Purdown, Bristol, December 2023
Benjimagnetic, Purdown, Bristol, December 2023

I recognised the style, but couldn’t put a name to it when I first saw and photographed this classy piece up on Purdown. I had to do a google search when I got home and then the penny dropped that ‘Sentinel 793’ is the music moniker that is used by Benjimagnetic, so here is a piece using his graffiti writing skills to promote his music skills.

Benjimagnetic, Purdown, Bristol, December 2023
Benjimagnetic, Purdown, Bristol, December 2023

I guess this cross advertising worked to a degree as I have just been listening to some of his tracks, and although not really my cup of tea, they are nicely produced. The writing and the dancing character in particular, are, on reflection, easy to spot as Benjimagnetic pieces in retrospect. The blue and gold colours work really nicely together in this unusual piece.

5770. Hatherly Road

Carla James, Hatherly Road, Bristol, December 2023
Carla James, Hatherly Road, Bristol, December 2023

It has taken me an eternity to stop and photograph this stunning nature mural by Carla James, something that has been on my ‘to do’ list for a couple of years at least. I managed to walk up to the spot just before Christmas whilst seeking out some presents for my family. I have only seen Carla James’ work once before, and that was at Upfest 21. Curiously enough, one of the presents that I bought for my son was a beautiful fish print by another Upfest artist, Rosie McLay.

Carla James, Hatherly Road, Bristol, December 2023
Carla James, Hatherly Road, Bristol, December 2023

Carla James has created a beautiful vision in which there is a seamless transition from a tropical reef below to forest foliage and airborne creatures. There is a calmness and huge sense of the balance of nature in the piece, with some lovely illustrations of turtles, fish, plants and butterflies. The central hummingbird is the link between this piece and her outstanding Upfest mural. Carla James’ website is a treasure trove, and her biography explains the connection with tropical and exotic scenes. At last, one I can tick off my list.

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

5769. Cumberland Basin

Abbie Laura Smith, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2023
Abbie Laura Smith, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2023

Vigorously waving the banner for paste-ups in Bristol, pretty much single-handedly, is Abbey Laura Smith with her intriguing black and white portraits. Regular readers of Natural Adventures will know that I am an admirer of paste-ups or wheatpastes, and will drone on about how we just don’t see many in the city these days. This niche art form must not be confused with bill posters, which in my view are a plague, driven by the selfish interests of advertising for a product or a cause – they (in my very humble view) are not art in themselves despite being illustrated in most cases by graphic designers or artists, but are tomorrow’s litter, and today’s eyesore. Well we all have opinions, and that is mine, so there!

Abbie Laura Smith, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2023
Abbie Laura Smith, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2023

Wheatpasting is as much about the siting of the piece as the art itself, and Abbie Laura Smith has done a great job in thinking about the placement of this portrait on a utility box in Cumberland Basin. The artwork itself is a clean and crisp line drawing of a pretty lady, with some nice ‘graffiti drips’ at the base. I hope that Abbie’s efforts encourage a revival of this lost art in Bristol.

5768. Dean Lane skate park (677)

As the leaves die and fall on the hedge that skirts the railings between the skate park and the swimming pool wall in Dean Lane, it becomes easier to see what has been painted on the wall behind, although once revealed, it is difficult to know how long the pieces have been there. I like to think I am reasonably on the ball with this kind of thing, but I really don’t know how old this piece by Trafficity is.

Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2023
Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2023

Trafficity is a rolling constant in the Bristol street art scene. Painting the same ZIOM letters in the same way, with only the colour palette and some small details to distinguish between pieces. I particularly like the colours he has used in this piece, especially as they blend well with the few dangly leaves from the hedge. Always consistent, always classy.

Silver

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Thick frosted pastures

shimmer under pink-tinged clouds

this is my treasure

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by Scooj

Thursday doors – 18 January 2024, Cotehele, Cornwall

Doors 249 – Cotehele doors, Cornwall (part II)

I am in London today running a workshop, so prepared this post in haste (post haste – geddit?) last night, hence the brevity.

These doors are a part II from a visit my family made to Cotehele, a National Trust property just outside Plymouth, back in August last year. This week we go from outside the property to look at some of the interior doors, which represent the most eclectic collection of doors I have found anywhere in one place. There will be more to follow next time.

One of many entrance doors on the building, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023
One of many entrance doors on the building, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023

Studded door with interesting door furniture an fittings, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023
Studded door with interesting door fittings (and fire extinguisher), Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023

Solid old door (and fire extinguisher), Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023
Solid old door (and fire extinguisher), Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023

Internal archway, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023
Internal archway, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023

Old door to the wine cellar, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023
Old door to the wine cellar, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023

Entrance door, hidden tapestry door and exit door, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023
Entrance door, hidden tapestry door and exit door, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023

Three wooden doors, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023
Three wooden doors, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023

Door to the 'smallest room', Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023
Door to the ‘smallest room’, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023

Archway and doors. Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023
Archway and doors. Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023

If you should ever find yourself in the Plymouth area, then I would thoroughly recommend a trip to this incredible place. More interior doors to come next time, until then, may I wish you a great 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.

by Scooj

Thursday Doors 2024 logo

Charming

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No small gathering

a tree-full of goldfinches

some two score or more

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by Scooj