.
Ancient island town
coined Croatia’s Bethlehem
salt pans surround it
.
by Scooj
4630. M32 roundabout J3 (423)
There was a time when I endeavoured to publish every piece that I found by Mr Draws, however, with the emergence of so many artists in recent years, it has become almost impossible to show that loyalty to some of my favourites of days gone by. Mr Draws still paints them, but I only post maybe one I three, which is a real pity.
This one on the M32 roundabout is a real beauty in chrome, with a straightforward design concept… chrome letters, blue caps with drips, a pink ‘electric’ ribbon and a few cracks in the letters for interest. The whole thing is nice to look at and great to see from ‘old faithful’.
4629. Sparke Evans Park (51)
I feel it is only fair to myself that I explain that this week’s posts are likely to be rather short, because I am on holiday. As I write, I am accompanied by the sound of church bells ringing, which seems to happen at 9am every morning. Who needs an alarm clock?
This is a another fabulous Funnybones piece by Haka, after the genius of the Ahlbergs, author and illustrator of some wonderful children’s books. I believe this is the third Funnybones piece in this spot. I posted the second, and I have a feeling that I have photographed the first, but have yet to publish it. It is all great fun, and long may the tradition last.
Ant lion
.
Beautiful, graceful
adult form belies larval
ruthless cruelty
.
by Scooj
4628. Purdown (46)
From time to time, I have found it quite difficult to locate some of Conrico’s work, especially pieces that are buried deep in Easton. Recently, however, he has been much more obliging, painting in places that I tend to visit more frequently.
This piece, on one of the concrete slabs, up at the Purdown anti-aircraft battery is a rather nice Western scene, reminiscent of Films I used to watch as a kid. A long-time dead and desiccated body lies at the base of the letters CONRICO, with sculptured rock formations and desert sand as a backdrop. Atmospheric and great fun from Conrico.
Another country
.
Arrival at last
relaxation begins here
life’s burdens lifted
.
by Scooj
4626. Chatterton Square (4)
This is a spot I don’t visit too often, which is a mistake as there is usually some pretty good stuff to look at here. This is a lovely piece of writing, in soft colours, by RichT (I think) which looks like it spells out LOUIS or LOUISE or LOUISA.
Each letter plays its individual part in this creation, which is as much about the flower and face as it is about the writing. There is something quite cartoony about it, that makes it all rather endearing. A fine piece tucked away opposite Temple Meads station.
4625. Upfest 2022 (40)
The very first time I saw Zabou’s work was at an Upfest festival a few years ago. After that I saw more of her work on a couple of trips to London and have become a big fan. Her photorealistic portraits are among the best in the world, and it is a privilege when she comes to visit the west of England, in particular Bristol and Cheltenham.
All I know about this magnificent portrait piece is that it is called stuck, and given that I was a little bit behind the curve, I never saw her painting it, but only as the final completed work, which meant I couldn’t even ask her about it.
I love the way that the face is slightly compressed and contorted in the places where it comes in contact with the hole in the wall. I also love the overall trompe l’oeil effect of the painted brick wall.
This is a magnificent piece that adds weight to the international status of Upfest and helps to draw visitors and inward investment to the city. We have come a long way since Banksy and his contemporaries. A truly stunning piece from Zabou.
Elvish
.
Did my eyes deceive
I saw a girl with elf ears
prosthetic or real?
.
by Scooj
4624. Upfest 2022 (39)
It is always great to see Decay painting in Bristol, too much of a rarity these days, and even better when he teams up with Mudra. Although their styles are totally different, they have managed to work well together on this hoarding to divide the space up and allow their pieces to ‘talk to each other.
To the left are some fine initials, DK, bound together by the irrepressible ‘Chuck’, who is very much missed in the city. To the right, Mudra has spelled out his name with an eclectic mix of letter styles, reminiscent of SkyHigh’s approach to writing. The black background brings out the best in both pieces on this collaborative board. Nice one.
