.
Sweetest victory
sweeter for last minute goals
more than just a game
.
by Scooj
5473. M32 roundabout J3 (506)
I would have to say that seeing new artwork pretty much every day of my life fills me with deep pleasure, but there are some artists that max out that feeling and one of them is Sled One. Possibly better known for his wild and surreal character pieces, Sled One is a fantastically accomplished graffiti writer too, as this piece on the roundabout demonstrates.
I guess the thing that stands out in this beautifully crafted piece is the fill in the letters SLED1. To me the fill looks like an old stone wall with a choppy sea alongside. Whatever it is meant to be, what is remarkable is that it is contiguous throughout the letters, creating a scene to be viewed through the letters. Some mint-green flashes add further interest. This is a masterful piece of writing from one of Bristol’s best.
You can view a gallery of Sled One’s extraordinary work here
5472. Greenbank (94)
The sun wasn’t being kind when I took these pictures of Mind 49’s wonderful car piece recently, and these photographs really don’t do justice to the vibrant green paint used for the car. This amazing piece I find a little paradoxical, but I have got my head around it. There are elements that are a little ‘off’, for example the tyres are a little out of shape, and yet the reflections in the glass and panels of the car are nothing short of brilliant. The windows in particular give the impression that the car has been parked under some trees. An amazing effect.
Sitting over the car is a huge number 49, a number that plays a significant part in Mind 49’s life, having changed his moniker from Mind Control a year or two back. If you look carefully, he has also written the letters MIND in tiny little letters over the side of the car. This piece is a real treat and one of my favourite of the year so far. Note to self: isn’t it about time we had a Mind gallery?
5471. Brunel Way (225)
Absolutely brilliant! It feels like a long time since Mr Underbite last hit the streets and here he is on a wall that he has occupied at least twice before now. Looking splendid on a lavender background, this black and white version of our hero looks very fine.
There are a number of similarities between the look and feel of Mr Underbite, and Asre’s character portraits from a year or two back, but I think I have come to the conclusion that they are not the same artist. In this piece our hapless friend is wearing a flat beanie, the best kind, which we used to call a Bennie hat, after the character in Crossroads. Indeed, the rather unflattering name that the squaddies in the Falkland Islands bestowed upon the Falklanders was ‘Bennies’ a term that had become naturalised by the time I arrived there in 1987.
Postie
.
Familiar face
and community hero
Andy the postman
.
by Scooj
5470. Brunel Way (224)
It was while he was finishing off this writing/character piece that I first met Bean, and what a decent bloke he is too. We chatted for a while, and I was impressed by his knowledge of other artists in the city, which believe me, isn’t always the case with graffiti writers or street artists, who can sometimes be locked into their own work or crew and immediate friends.
I don’t know where Bean refined his skills before coming to Bristol, but he has definitely hit the ground running with immaculately finished work. This piece combines his character skills with a lovely piece of writing in great colours. The whole thing might have benefited from buffing the wall, to help it stand out a little from the fairly busy wall beneath it. There is an awful lot to like about this piece, and indeed the others that are adjacent to it. For a short while, this stretch of wall was ‘owned’ by Bean. I am definitely enjoying what he has to offer, and look forward to more from him.
5469. Dean Lane skate park (633)
Noise has only recently come into my consciousness, but I don’t know whether that is because he is reasonably new to Bristol or whether I simply had a blind spot. Whatever the reason, I seem to see his pieces on a reasonably regular basis, which is great, because I like his rather big brash letters.
This piece on the recently bricked up wall under one of the large Dean Lane skate park ramps spells out NOISE in great big chunky letters that take no prisoners. There is plenty of room for fills, which are beautifully done in turquoise and white, bounded by tidy black borders and drop shadow and a red outline. This is another attractive piece from Noise.
5468. River Avon (51)
With the turnover of art in Bristol being such as it is, I get an awful lot of pieces left behind in my archives, and then I forget whether I have posted them or not. I guess that this is a bit of a first-world problem, but it troubles me a little. I was certain that I had posted this piece by Wxttsart, but it would seem as though I hadn’t. It is still in great condition, so perhaps it is relatively recent, and I am mistaking it for another similar piece. Anyhoo, it is a bit of a blinder.
I describe Wxttsart’s work as a bit of a blend of calligraffiti with a touch of anti-style. I’m not too sure how the artist would describe it, but it is unique and always recognisable. The red script letters spelling MILK are nicely proportioned (a feature of calligraffiti) and have been bestowed with a deep 3D drop shadow in lilac shades. The whole thing is set on a fine green cloudy backdrop which contrasts well with the letters. This is another great piece from Wxttsart.
5467. East Street
A rare foray into a part of Bedminster last week, looking for something that wasn’t there, led me to East Street, long after the shops had shut, which meant only one thing, a glimpse at closed shutter artwork that I hadn’t even been aware of before and which might have been there for some time. Among the discoveries was this gem from Andy Council.
From the signature, it looks like Andy Council painted this composite dinosaur piece in 2022, so it is possible that it was painted as an extra piece for Upfest, but more likely it might have been a permitted or commissioned piece from the shop store owners. As with much of Andy Council’s work, the whole monster character is made up of different components, including buildings and mechanical joints. He has thrown in a few toadstools for good measure too. I was most happy to come across this, especially as the things I was looking for didn’t even seem to exist.
5466. Cumberland Basin
I don’t quite know if Mind 49 has moved to Bristol, the West of England or something like that, but he is painting in the city much more frequently than he used to and, I have to say, he is knocking it out of the park on a regular basis. This pink portrait piece was his contribution to Werm’s birthday paint jam a little while back.
Mind 49 has a great touch, and his artwork almost looks like it has been painted with brushes. His portrait work is excellent, and he hasn’t gone down the route of super photorealistic, giving his pieces a bit of street authenticity, I like to think. The material on the jacket has been well painted, with plenty of texture, shading and folds that give it depth. Mind 49 is really establishing himself with this kind of portrait work in Bristol.
Natural adventures 