.
Bitterly cold night
my eyes drawn to the black sky
and two shooting stars
.
by Scooj
Tag: Bristol
4884. Upfest 2022 (59)
It never ceases to amaze me just how many artists paint at Upfest, and it is truly a triumph of organisation by Steve and Emma and their team. At the festival, artists can be allocated walls, some of them enormous, temporary hoardings or these 1 meter squares, and it is up to the artists to make the most of the space available. Chi-Yien Snow has done a wonderful job with this board.
Chi-Yien Snow is a fine artist living in Clevedon, who paints in acrylics and oils, and has painted this outstanding and soulful portrait piece for the festival. I would guess that the portrait is of a native South American, perhaps from the Amazon region, or at least that is what it looks like to me. It is always a real pleasure to see the work of new artists and I will be looking out for Chi-Yien Snow’s work from now on.
4883. Upfest 2022 (58)
Emily Joy Rich is a regular participant at Upfest and her sign writing street art amply demonstrates the breadth of talent on display at the event. I always feel like I have seen more of her art than I actually have, perhaps it is because her pieces are so strong and memorable and remain in the memory for a long while.
This beautiful piece could be adopted as a mantra for our time. For me, I keep on dreaming for an Arsenal triumph in the Premiership, or for a Government free of Tories forever. I love the way Emily Joy Rich has combined the on-point word DREAMING on a backdrop of the words ‘keep on’, written in a drippy handwritten style. This is a classy piece from a classy artist.
Grip
.
We are reminded
after months of warm weather
what freezing feels like
.
by Scooj
4881. Upfest 2022 (56)
I feel I have been neglecting the remarkable street art work that was created at the end of May during Upfest 2022, such has been the volume of new work in the city, so I am making up for lost time with a quick segment of ten Upfest pieces, starting with this one by Sake One.
This is an absolutely stunning and arresting piece, hidden behind some verdant trees, on a wall that has hosted several wonderful Upfest pieces in the past. I understand that the piece is inspired by the track Paradise Circus by Massive Attack. The California-based artist, who is no stranger to Upfest, said of this piece
“Since many apple trees are covering the wall, I wanted to make it appear like they are forest nymphs peering through. I thought it would work to give the mural this title, since she has a devilish grin. I also wanted to give a wink or Easter egg to Massive Attack and Bristol”
This is a fine work from a celebrated artist, and it was great to welcome him back to Bristol again for the festival.
4880. Dean Lane skate park (550)
Another classy piece from Saor alongside his NTS friends on the long wall at Dean Lane. His work is so on-point, always neat and tidy. He achieves this without the comfort of borders, which means that all of his lines have to be cut-in perfectly, which is a terrific skill.
The blues and yellows on a grey background work very well and are in line with the colour scheme for the whole collaborative wall. The stylised letters SAOR give way to some animation in the middle of the piece, with elements of a smiley face. This is an outstanding piece, which, to be fair, is consistent with most of his work.
Christmas cards
.
Dearest blah, blah blah
happy Christmas and New Year
Insincerely yours
.
by Scooj
* not really.
4879. Dean Lane skate park (549)
I am rather hoping that Peggy will become a regular on the pages of Natural Adventures, because I really like her floral designs and her use of space in the spots she paints, bringing a touch of class and joy along with her.
Peggy has used the space on the side of this skate ramp really cleverly, and produced a stunning array of leaves and flowers with decorative swirls. There is something a little similar in her style to Alex Lucas, certainly in the subject matter. I’m really looking forward to seeing much more from this rising star.
4878. St Werburghs tunnel (328)
I think that I have posted more Hypo pieces in the last couple of months than I had for the last few years before. He seems to be going through a very productive phase, finding time to paint with his friends. I imagine that there has been a change in life circumstances that has led to this liberation.
This modest piece in gentle colours was painted alongside Benjimagnetic, and perhaps reflects the winter weather, with its blues and greys and drips. This is another piece to add to the collection, which is pretty much big enough for a gallery – watch this space.
The white stuff
.
A pleasant surprise
visited on a cold morn
thin dusting of snow
.
by Scooj
Natural adventures 