Visiting artists are always welcome in Bristol, and how nice it is to see a calligraffiti artist to add to the talents of Stivs and Todoaciem. There is something appealing about writing beautiful letters in beautiful fonts, with accuracy and attention to detail, and Elroy has done a particularly fine job here.
Elroy, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022
The letters are nicely proportioned, although I wonder if the ‘r’ and ‘o’ could be a little closer to each other. The addition of a twisted rope and a framed pink background add a crispness to the whole piece. I would love to see more from this sign-writer murallist.
Two artists that you could probably set your watch by are Face 1st and Mr Draws – both produce pieces with reassuring regularity, providing some stability and reference points in this topsy-turvy world.
Mr Draws, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2022
This piece is quite typical of Mr Draws’ work, although it feels a little bit laterally compressed, he usually likes to spread his letters out a little more. If this was by a different artist, I might describe it as a ‘dregs’ piece, meaning that it was an opportunity to finish up almost empty cans. However, Mr Draws loves to use lots of colour in his pieces, so this might simply be a joyful burst of colour.
It is a bit of a busy day today, so I am having to rush this post a little. Porto is an extraordinary city and has an eclectic mix of old and new architecture and well-preserved and derelict buildings all in close proximity, adding to the visual interest of the place. You never quite know what surprises there are going to be around the corner. This week, I have themed the doors loosely around retail – I hope you enjoy them.
Art nouveau shop front, doorway and door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022Neo classical? shop front, doorway and door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022Art nouveau shop front, doorway and door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022Ornate shop front, doorway and door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022Possibly my favourite door of the trip, Porto, Portugal, June 2022Doors on a shop front that has known better times, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
May I wish you a happy rest of week, and to those of you in the UK, I hope you don’t fry over the 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.
This is a fine collaborative wall from Mr Klue, and The Cat Came Back (who has possibly one of the best street art names in Bristol, although it is a competitive field). Mr Klue has been painting these walls more regularly of late, but it is a long while since I last saw much from The Cat Came Back.
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2022
To the left, and well within Mr Klue’s ‘safety zone’ is another fine abstract piece from the artist, in which it is possible to decipher the letters KLUE, if you look carefully. The whispy elements, and organic shapes are so unique to Mr Klue, and unlike anything else we see in Bristol.
The Cat Came Back, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2022
To the right, is a beautifully executed and proportioned set of letters, I think spelling out MEAT, with a cat face for the ‘A’. The fill patterns, on alternate letters are well done, and the white accent lines are very effective in lifting the letters out of the wall, a trick used by writers to create a 3D effect. Great to see these two painting together.
Felix Braun or FLX as he is known is one of the godfather’s of street art in Bristol and author of the wonderful ‘Children of the Can’ books. His street work these days tends to be commission-based or the occasional appearance at a festival. He has been rather busy in Bristol lately, which is obviously good news.
Felix Braun, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2022
This piece on the M32 cycle path is highly unusual because it appears to be a sanctioned commission (who else gets to paint behind temporary railings?) on a wall that normally plays host to high turnover graffiti and tagging. I don’t know how Felix Braun has swung this, not do I know how long it will remain untagged, but for the meanwhile it is a case of sitting back and admiring this huge piece.
Felix Braun, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2022
The overall message is ‘Love Bristol’ or ‘Bristol loves you’ which is preaching to a converted audience. The piece itself is a showcase for FLX’s themes of silhouetted people, and of overlapping letters in different colours, creating third colours where the overlap occurs.
Felix Braun, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2022
In the heart section, the word love appears in several different languages and scripts, most of which I cannot read, but I am pretty sure they all say love. This is a positive message and one that we are in desperate need of in the UK right now.
Felix Braun, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2022
Let’s hope that the positive messaging translates into positive outcomes, starting with a total change in government… that would be nice.
There is never a time when I am not excited to find a piece by Hire (pronounced Hee Ray, just in case you were wondering), whether it is one of his character rabbits or some of his highly technical writing, it always brings a smile to my face and it feels like life is good, in spite of the turbulent landscape.
Hire, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022
This gorgeous piece under Brunel Way is an absolute beauty. The letters are easy to read and the artwork less frenetic than we might be used to. Set on a clean, buffed grey wall and with glowing orange tones, the red letters and deep grey and white 3D shadow are clearly defined and stand out. This is a finely crafted piece from a talented graffiti writer.
With the very congested field of artists currently painting in Bristol, and the addition of Upfest and a trip to Porto, my cup overfloweth with captured images of street art (I am still covering June art!). It is important that in all this excitement I don’t ignore our good old regulars who paint day in and day out to keep our walls decorated.
Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2022
This is a lovely piece in the tunnel from Kool Hand, featuring his orangutan character using a spray can with pink paint to decorate the tunnel walls. The piece is framed in a black bordered rectangle, which almost looks like a window into the orangutan’s world. A nice stand alone piece.
Natural adventures 