2579. Gloucester Road, CoLAB

I was on a mission to buy a couple of birthday presents a week or two back, and was running out of options (and time) so I took a stroll up Gloucester Road to see what I could find, as my usual ‘sure thing’ the Guild on Park Street had somewhat let me down. One of the shops I visited a couple of times was CoLAB, a shop that sells art from local artists. This particular shop also has strong links with the street art scene and stocks a range of books published by Tangent on the subject.

On my second trip into the shop, which sealed the deal on a rather nice print of the Carriageworks (with the Iconic Sweet Toof and Rawdy crocodile), I noticed this little alcove that looked a little bit like an ex-changing room (not an exchanging room, that might be something completely diffierent). Hurrah, the unmistakable work of Andy Council.

Andy Council, Gloucester Road CoLAB, Bristol, February
Andy Council, Gloucester Road CoLAB, Bristol, February

I don’t usually post indoor art in Natural Adventures, but just occassionally…

I suspect, looking at the wear and tear on this piece it might have been done some time ago. In true Andy Council style it features a bunch of dinosaurs that are constructed out of small houses and includes the Clifton Suspension Bridge, just for good measure. His work is inextricably linked with his home city and his identity can be found all over the place. A great find in a great shop that I will visit more frequently I’m sure.

2651. Sevier Street

This wonderful piece by Andy Council on Sevier Street on the entrance to a ‘green’ food market has been around for quite some time, but I just never got round to photographing it until this ‘car shot’ in July this year

Andy Council, Sevier Street, Bristol, July 2019
Andy Council, Sevier Street, Bristol, July 2019

Andy Council is Bristol personified and his works record the magnificent landmarks of the city and presents them woven into the form of an animal, in this case some kind of beetle. When one thinks of Bristol murals, Andy Council is always front of mind.

2323. North Street

Mid-way along North Street is a rather nice craft shop called Creative space, and recently Andy Council gave the upper level a fabulous makeover. I think it was part of the Upfest Summer Editions event, which has more than made up for the lack of a full blown festival this year.

Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, June 2019
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, June 2019

The space is not an easy one to paint and I think that Andy Council has made a great job of creating a symmetrical piece over the two windowswith what looks like two Chinese dragons facing off in the middle.

Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, June 2019
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, June 2019

As with all his pieces, if you take a little look closer you can see that it is made up of buildings and architectural features, and around the beasts there is a liberral sprinkling of toadstools. This is a stunning piece (difficult to photograph on account of the bright skies behind) that exemplifies the talents of this most treasured Bristol artist.

2279. Porlock Road

Exploring new parts of Bristol always has its rewards, and I found this piece by Andy Council completely by accident when I went on a pilgrimage to see the My Dog Sighs and Curtis Hylton collaboration up on Windmill Hill.

Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019
Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019

It seems that Andy Council’s pieces are dotted all over Bristol, and after five years of writing posts like this one, I still have several more to find. The reason that his work is so dispersed is that he does a lot of private commissions and so he is not confined to the few ‘legal’ spots in Bristol to show off his fabulous work.

Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019
Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019

This splendid peacock is a great example of Andy Council at his very best in which the whole creation is made up of buildings typical of the area in Bristol. The blue colour scheme suits this piece and the wall superbly. A great find, and good to know that there are still these hidden gems all over the place.

1947. Upfest 2018 (121)

Here we see yet another great new wall for Upfest 2018… the organisers really pulled out all the stops for the tenth anniversary festival. Slightly off the beaten track, but well worth the walk is this enormous piece by Andy Council on a Wessex Water building.

Andy Council, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Andy Council, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

This is a really wonderful piece that features a couple of Otters, characteristically for this artist composed of architectural landmarks from Bristol. Andy Council needed extensive scaffolding to get the piece completed safely, which remained in place beyond the end of the festival, so many visitors might not have seen the completed piece.

Andy Council, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Andy Council, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

He seemed to be enjoying himself up there, but was well away from the bustle of activity in the main painting areas.

