4978. Dean Lane skate park (561)

Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022
Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022

Maybe emerged on the Bristol scene in 2021 and has grown from strength to strength, building a reputation in the street art community over the last couple of years. His work is original and intriguing, working on themes of interlocking faces and galactic scenes. This ramp piece is a large interlocking face variant.

Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022
Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022

This side of the ramp is actually a really great place to paint, because is receives a minimum of scuffing from skaters. As Maybe pieces go, this is a rather large one, and in his slightly older style. I am hoping to see great things from this unique artist, and it would be great to catch up with him again as he is a lovely man.

Inversion

Inversion, Alpe d’Huez, France, January 2023
Inversion, Alpe d’Huez, France, January 2023

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Islands in the mist

towns and villages submerged

angel dust falling

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by Scooj

 

 

4977. River Avon (38)

Soap, River Avon, Bristol, December 2022
Soap, River Avon, Bristol, December 2022

This piece by Soap, was so good, I had to photograph it twice. The first time I tried, the results were terrible on account of strong sun and shade scattered over the piece. I made sure that my return visit was on an overcast day, with some better images.

Soap, River Avon, Bristol, December 2022
Soap, River Avon, Bristol, December 2022

Soap likes painting this character, which I think might be based on the cartoon character Ice King from the animated TV series Adventure Time, although I am not completely sure about that. This creation is a thing of beauty, and not only features the chrcter, but also spells out SOAP. A few gems thrown in for good measure, this is a masterclass in contemporary writing from Soap.

4976. Montpelier Park

Smak, Montpelier Park, Bristol, December 2022
Smak, Montpelier Park, Bristol, December 2022

I have been a little bit slack when it comes to posting recent pieces by Smak. I feel I have rather taken his amazing writing a little for granted, and I know I have several of his pieces from last year lurking in my archive. My bad.

Smak, Montpelier Park, Bristol, December 2022
Smak, Montpelier Park, Bristol, December 2022

Here is a lovely recent piece over in Montpelier Park, that looks incredibly weathered, but I think it is the effect that Smak wanted to convey, rather than that it is weathered, if that makes sense. Subtle colours and lots of lovely drips, interrupted only by a few tinges of red, blue and pink. There is something almost Miroesque about the final work, which is a real beauty.

Injury to insult

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Hyperextension

sustained walking down mountain

after skis were pinched

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by Scooj

4975. St Werburghs tunnel (342)

Dott Rotten, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2022
Dott Rotten, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2022

Dott Rotten is without doubt one of the best writers in Bristol, although he is just one artist in a very strong field. This beautiful ‘spoilt’ piece is filled with fruit salad colours, transitioning sweetly between the letters, with characteristic detailing and supreme finishing with clean lines and edges.

Dott Rotten, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2022
Dott Rotten, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2022

The whole piece contrasts perfectly with the blue background of clouds and bubbles. To the right hand edge is the word Jelly, although I have no idea what this refers to. As with so many of Dott Rotten’s pieces, it is extra large, and took up the space of at least two typical pieces you might find in the tunnel. More magnificent work from the maestro.

4974. Purdown (51)

Full Time Ghoul, Purdown, Bristol, January 2023
Full Time Ghoul, Purdown, Bristol, January 2023

It feels good to post a new piece by Full Time Ghoul, because so many of his pieces end up in my archives without ever seeing the light of day, something I must resolve somehow, because I genuinely like his motif and the way he fills spots all over Bristol.

Full Time Ghoul, Purdown, Bristol, January 2023
Full Time Ghoul, Purdown, Bristol, January 2023

This trio of green skulls set on a fiery red and orange background is really rather special. I’m not too sure bout this, but the top of the skulls look like they spell OSM, although I have no idea what this stands for. Nice work from FTG.

Not skiing 🤬

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Stopped for mountain lunch

some pillock ‘borrowed’ my skis

long ski-boot walk home

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by Scooj

4973. Green bank (68)

Haka, Greenbank, Bristol, January 2023
Haka, Greenbank, Bristol, January 2023

Haka has been living in a purple patch of form for at least a year, and pretty much all of his work over that time has featured children’s book or comic book characters. In this piece he has painted a brilliant Percival Proudfoot Plugsley (or Plug as he was known) from the Beano Bash Street Kids.

Haka, Greenbank, Bristol, January 2023
Haka, Greenbank, Bristol, January 2023

The portrait also doubles up as the second ‘A’ in HAKA. Haka has brought a lot of joy to Bristol’s streets, shining a little light on his world of bringing up a young family, with loads of children’s characters. Gotta love this one.

4972. Dean Lane skate park (559)

Mind Control, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2023
Mind Control, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2023

As artists develop, they often change their names or identities, and that has happened with Mind Control, who naw goes by the name Mind 49. This kind of name change presents me with a bit of a conundrum. Do I continue my posts referring to the artist under their old name (which makes my whole system of filing and archiving so much easier) or switch to their new name? As you can see from the image captions, I have decided to go with Mind Control’s old name for the time being.

Mind Control, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2023
Mind Control, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2023

Mind Control has come such a long way, and his latent talent as a teenager is shining through now. This portrait piece in the tunnel is a first-class piece of art, that has a strong fine art feel to it. I have commented before that Mind Control’s work always seems to have an element of menace and I sense that here… the covering of the face and the chain tell you that all is not entirely well here. A fine piece indeed.