U-turn

.

Without contrition

claiming they are listening

fooling nobody

.

by Scooj

4728. Cheltenham 2022 (13)

Helen Harper, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022
Helen Harper, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022

There is a very strong relationship between street art and tattoo art, for example, some of Bristol’s best street artists; 3Dom, Sepr  and Chill, among others, are also tattoo artists. So it is no surprise to learn that Helen Harper, who painted this gorgeous lion at the Cheltenham Paint Festival is also a tattoo artist.

Helen Harper, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022
Helen Harper, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022

There are three elements to this piece that work nicely together. The black background has some swirly patterning, and the lion’s face is painted in a greyscale that works well with the background. Encircling the lion’s face is a circular burst of colour, radiating outwards. This is the first piece that I have seen by Helen Harper, but I look forward to seeing more in the future.

Liz Truss

.

Peter principle

power beyond competence

so out of her depth

.

by Scooj

* Peter principle:

The Peter principle is a concept in management developed by Laurence J. Peter, which observes that people in a hierarchy tend to rise to “a level of respective incompetence”: employees are promoted based on their success in previous jobs until they reach a level at which they are no longer competent, as skills in one job do not necessarily translate to another.

Weekend saved

.

North London derby

where there can only be one

come on you gunners

.

by Scooj

4725. St Werburghs tunnel (311)

Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022
Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022

It is always tough to lose those we love and care about, and no matter how often it happens, it doesn’t seem to get any easier. Grief is a powerful and important emotion, and through it we remember what we have lost. Stivs has painted several tribute pieces for his friend Sear, and each one is a touching reminder.

Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022
Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022

This piece, at the farm-side entrance to the tunnel combines Stivs’ calligraffiti with a little bit of landscape in the orange circles. The colours are eye-catching and the whole thing on-point, although the lettering and the circles look a little bit out of balance, but maybe that is just me. A fine tribute from a loyal friend.

4724. Elton Street (11)

Slakarts, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
Slakarts, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

It was a genuine pleasure to see this lovely piece from Slakarts, because I haven’t seen much of his work lately. I am hoping that his absence from the streets is an indication that his work is going well. Balancing work and pleasure can be a challenge, but you’ve got to keep those shekels coming in.

Slakarts, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
Slakarts, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

Adopting the same colour scheme as the other pieces in this collection of Elton Street pieces, Slakarts has painted a rather special mural, with a lot more content than his customary stylised portrait. There is a semi-rural landscape, some high rise flats and flowers, accompanying the character. On-point and very clean, this is a wonderful piece from Slakarts.

4723. M32 Spot (144)

Creamylines, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2022
Creamylines, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2022

It is interesting how some artists simply appear out of nowhere, without warning. Sometimes you get to watch an artist from the start, working on their style and developing their skills, but at other times a fully ‘up to speed’ artist just starts painting, either a visitor to Bristol or a recent mover to the city.

Creamylines, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2022
Creamylines, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2022

Creamylines is one of those ‘just appeared’ artists, and three new pieces under the M32 and another one in Easton are there for all to enjoy. His style is so very different from anything else we have in Bristol, and you can see how he goes about his work in this Instagram post on the artist’s thread. It is a privilege to welcome him to the Bristol scene.

4722. M32 Cycle path (187)

Cort, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, September 2022
Cort, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, September 2022

One of the most consistent and busy artists in Bristol is Cort, an artist who likes to keep a low profile and stay out of the limelight. This is a wonderfully striking piece by Cort that switches things up a little bit, as he usually likes to write his name. Here he has written PAD KS, both, I think are crew names.

Cort, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, September 2022
Cort, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, September 2022

I have only met Cort on a couple of occasions, which is weird really, given the amount he paints and how often I am out and about. The colours of this piece are nicely juxtaposed, with a vibrant red background and dark grey letters with a black 3d drop shadow. There are a couple of signature yellow strings and shiny circles to add interest. All in all, this is a very nice piece from Cort.

4721. Dean Lane skate park (529)

Qwynto, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022
Qwynto, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022

When you photograph street/graffiti art two or three times a week, every week, you become very used to and familiar with ‘Bristol’ art, even if you can’t identify the artist. That might sound strange, but Bristol art has a look and feel, even across the diverse range of artists and styles, and anything that is not Bristol art, stands out a mile. When I saw this piece, it stood out a mile!

Qwynto, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022
Qwynto, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022

Qwynto is an artist based in the UK, but I am not entirely sure where, but I note he has painted in Haringey and Brighton recently, so I am guessing he is from the south-east of England. He took a trip to Bristol and left behind this wonderful piece. It has something that remind me of Mudra and Kid Crayon, and although there are similarities, there are also differences. His use of colour and tone is fantastic, bringing about a very soft pastel effect, and the writing incorporates a portrait and some other contextual elements, such as the car tyre and plants. This work is right up my street, and I am thrilled that Qwynto visited us in Bristol. Fabulous.

4720. Elton Street (10)

The Hass, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
The Hass, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

What an absolute stunner from The Hass. There is little more to say about it really. The portrait piece is a little bit similar in style to some of the recent pieces by Hazard, combining a photorealistic portrait with repetition and abstract ideas, and some interesting colour tones as well.

The Hass, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
The Hass, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

The more I look at the piece, the more I see. The incomplete portrait tricks your brain into completing it. It is quite incredible to think that this has all been painted with spray cans and not a paint brush in sight. I really don’t know how these guys do it. A masterpiece from The Hass.