Andy Council, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Andy Council, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Three landmarks clearly visible on the otter on the right are the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the Create Centre and the Tobacco Factory. This is yet another outstanding piece from Andy Council and one that I hope remains for a long while.

Andy Council, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Andy Council, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

 

 

1883. M32 roundabout J3 (109)

I’m not sure how often Andy Council participates in paint jams (I can’t recall any recent occasions) but he certainly joined in the spirit of this one down on the M32 roundabout between St Agnes and Easton.

Andy Council, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
Andy Council, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, November 2018

Andy Council is well-known for creating pictures of animals or birds that are composed of natural of built features. He has excelled himself with this beautiful duck-billed platypus swimming through a watery scene. This is a wall that just keeps on giving and will continue to do so until its next makeover and then its next.

1564. King William Street

What a fine addition to the main drag of North Street from Andy Council. A fresh piece, which I hope will remain for Upfest 2018 from one of the most identifiable Bristol street artists. I understand the artist whose work previously occupied this spot was not overjoyed, but I think I know whose work I’d rather see.

Andy Council, King William Street, Bristol, June 2018
Andy Council, King William Street, Bristol, June 2018

This piece is similar in shape and size to one of his that I posted a few weeks ago on West Street. The subject is of a dinosaur although I’m not exactly sure which one – it looks like one of the ones with a bird-like tail. Typical of his work, we see the whole creation is composed of architectural building blocks and common with Andy Council’s pieces, there is the inclusion of the Clifton suspension bridge. The red billowing smoke adds movement to the whole piece. More fine work from Andy.

Andy Council

A collection of work from Andy Council.

All photographs taken by Scooj

Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2023
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2023
Andy Council, East Street, Bristol, August 2023
Andy Council, East Street, Bristol, August 2023
Andy Council, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023
Andy Council, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023
Andy Council, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023
Andy Council, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023
Acer One and Andy Council, Chatterton Square, Bristol, December 2023
Acer One and Andy Council, Chatterton Square, Bristol, December 2023
Acer One and Andy Council, Temple Way, Bristol, December 2022
Acer One and Andy Council, Temple Way, Bristol, December 2022
Acer One and Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022
Acer One and Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022
Andy Council, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Andy Council, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Acer One and Andy Council, Chatterton Square, Bristol, September 2022
Acer One and Andy Council, Chatterton Square, Bristol, September 2022
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2022
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2022
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Andy Council, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022
Andy Council, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022
Andy Council, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022
Andy Council, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022
Andy Council, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2022
Andy Council, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2022
Andy Council, Waterloo Street, Bristol, April 2022
Andy Council, Waterloo Street, Bristol, April 2022
Andy Council and Paul Monsters, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022
Andy Council and Paul Monsters, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022
Andy Council, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022
Andy Council, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022
Andy Council, Garnet Street, Bristol, July 2021
Andy Council, Garnet Street, Bristol, July 2021
Andy Council, Garnet Street, Bristol, July 2021
Andy Council, Garnet Street, Bristol, July 2021
Andy Council, Chessel Street, Bristol, July 2021
Andy Council, Chessel Street, Bristol, July 2021
Andy Council and Acer One, South Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Andy Council and Acer One, South Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Andy Council and Acer One, South Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Andy Council and Acer One, South Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Andy Council and Acer One, South Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Andy Council and Acer One, South Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Andy Council, Soker and Paul Monsters, Waterloo Place, Bristol, June 2021
Andy Council, Soker and Paul Monsters, Waterloo Place, Bristol, June 2021
Andy Council, Soker and Paul Monsters, Waterloo Place, Bristol, June 2021
Andy Council, Soker and Paul Monsters, Waterloo Place, Bristol, June 2021
Andy Council, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2021
Andy Council, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2021
Acer One and Andy Council, Chatterton Square, Bristol, April 2021
Acer One and Andy Council, Chatterton Square, Bristol, April 2021
Andy Council, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021
Andy Council, St Werburghs, Bristol February b2021
Andy Council and Soker, North Street, Bristol, July 2020
Andy Council and Soker, North Street, Bristol, July 2020
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, July 2020
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, July 2020
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, July 2020
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, July 2020
Andy Council, Avonvale Road, Bristol, February 2020
Andy Council, Avonvale Road, Bristol, February 2020
Andy Council, Avonvale Road, Bristol, February 2020
Andy Council, Avonvale Road, Bristol, February 2020
Andy Council, Gloucester Road CoLAB, Bristol, February
Andy Council, Gloucester Road CoLAB, Bristol, February
Andy Council, Sevier Street, Bristol, July 2019
Andy Council, Sevier Street, Bristol, July 2019
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, June 2019
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, June 2019
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, June 2019
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, June 2019
Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019
Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019
Andy Council, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Andy Council, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Andy Council, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Andy Council, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Andy Council, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
Andy Council, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
Andy Council, King William Street, Bristol, June 2018
Andy Council, King William Street, Bristol, June 2018
Andy Council, West Street, Bristol, April 2018
Andy Council, West Street, Bristol, April 2018
Andy Council, Newfoundland Street, Bristol, March 2018
Andy Council, Newfoundland Street, Bristol, March 2018
Andy Council, North Street Green, Bristol, February 2018
Andy Council, North Street Green, Bristol, February 2018
Andy Council, Chalk Farm Estate, London, November 2017
Andy Council, Chalk Farm Estate, London, November 2017
Andy Council and Hemp, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2017
Andy Council and Hemp, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2017
Andy Council, Chalks Road, Bristol, July 2017
Andy Council, Chalks Road, Bristol, July 2017
Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017
Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017
Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017
Andy Council, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017
Andy Council, Greville Road, Bristol, April 2017
Andy Council, Greville Road, Bristol, April 2017
Andy Council, Stapleton Road, Bristol, January 2017
Andy Council, Stapleton Road, Bristol, January 2017
Andy Council, North Street Green, Bristol, February 2017
Andy Council, North Street Green, Bristol, February 2017
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, January 2017
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, January 2017
Andy Council, West Street, Bristol, September 2016
Andy Council, West Street, Bristol, September 2016
Andy Council, Nelson Street, Bristol, October 2015
Andy Council, Nelson Street, Bristol, October 2015
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2016
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2016
Andy Council, Hotwell Road, Bristol, August 2015
Andy Council, Hotwell Road, Bristol, August 2015
Andy Council, Hurle Road, Bristol
Andy Council, Hurle Road, Bristol

