4727. Cheltenham 2022 (12)

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IMG_1111_edited

Even though Aspire no longer lives in Bristol, I have managed to come across some of his work this year, which is a joyful thing. Of all the artists that have left Bristol in recent years, I miss his work (and that of Kleiner Shames) the most. Thank goodness for festivals such as Upfest and the Cheltenham Paint Festival, which have encouraged Aspire to leave London and share his work in the provinces.

Aspire, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022
Aspire, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022

This piece is an absolute belter, with a beautiful Robin, set alongside some silver birch trees and weirdly a bottle of sun spray. I’m not quite sure I get the significance of the plastic bottle, but it certainly sets up an interesting juxtaposition in the piece. As always the whole thing is superbly crafted, and Aspire’s pixelated sections perform the job of a signature. Top work from Aspire.

4726. Cheltenham 2022 (11)

Korp, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022
Korp, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022

You might recall that I posted a piece by Korp only a few days ago of his Upfest piece. Here he is again with another fine ‘worm’ character portrait, this time from the Cheltenham Paint Festival.

Korp, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022
Korp, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022

The character in greyscale with some pink elements is rather cute, if that is the right word, peering from the boarding out at viewers, feathers either side of its face. What Korp does really effectively is create shadows with different shades of paint, to create depth in the face, all of which is done with sharp lines and great solid fills. This is another fine festival piece from Korp.

Weekend saved

.

North London derby

where there can only be one

come on you gunners

.

by Scooj

4725. St Werburghs tunnel (311)

Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022
Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022

It is always tough to lose those we love and care about, and no matter how often it happens, it doesn’t seem to get any easier. Grief is a powerful and important emotion, and through it we remember what we have lost. Stivs has painted several tribute pieces for his friend Sear, and each one is a touching reminder.

Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022
Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022

This piece, at the farm-side entrance to the tunnel combines Stivs’ calligraffiti with a little bit of landscape in the orange circles. The colours are eye-catching and the whole thing on-point, although the lettering and the circles look a little bit out of balance, but maybe that is just me. A fine tribute from a loyal friend.

4724. Elton Street (11)

Slakarts, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
Slakarts, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

It was a genuine pleasure to see this lovely piece from Slakarts, because I haven’t seen much of his work lately. I am hoping that his absence from the streets is an indication that his work is going well. Balancing work and pleasure can be a challenge, but you’ve got to keep those shekels coming in.

Slakarts, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
Slakarts, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

Adopting the same colour scheme as the other pieces in this collection of Elton Street pieces, Slakarts has painted a rather special mural, with a lot more content than his customary stylised portrait. There is a semi-rural landscape, some high rise flats and flowers, accompanying the character. On-point and very clean, this is a wonderful piece from Slakarts.

4723. M32 Spot (144)

Creamylines, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2022
Creamylines, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2022

It is interesting how some artists simply appear out of nowhere, without warning. Sometimes you get to watch an artist from the start, working on their style and developing their skills, but at other times a fully ‘up to speed’ artist just starts painting, either a visitor to Bristol or a recent mover to the city.

Creamylines, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2022
Creamylines, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2022

Creamylines is one of those ‘just appeared’ artists, and three new pieces under the M32 and another one in Easton are there for all to enjoy. His style is so very different from anything else we have in Bristol, and you can see how he goes about his work in this Instagram post on the artist’s thread. It is a privilege to welcome him to the Bristol scene.

4722. M32 Cycle path (187)

Cort, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, September 2022
Cort, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, September 2022

One of the most consistent and busy artists in Bristol is Cort, an artist who likes to keep a low profile and stay out of the limelight. This is a wonderfully striking piece by Cort that switches things up a little bit, as he usually likes to write his name. Here he has written PAD KS, both, I think are crew names.

Cort, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, September 2022
Cort, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, September 2022

I have only met Cort on a couple of occasions, which is weird really, given the amount he paints and how often I am out and about. The colours of this piece are nicely juxtaposed, with a vibrant red background and dark grey letters with a black 3d drop shadow. There are a couple of signature yellow strings and shiny circles to add interest. All in all, this is a very nice piece from Cort.

4721. Dean Lane skate park (529)

Qwynto, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022
Qwynto, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022

When you photograph street/graffiti art two or three times a week, every week, you become very used to and familiar with ‘Bristol’ art, even if you can’t identify the artist. That might sound strange, but Bristol art has a look and feel, even across the diverse range of artists and styles, and anything that is not Bristol art, stands out a mile. When I saw this piece, it stood out a mile!

Qwynto, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022
Qwynto, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022

Qwynto is an artist based in the UK, but I am not entirely sure where, but I note he has painted in Haringey and Brighton recently, so I am guessing he is from the south-east of England. He took a trip to Bristol and left behind this wonderful piece. It has something that remind me of Mudra and Kid Crayon, and although there are similarities, there are also differences. His use of colour and tone is fantastic, bringing about a very soft pastel effect, and the writing incorporates a portrait and some other contextual elements, such as the car tyre and plants. This work is right up my street, and I am thrilled that Qwynto visited us in Bristol. Fabulous.

4720. Elton Street (10)

The Hass, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
The Hass, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

What an absolute stunner from The Hass. There is little more to say about it really. The portrait piece is a little bit similar in style to some of the recent pieces by Hazard, combining a photorealistic portrait with repetition and abstract ideas, and some interesting colour tones as well.

The Hass, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
The Hass, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

The more I look at the piece, the more I see. The incomplete portrait tricks your brain into completing it. It is quite incredible to think that this has all been painted with spray cans and not a paint brush in sight. I really don’t know how these guys do it. A masterpiece from The Hass.

Thursday doors – 29 September 2022

Doors 196 – Porto doors (Part 10)

This week I am continuing with the Porto doors (don’t worry, I am nearly finished with these) and the theme this time is green doors. Enjoy:

Green door and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Green door and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

 

Green door 13, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Green door 13, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

 

Arched green door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Arched green door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

 

Green door 88, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Green door 88, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

 

Metal and glass green door , Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Metal and glass green door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

 

Green door with a drawing by artist Costah, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Green door with a drawing by artist Costah, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

 

Elaborate green door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Elaborate green door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

I have to crack on with a ton of other stuff, so not much commentary this week. I hope you are all safe and well, whether you are being battered by storms or by financial collapse – we live in dynamic times.

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