2224. Raleigh Road (7)

Another stunning piece for Upfest Summer Editions (in lieu of no festival this year) is this beautiful tiger by Bex Glover. Located on Raleigh Road on the wall of the Souk Kitchen and opposite the Tobacco Factory, this spot is highly sought after and one of the highlight walls for Upfest, so it is great to see Bex Glover having a presence here.

Bex Glover, Raleigh Road, Bristol, May 2019
Bex Glover, Raleigh Road, Bristol, May 2019

You may recall a recent piece she did near the Arches on Cheltenham Road, and if so you will recognise her distinctive style. Everything I have seen by her has a wildlife theme, and this one is no different, with a spectacular tiger set on a turquoise background with trees, foliage and birds. I particularly like the yin yang motif on the rear quarter of the tiger, if fact, I pretty much particularly like everything about this mural. There is a sense of peace and dignity in the work. Beautiful.

2223. Wilder Street (32)

I got very lucky last weekend when I took the dog out for a ‘street art walk’ to Wilder Street and found Laic217 and Nightwayss painting together. The dog accompanies me quite a lot these days, poor thing, but is most patient when I stop to talk to the artists.

Nightwayss and Laic217, Wilder Street, Bristol, May 2019
Nightwayss and Laic217, Wilder Street, Bristol, May 2019

This is an absolutely fabulous piece by Laic217 who, in five years of writing about Bristol street art, I have only met once before. I stopped to ask him for a few tips about controlling the spray pressure coming from a can and other control techniques, and he was very kind with showing me a trick or two.

Laic217, Wilder Street, Bristol, May 2019
Laic217, Wilder Street, Bristol, May 2019

The completed piece is an upbeat summer special, complete with a beautiful pink shirt emblazoned with smiley faces. Unmistakably a Laic217 work with many of his trademark themes. So good, and so good to watch him at work.

May be not

.

I’ve no sympathy

TM a useless PM;

divided nation.

.

by Scooj

2222. Moon Street (70)

Rezwonk is another street artist who seems to have found an extraordinary energy level this year, developing his writing in spots all over Bristol. This time he has produced a rather nice solo piece, but in recent weeks he has painted a lot in collaboration with Decay.

Rezwonk, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019
Rezwonk, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019

Here he spells out REZER, an obvious shortening of his ‘name’. It is an interesting moniker because the letters are quite harsh in capital form, lots of straight lines, in contrast for example with my own SCOOJ, which is much more curvy. I wonder if the names are directly or indirectly responsible for the development of a style… very probably.

This is a nice piece of writing, which sets me up nicely for a new piece of his that I photographed yesterday in Dean Lane that is outstanding, and which I will post in due course.

2221. Moon Street (69)

I don’t know much about DNT, and have met him only the one time, but recently he has been very busy on the streets indeed and this is just one of several new pieces decorating the Stokes Croft area. DNT appears to be a creature of habit and rarely seems to paint in some of the other popular spots around the city, instead seeming to prefer his own neighbourhood.

DNT, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019
DNT, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019

This face is in typical DNT style. Highly colourful, and the whole piece being made up of elements or segments which on their own don’t appear to be recognisable, but when presented as a whole make up a fine picture. I really rather like this piece which has plenty of interest, but also has something mysterious or even absent, if that makes any sense at all.

2220. North Street

Decay is totally excelling at the moment, and it seems to me that each new piece he produces is better than the last. In the last year he has entered into a world of colour selections that might at one time have been unimaginable. This new piece is on the hoardings in North Street, curated by Upfest.

Decay, North Street, Bristol, May 2019
Decay, North Street, Bristol, May 2019

Not the easiest piece in the world to photograph and looking at the hazards around it, probably not the easiest to paint either. I truly believe Decay has found a new level in his work, but he needs to slow down… I’m having difficulty keeping up!

2219. Sandbed Road

There is a rather fun thing going on in Bristol at the moment, and it is the rise of Reseau, a loose crew with Panskaribas at its heart. Reseau pulls together several artists who enjoy painting together, but each time the composition of the collaboration seems to shift around a little.

Stupid Stupid Meathole and Panskaribas, Sandbed Road, Bristol, May 2019
Stupid Stupid Meathole and Panskaribas, Sandbed Road, Bristol, May 2019

This collaboration is full of fun and positivity and on the left is a Stupid Stupid Meathole sandwich with a Panskaribas filling. The Panskaribas character holding a flower appears to be dancing and really ticks all my boxes, and the worms by Stupid Stupid Meathole have a rather cuddly and bemused appearance.

Stupid Stupid Meathole and Soap, Sandbed Road, Bristol, May 2019
Stupid Stupid Meathole and Soap, Sandbed Road, Bristol, May 2019

On the right is a sensational Soap character with a beautifully intricate patterning, so beautifully done. I am really enjoying the freshness that Reseau is bringing.

Out of breath

.

Heart rate is slowing

a mad dash to platform 9

I made it on time.

Well I needn’t have bothered

I don’t live in Switzerland.

.

by Scooj

2218. Moon Street (68)

Aah… Moon Street, one of the last remaining strongholds for street/graffiti art in the Stokes Croft area. Gentrification has arrived and is accelerating and it won’t be too long before most of these walls are gone and replaced with yet more student accommodations. The entire city is being overrun with these, surely the bubble has to burst at some point.

Anyhow, here we have quite an unusual and rather lovely little piece by Face 1st in one of his favoured spots.

Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019
Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019

I think that this might have been a bit of a practice, because since he painted this apple in Moon Street, I have seen it (on Instagram) as part of a collaboration elsewhere in Bristol… I must hunt it down, one of many that I haven’t yet found. Face 1st’s characteristic girl’s face is incorporated as part of an apple which appears to have been sliced and has ‘stuff’ brains maybe falling out. A slightly macabre scene and unusual for Face 1st who normally paints such charming faces. Nice to see him pushing the boundaries.