Pot-bound olive tree
a gift from my late father
bears only one fruit.
by Scooj
2484. Cheltenham 2019 (8)
We all love a little sunshine, or at least when it is the right kind of sunshine. In this set of photographs we have the wrong kind of sunshine, the kind that casts shadows in tunnels, the kind that people like me don’t like very much, especially when you don’t get regular opportunities to visit particular places.
This is one of two pieces that Inkie painted for the Cheltenham Paint Festival, the other larger one being a little bit further out of town and rather more celebrated. Inkie has painted a truly Inkie piece here with his characteristic writing supported by one of his iconic profile portraits and lots of swirling hair. The letters spelling out ChelSpa, a confated version of Cheltenham Spa (for which he would have needed a much longer wall).
It always great to see Inkie pieces especially when on travels outside his native Bristol/London bases, and Cheltenham certainly has some to be proud of, if you include his contributions to the 2018 Paint Festival.
2483. Cheltenham 2019 (7)
It seems pretty timely to be posting this stencil by John D’oh at this year’s Cheltenham Paint Festival, because it is impossible to keep Boris out of the headlines. I realise that views on this blustering champion of capitalism are mixed, and that he is immensely popular with little Britain Tories, I however remain firmly in the other corner, and as it would seem so does John D’oh.
This single layer stencil takes a pop at Boris Johnson making the case that there is no excuse for stupidity with the words:
Ignorance can be educated, crazy can be medicated, but there is no cure for stupidity.
I am pretty certain that Boris’ prime ministership will very shortly be coming to an end, but I think we can be fairly sure he’ll be making headlines for some time to come. This can only be good news for the fertile creative mind of John D’oh and the rest of us who enjoy his slightly subversive work.
Respite
Blue out of the grey
one day without heavy rain
one day to dry out.
by Scooj
2482. Cheltenham 2019 (6)
One of the absolute highlights of Cheltenham Paint Festival 2019 was this extraordinarily complex and quite brilliant stencil by Johnman. I believe it is called ‘the viaduct’ and it brings in to play Johnman’s interest in trains, from the stencilled backdrop of tickets to the girl in the foregraound looking out over the viaduct below.
This is a hugely complex stencil so beautifully executed and full of high drama. How badly do you want to see the girl’s face? Is she happy? Is she sad? Who is she? the whole thing is deliciously mysterious and I found it hard to drag myself away from it on the day I saw it. Actually there is a clue on the tickets following the literary theme of the Paint Festival this is Hermione watching the Hogwarts Express from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books. It is absolutely incredible how he has stencilled over his stencil, but maintained the background through the grey. I am still trying to work out how he did this.
It is in seeing pieces like this that reminds me why I care so much about street art. Johnman has gone to incredible lengths to produce this work and give Cheltenham a magnificent piece of free art for its citizens and visitors to enjoy, a landmark both for street art and Harry Potter enthusiasts alike. You can find out more about Johnman the artist on his very nice website. Top drawer stuff.
2481. West Street (1)
Six bricks high. What an amazing contrast to the huge version of this same stencil by Dice67 in Cheltenham that I posted yesterday. Dice67 has really dined out on this iconic image of his daughter, but I am not surprised really, it has something very special about it, maybe it is something to do with the little girl’s stance and attitude that we all know so very well (particularly parents).
I spotted this on West street quite by accident – I really ought to have known it was there on the side of a shop, but it came as a nice surprise to me nonetheless. I suspect it has probably been there for quite some time, but as I have said frequently, I can’t be everywhere all the time and anyhow if I was, there wouldn’t then be any surprises. Gotta love it.
English Longhorn
At Parsonage Down
among the anthill hillocks
ancient cattle herd
by Scooj
2480. Cheltenham 2018 (4)
Anyone who knows Dice67 also knows that his trademark pieces are based on stencils that he made of his daughter when she was about six or seven, wearing a top with stars and pink wellies. This is the largest version I have seen of this particular stencil and was painted of part of the Cheltenham Paint Festival 2018 As you will know, because I have said it before, Dice67 (Andy Davies) has been the driving force behind the Cheltenham Paint Festival since its inception three years ago. I guess he deserves a big wall as organiser-in-chief.
This piece is really rather special and along with one or two other amazing pieces it dominates this town centre car park. I wonder if his daughter ever gets to see this picture of her and how she feels about it. There are a lot of them about, in Cheltenham, so I suspect that she is used to it. More from Dice67 imminently.
2479. St Marks Avenue (3)
Deamze left for Hobart about six months ago, and it would be fair to say that his familiar style and frequent high-class pieces have been missed. What a pleasure it was for me then to come across several of his older pieces, all in excellent condition in St Mark’s Avenue, a new discovery of street art gold for me.
This is a bright and joyful piece of wild style writing that spells out DEAM with a little deam inside just for good measure. I’ve no idea how old this piece is, but it is great to be reacquainted with this Bristol master.
2478. Dean Lane
I have waited a very long time for this, so I will enjoy it while it lasts. It was the wheatpastes of Kid Crayon that first drew me in to the world of Bristol street art some five years ago, but then he moved on to spraying and left his paper days behind him, until a week or so ago. This was a little trip down memory lane with his partner in crime Jimmer Willmott.
These two got together and pasted up some rather fun greyscale pieces. Jimmer Willmott opting for a sketch of one of his figures with a ring doughnut for a head. Surreal, quirky and fun, I could ask for no more.
Alongside doughnut head Kid Crayon has pasted a party animal who doesn’t look too much like he is enjoying the party. Great also to see the Crayon making a comeback. Hurrah for this little foray into wheatpasting from these two… more to come from this session. Please don’t leave it quite so long before the next batch.
Natural adventures 