I think I first became aware of Peggy’s beautiful floral pieces in Dean Lane, a few yards from this one, so it is great to see how much she has come on and how much bolder and confident her work has become. This outstanding piece was painted alongside friends in a recent paint jam that covered as much wall space as possible in this corner of Dean Lane skate park.
Peggy, Dean Lane Bristol, September 2023
The colour selection for the piece is perhaps the first thing that draws the eye, but a closer look at the floral patterns and motifs adds to the overall enjoyment. The middle of the flowers contain little smiley or not smiley faces and Ying Yang motifs. And the trademark eyes at the centre of the larger flowers. A fine piece from Peggy, perfectly fitting the awkward spot.
Mr Draws appears to have found a new energy this summer, which is great to see, and he has been painting both his writing pieces and some interesting studies, mostly linked to nature. This is a colourful piece, notable mainly for its wonderful patchwork of fills.
Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2023
If I were to categorise Mr Draws’ work I would call it right out of the ‘Bristol School’ of street art. His style and that of others, like the PWA crew and RAW, is a stamp that, while not unique to Bristol, definitely belongs in Bristol. The colour fills appear to be random, not following any particular pattern, but have a freedom that lightens any intensity. A piece that is easy on the eye and full of positive vibes. Off to catch some more fish today.
Cheba is best known for his cosmic murals, many of which are still present after years, due to the locations of them, many being commissions on the sides of buildings. This piece painted as part of the 650 years of Bristol celebrations paint jam is something of a departure from what we are used to seeing, especially as it has been painted using brushes.
Cheba, Queen’s Road, Bristol, August 2023
The first thing I thought when I saw this painting was that it reminded me of Monet’s Water Lillies, which is a complement indeed. I think that scene could be of Brandon Hill and Cabot’s Tower, only a few hundred meters away from this spot. Bright, breezy and colourful, the piece is full of joy, and beautifully painted. Definitely a hidden aspect of Cheba’s talents.
You know it is going to be a good day when you find an Andy Council piece. When it happens, it is like one of those ‘my work is done here’ moments, if that makes sense. Andy council has had a comparatively quiet summer on the streets, so finding new and recent pieces has been something of a treat.
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2023
This wall is not the easiest to photograph, and before I had the capability to photograph with a wide angle, this piece would have presented me with a bit of a headache, and even with a wide angle aspect, it is still a little awkward. This panther (?) piece is the second animal to be painted by Andy Council on this wall recently (I will post the other one soon) and is styled in his extraordinary component composition. Each element of the creature is made up from bits of grating and pipe work, and other bits that look like they have come from a scrap heap, but combined, they make stunning whole. Beautiful and creative, this is a magnificent piece from Andy Council.
Today is the first day of a short break in Cornwall, and my focus is on dusting off my fishing gear and preparing myself for a day outdoors in the fresh air. Of course, my routine is likely to be a little disrupted, and my posts might get a little erratic as the week wears on, but that is fine. Today’s post features a fabulous piece by Inkie in the tunnel, from a paint jam at the end of August.
Inkie, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023
I am spoilt. There was a time when I used to get super-excited when I found work by Inkie, whose reputation precedes him, but these days I am fairly nonchalant about it, and even the presence of Goldie in this work in progress shot seem quite normal. Perhaps I have been doing this too long and am losing my edge.
Inkie, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023
The piece by Inkie is out of the top drawer, and I guess that in a paint jam of this calibre, everyone is under a little pressure to turn out their best work. Beautiful letters, outstanding fills and a sumptuous 3D drop shadow combine perfectly to render an archetypal Inkie piece. We are blessed.
On a recent drive around Bristol getting from one spot to another, I managed to stumble across a few Merny pieces that I hadn’t been aware of or hadn’t been able to locate. This one is on a shutter in Trinity Street next to a Taboo Pink Panther piece a little bit away from the beaten track. Shutters are tricky, because most of the time they are up and you don’t get to see the artwork.
Merny, Trinity Street, Bristol, September 2023
This philosophical piece features three passers-by and the words; “The earth spins on its axis, one man struggles while another relaxes”. I like that. The characters are painted in Merny’s naïve style and reflect everyday people. Naturally there are little identification numbers and lines dotted about the place, consistent with most of Merny’s recent works.
Dibz, Cheo and Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
I don’t often place work in progress (WIP) shots as the feature image, preferring to have the completed piece in all its glory, but in this instance I have gone for it, showing three masters at work, Dibz, Cheo and Fade.
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
The turnover on this wall this year has been quite staggering, and the bar has been raised a few notches on the quality of pieces that appear there. On the left Dibz has done his stuff with pin-point accuracy and a crispness that is synonymous with his work.
Cheo, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
The beast of a piece in the middle is by Cheo, and is frankly utterly brilliant. The overweight character is holding a spray can (a popular theme I have commented on many times in this blog) and looking like he might have had a beer too many the night before. The genius of the piece is the ‘Hello Kitty’ underpants creeping out of the top of the character’s trousers. The hairy belly and five o’clock shadow are nice touches too.
Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
To the right, Fade reflects the colours, and to a certain extent the style, of Dibz’ writing on the other side of Cheo’s character. There is some mirroring of fills and drips too. The key difference between the two is the complexity of the design and thickness of the letters. Perhaps one day it will not be possible to distinguish between the two. A superb Triptych.
Doors 236 – Lincoln City doors (Part VIII) – Gateways of Lincoln
This September, and the months leading up to it, has been an incredibly busy time for me at work, landing four major projects. I hope that things will start to calm down a bit and that I will have a bit more time to allow space for creativity and imagination. I have found it difficult to keep my blog posts going through this period, but have managed to maintain the discipline, which is good for my mental health. Unfortunately the haikus have dropped off, but I am excited to get back into a rhythm with them.
I will be treating myself to a few days in Cornwall on my annual fishing trip, starting tonight and it is the perfect way to ‘come down’ from such high intensity.
This week I pick up with some more Lincoln doors which I have broadly themed into gateways, most of which would have had gates or doors at some point. After this week, I think there might be a fun leftovers post, before moving on to some Italian treats from the summer. Here we go:
Little and large gates, Lincoln, July 2023
Exchequer Gate, Lincoln, July 2023
Lincoln Guildhall gateway from the north, Lincoln, July 2023
Lincoln Guildhall gateway from the south, Lincoln, July 2023
Priory Arch gateway, Lincoln, July 2023
Stokes High Bridge over the River Witham, Lincoln, July 2023
OK, so a bridge with a Tudor building over a river isn’t technically a gateway, but is is a rather impressive sight and one I wanted to include. The doors below were up the passage way on the right of the building, near the spiral fire escape.
Tudor door, Stokes High Bridge, Lincoln, July 2023
Side entrance door, Stokes High Bridge, Lincoln, July 2023
One final push with work this morning before I go on my escape. I hope you have a great end of week and 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.
Natural adventures 