4291. Peel Street Green (6)

I have been pleasantly surprised by how many New pieces Haka is creating these days, or perhaps I am just getting better at finding them and posting them. Either way, his influence and impact on the Bristol street art scene is tangible and significant.

Haka, Peel Street Green, Bristol, March 2022
Haka, Peel Street Green, Bristol, March 2022

This is a fabulous and fun piece on the long wall at Peel Street Green, and features a Garfield cartoon character driving a railroad engine through a rural scene. Jesse is a name that appears on some of Haka’s works, but I can’t help wanting to make the link to Jesse James, although I don’t think there is one. This is a lovely clean and tidy piece painted in Haka’s very individual idiosyncratic style. Two blog posts from this artist in two days… maybe it is time for a gallery.

4290. Dean Lane skate park (471)

Although I was very pleased to see this piece from the revitalised Biers, I was at the same time gutted to find that he had sprayed over a magnificent Ceus piece that I saw as a work in progress (WIP) but never got to see in its final form. Such a pity as it was really rather magnificent. The law of the jungle!

Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2022
Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2022

Biers, who currently writes WD40 has created a piece with his always recognisable lettering style and a fabulous lollipop-sucking Kojak character. Some of the older readers among you will remember this ‘must watch’ cop series starring Telly Savalas, which was a tv highlight for my family when I was a kid. Who loves ya baby?

4289. Sparke Evan Park (34)

What a fabulous small piece this is from Haka. Anyone familiar with the children’s picture book Funnybones by Janet and Allen Ahlberg will be familiar with the characters, and will struggle not to be entranced by this labour of love.

Haka, Spark Evans Park, Bristol, February 2022
Haka, Spark Evans Park, Bristol, February 2022

The sense of nostalgia is thoroughly awoken with this mural, and although I never read the book as a child, it was one of my children’s and niece’s favourites. The style of the characters lend themselves very well to being upscaled and Haka has been faithful to the original illustrations. I love the mischievous speech bubbles: ‘what shall we do tonight?’ To which the reply is ‘Let’s go painting’. Brilliant stuff, beautifully recreated.

4288. St Werburghs tunnel (283)

The artist Merny has an extraordinary ability to convey very strong messages and emotions in the simplest of ways through his naive style that somehow seems to get straight to the point. Usually his pieces are quite witty or comical, but this one is tinged with sadness and desperation.

Merny, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2022
Merny, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2022

The character is bent over double with his head in his hands and alongside him is the caption ‘I’ve got no money’. Unfortunately, with a cost of living crisis heading our way and the impacts of the war in Ukraine, for which Russia (Putin and his cronies) are wholly responsible, this is a desperate image we can expect to see more of this year. Real people in severe difficulties. Well done Merny for tackling such difficult subjects with his art.

Thursday doors – 10 March 2022

Doors 176 – Street art doors

I have struggled for time again this week to bring you any original doors, so Instead I will treat you to some more street art doors from last summer. I hope you enjoy these doors photographed in June and July 2021:

Natasha Kirby, Greville Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Natasha Kirby, Greville Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
RichT, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, May 2021
RichT, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, May 2021
Nina Raines, Gloucester Road, Bristol, June 2021
Nina Raines, Gloucester Road, Bristol, June 2021
Sophie Mills Thomas, North Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Sophie Mills Thomas, North Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Emotional Waterfall Art, Smyth Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Emotional Waterfall Art, Smyth Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Cheba, East Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Cheba, East Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Sophie Rae, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21,
Sophie Rae, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21,
Squirl, The Nursery, Bristol, JUly 2021, Upfest 21
Squirl, The Nursery, Bristol, JUly 2021, Upfest 21
Muckrock, West Street, Bristol, July 2021
Muckrock, West Street, Bristol, July 2021
Andrew Burns Colwill, Luckwell Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21,
Andrew Burns Colwill, Luckwell Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21,
Epod, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Epod, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

I guess that is your lot this week. May I wish you all a happy week, while we continue to channel all our positive thoughts, hopes and prayers for all those suffering in Ukraine.

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

Two years

.

So little has changed

since last I visited here

a great deal has changed

.

by Scooj

on returning to the office after two years away.

4287. M32 Spot (135)

Ryder seems to like this particular spot as much as I do, or at least it would appear to be that way given that he paints it reasonably often. This piece is a classic piece of Ryder wildstyle graffiti writing, which is always of the highest order.

Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2022
Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2022

The most striking thing about this piece is the copper colouring of the letters that seems to change completely in tone, depending on where it is viewed from. This is the kind of piece that one could easily imagine being slapped on the side of a wagon on the New York subway. Classic, clean and tidy. Pure graffiti writing at its best.

4286. Brunel Way (145)

The Bristol Womxn Mural Collective paint jams have become events worth looking forward to in Bristol and always turn up some real gems that offer something slightly different to the usual fare we see on a daily basis.

Raquel Blazquez, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2022
Raquel Blazquez, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2022

This is a gorgeous portrait piece by Raquel Blazquez and is a perfect follow up to the piece she painted in Dean Lane skate park in November 2021. There is a lot of feeling and emotion in this portrait, and how good is it to see this kind of free art in a D.I.Y. skate park, in the middle of a concrete jungle? Seeing fine art pieces in these settings is truly wonderful, and long may these paint jams last. Exquisite work.

Raquel Blazquez, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Raquel Blazquez, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

Unwelcome

.

Shame of a nation

where process trumps compassion

you are not welcome

.

by Scooj

* I am utterly disgusted by and ashamed of our government and the disgraceful way they have conducted themselves with the visa system for Ukrainian refugees. As a UK citizen I feel tarnished with their appalling indifference and lack of urgency for a European crisis. They do not speak for me or reflect my views.

Brexit was meant to free us from bureaucratic processes and allow us to be fleet of foot. Hah! Just like everything else to do with Brexit, it is a myth. The conservatives are playing to the nationalist sentiment in their party and voters, who don’t want any kind of immigration. It is disgusting. The sooner we have a more compassionate and honest government the better.

I am so ashamed to be British.

4285. Dean Lane skate park (470)

It is always great to meet a new artist, and on this particular day there were a lot of artists painting in Dean Lane skate park and I knew all of the except Trafficity who painted this fabulous stylised piece of writing which spells out ZIOM. Trafficity is another Polish artist and paints with compatriots Cort and Laic217 under the PAD crew label.

Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2022
Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2022

The green-blue tones with horizontal transitions are very nicely done, with lots of little detailed pixels and blocks dotted about the letters. There are some lovely details and scrolls through some of the holes in the letters too. ZIOM actually means ‘dude’ or ‘mate’ in Polish, and is a pretty cool thing to be writing, I reckon. I look forward to seeing more from Trafficity before too long.