It’s that wonderful Mr Crawls again, treating us to another of his cartoon birds, this one on what’s left of the hoardings along the Bristol to Bath cycle path at Greenbank. This rather jolly bird character is a reminder of the wide range of birds that Mr Crawls has in his armoury.
The blue colour of the plumage decorated with darker dots gives the bird an almost comical appearance. More nice work from Mr Crawls.
One of the nicest surprises of 2023 has been the rise and rise of Mr Crawls, whose bird pieces have become a familiar sight all around the city. More recently, he has teamed up with Mote to produce some great fun pieces that work so well, each painting in their own style, which somehow come together seamlessly.
At first, I thought that Mr Crawls might be a bit of a one-trick-pony, but far from it, he has been modifying his characters and switching them up as he goes along. This solo bird has a comical cartoon expression, that Mr Crawls manages to paint so well. I predict another bumper year from this irrepressible artist.
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No small gathering
a tree-full of goldfinches
some two score or more
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by Scooj
Haha, this is another fabulous collaboration piece from Mr Crawls and Mote whose painting partnership is bearing fruit, and I might venture to suggest that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The piece is painted on the hoarding down by Jubilee Street, which a few years back was a favourite place for artists like Deamze and Soker, until developers started demolishing the hell out of the area – now we are left with hoardings instead.
The different but complementary styles of the two artists and similar subjects and portrait orientations lend themselves to something quite special. On the left Mr Crawls has painted a gull (or is it an eagle?) with horns and on the right Mote has created a wonderful monster bird. Both characters have outsize beaks, but quite different personas. More to come from these two, which is great news.
Mr Crawls had a very productive end to 2023, and has picked up where he left off already this year, and is collaborating a lot with Mote, which is so good to see. This is a solo piece from December , one of two similar pieces in the area that were probably painted as a pair, the other was sited at the end of St Werburghs tunnel.
Mr Crawls has stayed true to his bird character theme, but has been adapting the subject to great effect lately. This one is a partial skeleton bird – a little bit sinister, but not really. His artwork is all good, with some strong lines and suitable shading which adds depth to the bird’s head. I predict a big year ahead for this relative newcomer who has already made a significant mark on the Bristol scene.
Well, they’ve been at it again, and I love it. Mote and Mr Crawls seem to be enjoying their collaborative outings, and not content with picking a single spot, they have been painting together all over the city. This piece in Dean Lane is tucked away between the railings and the swimming pool, and not the easiest to photograph.
The collaboration has a slightly gory story to it, with an axe embedded in each of the characters and blood spurting from the wounds. Mr Crawls’ bird character has a slightly sinister look to it, I think it might be the eyes, and has a beak that looks like it might belong to a seabird like an albatross or something. Mote has reverted to one of his happy-go-lucky monster characters, although the axe would looks particularly nasty piercing one of his eyes. All a little bit weird. Plenty more from these two to come.
One of the difficulties of posting pieces from towns and cities that aren’t Bristol is that I don’t know where the photographs are taken, and so the titles become rather generic, for example in this one I have simply given it the label Exeter. I have done a little detective work, and the pub sign just behind the bush says ‘The Nest’ so, using Google maps, I know that this piece is on New N Road.
The rather endearing collection of birds is by resident artist None Here, whose work can be found all over the city. Although the artwork is a little naive, it is most captivating, and great to know that somebody is out there decorating spots that would otherwise be dull and lifeless. Although the birds are generally non-descript, I think I can see a gull and a heron. More to come from my trip to Exeter back in October.
I am currently on my way to London to watch Arsenal play Brighton in the Premier League, my first match of the season. The train is expected to be very full, and I don’t have a reserved seat (even though I ordered on when I bought the tickets). I expect to be evicted at any moment, so will keep this short.
Mr Crawls seems to be having the time of his life, whether it is on his own or painting with Mote. This is a fine variation on his bird theme on the farm end of the tunnel, and shows off the inner workings of one of his birds. More of these to come.
One of the most entertaining and, on reflection, most likely collaborative partnerships is that between Mote and Mr Crawls. The biggest surprise is perhaps that this coming together hadn’t happened Sooner. This is the second collaborative piece that I have posted, and I have another waiting to post, although that one is rather badly tagged.
To the left, Mr Crawls has come up with something really unusual, and for once not a bird. Quite what it is, though, I am not sure. Bones, horns, a muzzle with sharp teeth – a rather nasty monster. Next tom this imaginary beast is a bird monster by Mote, looking a little more evil than some of his character creations – perhaps it is the company it is keeping. This motley duo (the characters, not the artists) prop up the far end of the long wall at Peel Street Green.
I love this door in Dean Lane, it creates a nice frame for character pieces and is definitely a candidate for the occasional feature on this blog, One Wall Many Faces. This time around it is the turn of Mr Crawls to occupy this space, and he has done a very nice job of it indeed.
As the year has progressed, Mr Crawls has become more productive, his pieces appearing all over the place, and more recently in collaborative form with Mote. I am not entirely sure what kind of bird this is. The hooked beak would suggest it is a raptor, but the colouring and characterful expression has gull written all over it. Of course, it is fictional and not a bird we recognise, mostly on account of a fine pair of horns. Great fun from the effervescent Mr Crawls.
Natural adventures 