1444. West Street (1)

A week or two ago I went in search of an Upfest piece from last year that I still hadn’t yet found. I found it, which is good, and I will post it very soon…worth the waiting for I can assure you. On the way, I stumbled into this rather lovely small piece from Andy Council neatly tucked into the corner of a building. It is as if the space was always meant to have a piece of art there.

Andy Council, West Street, Bristol, April 2018
Andy Council, West Street, Bristol, April 2018

This piece goes back to 2014, but it is still looking fresh. It appears to be a Bristol fox, and how fitting to have an urban fox composed of houses and buildings. Unusually Andy Council has not incorporated the Clifton suspension bridge, but has managed to include one of the large tobacco warehouses, I think it might be the Create Centre. On a sunny day, this was a real bonus find in an area I rarely visit.

1372. Newfoundland Street (2)

I am still a little baffled that it has taken me so long to become aware of this hoarding. This is the second piece I am posting from this spot and it is by the irrepressible Andy Council.

Andy Council, Newfoundland Street, Bristol, March 2018
Andy Council, Newfoundland Street, Bristol, March 2018

Andy Council has very cleverly managed to stretch out a Tyrannosaurus Rex horizontally to keep it within the confines of the hoarding, by positioning it leaning forward. As with his work, the whole is made up of architectural building blocks, some of them Bristol landmarks, to create this colourful and wonderous beast.

Andy Council, Newfoundland Street, Bristol, March 2018
Andy Council, Newfoundland Street, Bristol, March 2018

I expect this one to be around for a while because the development behind will probably take a year at the very least to complete, and it doesn’t yet look like it has even begun.