Slakarts has been very busy lately, especially with his three-quarter cartoony profile throw up pieces, so it was great to come across this rather more traditional-looking piece from him in the tunnel recently.
Slakarts, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2020
Slakarts’ work is very distinct and rather different from most of the character pieces you see around Bristol. This particular face is rather austere and serious and contains some nice detail, such as the lines around the eyes. Some great shading and spots round this piece off nicely. I definitely feel a Slakarts gallery coming on very soon.
Underneath Brunel Way in the damp and tortured light conditions is this rather lovely tribute piece by Ments to a person called Sam, you can probably make out the letters.
Ments, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2020
This is quite an unusual piece by Ments and I think is in part quite experimental. His work is usually organic in nature with fluidity being a central effect. In this piece however, Ments has introduced some quite solid forms and even what appears to be a rock foundation – a more geological approach perhaps. The bright colours speak of joy and happiness. This is a wonderful tribute piece beautifully thought out and painted.
What an absolutely gorgeous piece, and what a lovely way to decorate a corner wall. The work is by Rich T and is exactly the kind of piece that brings light, colour and joy to a grey, dull space. The act of chucking a bit of paint on a wall (albeit extremely skilfully) can raise the spirits of an area.
Rich T, Ashton Road, Bristol, December 2020
Rich T specialises in these stylised flower pieces and turns out something that looks amazing and so professional (if you know what I mean). He recently collaborated with Mr Penfold, and there would appear to be some influences incorporated into this piece. A stunner and if you should happen to be passing, well worth stopping by and taking a good look.
I feel that DJ Perks is a little under-represented in Natural Adventures, but that might be because I don’t get down to L Dub as often as I’d like to where he tends to do most of his pieces. Every once in a while he comes to Dean Lane and treats us with one of his ‘PERKS’ works.
DJ Perks, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2020
This is a really nicely done piece with thin sharp lines around the edges of his letters. I’d be interested to know what cap he uses to get such fine lines. The horizontal fill is looking really good with two tones separated with a blue line with a bit of a cloud effect going on. This is accomplished writing and shows how much DJ Perks is improving with each new piece.
Over the last couple of years, there has barely been a moment when Rezwonk hasn’t had a new piece somewhere in the city, but of late he has slowed down a little, working on other projects I have no doubt.
Rezwonk, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2020
This is a lovely colourful piece from the long wall adjacent to the Create Centre which reminds us just what a prodigious talent Rezwonk is. Great letter styling with some interesting drips thrown in too. A curious mix of colours, but he seems to pull it off just fine.
These tight collaborations from Dibz and Shade One are becoming something of a feature in Dean Lane this year, and it has been a genuine privilege to see and photograph them.
Dibz and Shade One, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2020
The precise graffiti writing from Dibz paired with the stylised portraits from Shade One have a crispness and professional look about them. The walls are always nicely prepped and the work carefully done.
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2020
On the left, the black and white writing from Dibz is so sharp and painted to appear like a sticker, along with all the surrounding ‘shout outs’. Note the little fold over on the far left, a trick repeated in the top right-hand corner of Shade One’s contribution.
Shade One, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2020
Shade One creates these amazing portraits that have a sophisticated comic book feel about them. What lies behind those eyes? I love the shirt collar too. Overall another excellent production from this pairing.
It is the custom on Thursday Doors to post our favourite doors from the year on the Thursday before Christmas, so in this Coronavirus-impacted year, here are some of mine. All of these doors were posted in 2020, but some were photographed before that. I hope you enjoy them, and wherever you are may I wish you a happy Christmas and an infinitely better 2021.
January
Front entrance to the Bristol Hippodrome, Doors, December 2019
February
Arched garden door with a boot scraper, Bristol, December 2019
March
3Dom, Brook Hill, Bristol, March 2020
April
Shop door, Anchor Road, Bristol, November 2019
May
The Krah, Montpelier, Bristol, September 2018
June
Former door bricked up, Montpelier, Bristol, March 2020
July
Back yard gate, Montpelier, Bristol, May 2020
August
Little doors on a garden wall in Redland, Bristol, August 2020
September
A gorgeous door somewhat eclipsed by the warning notices to the right, Cheltenham, September 2020
October
Double doors in St Andrews, Bristol, May 2020
November
Shop front – no longer in business, Dorchester, June 2019
December
Sepr, Brigstocke Road, Bristol, December 2020
This has been a very tough year for all citizens of the world, and that includes us door enthusiasts. Doorscursions have been quite hard to come by. Let’s all hope that next year brings us some relief from the coronavirus pandemic and we can seek out a new and better normal life.
Happy holidays.
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.
Natural adventures 