4646. Dean Lane skate park (520)

Zake, Conrico and Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2022
Zake, Conrico and Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2022

I have not missed my routine tours around Bristol photographing street art, while I have been away, it is good to have a break from routines, but it is one of the things that will soften the blow of returning home.

Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2022
Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2022

Shortly before leaving Bristol I managed to photograph the curved wall in Dean Lane, with this fine collaboration between Zake, Conrico and Daz Cat. The Zake portrait is a fine 3/4 profile of a woman with fine blonde hair. Very nicely done.

Conrico and Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2022
Conrico and Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2022

The main part of the wall is slightly crazy and brilliant all at the same time. The dragon hatching from an egg in front of a mountain and desert scene is by Conrico, and the cats, but Daz Cat, although I am not sure if the larger orange cat is a cat. A refreshingly different kind of collaboration from these three.

4614. Purdown (45)

Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, July 2022
Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, July 2022

I am missing my regular dose of Daz Cat pieces this year… he definitely seems to be on a bit of a go slow as far as work on the streets is concerned. It was a nice surprise, therefore, to find this new piece up at Purdown recently. The battery area has been closed for a period, while the council constructed a tarmac pathway through the site, which I must say is a huge improvement, because it is prone to get extremely muddy in the winter.

Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, July 2022
Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, July 2022

This piece, counter-intuitively, is of two dogs, and the portraits are rather sophisticated, taking in different view points of the dog’s faces. This is an absolutely lovely piece and seems a little bit more earnest than some of his comic or satirical work. I like it a lot, especially as the green one could easily be a portrait of my very own canine.

4529. St Werburghs tunnel (298)

It feels like an age since I last saw a collaborative piece by Daz Cat and CDTC, probably because it has been an age. Neither artist has been out and about much this year, certainly nowhere near as much as during the lock down periods.

CDTC and Daz Cat, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2022
CDTC and Daz Cat, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2022

This is rather a nice piece, working to both artist’s strengths. To the left is an exploding head with a comic book orange ‘KAPOW’ burst across the character’s eyes by CDTC, painted with nice clean lines and interesting feature shading in the face. To the right, a rather sullen-looking cat wearing a fetching blue hoodie looks to be prepping a wall with a long roller. Again, care and attention have gone into this piece which is very nicely finished. This was a pleasant surprise to stumble across in the tunnel.

4357. Brunel Way (150)

Although Daz Cat has been a little quiet of late, apart from a smattering of quickie cat faces, when he does have time he creates something magnificent, like this recent cat down by the river under Brunel Way.

Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2022
Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2022

This piece is a dreamy look forward to the summer and days of warmth, shorts and ice lollies. The cat is one of Daz Cat’s full length versions and tells a story, rather than just a static piece. I’m not too sure what the pink lines on the shorts are, but some idiot has ‘augmented’ the piece, which is a pity. All in all rather wonderful stuff.

4238. Dean Lane skate park (461)

At the back end of 2021 Daz Cat went through something of a purple patch, producing some of his best work to date, in my opinion. What is comforting to see is that he continues to paint his ‘bread and butter’ smaller cats all over the place of which this is a great example.

Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2022
Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2022

Nicely done in chrome on an existing red background, this throw-up cat brightens up the end of this ramp, and puts his stamp out there loud and clear. Plenty more smaller pieces from Daz Cat in the pipeline.

4195. Purdown AA Battery (40)

Although Daz Cat has been steadily active over the last few weeks, I haven’t been able to find space to post any of his work, such is the volume of new pieces being produced like a relentless incoming tide, one which I welcome of course. I have a few in my folders that I need to share. I keep telling myself that I’ll be able to share them during a quiet period, but I don’t think such a thing exists.

Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, December 2021
Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, December 2021

This cat piece has been sprayed on one of the square concrete slabs which appear to have been built to protect the store areas around each gun emplacement, and which make splendid canvasses. Featuring a Daz Cat cat, it would seem that the artist has joined the ranks of street art philosophers with the written phrase “Never enough, show me new pathways. More than enough, put me in my place”, which on doing a quick Interweb search looks like it is an original thought. The cat itself in 3/4 aspect is superbly well painted and looks to have taken longer to paint than some of his throw up cats.

3994. M32 roudabout J3 (351)

Just lately there have been several new pieces by Kool Hand painted alongside Daz Cat, and I am guessing that he is back from London, at least for a little while. I am assuming that it is London where he has been because he has posted some pieces from there. These two have painted a lot together in the past, so it is great to see them teaming up once again.

Daz Cat and Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2021
Daz Cat and Kool Hand, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2021

This is a rather nice little wall on the entrance to one of the little tunnels on the M32 roundabout and the quick collaboration features a fairly typical Daz Cat cat alongside  a bucket hat wearing leopard. Just another normal day in St Paul’s.

3983. Purdown HAA Battery (34)

When they were toddlers, there is no doubt that the favourite toy that got the most play time was the buggy cozy coupé car thing, and this fabulous piece by Daz Cat brought a massive smile to my face, remembering those fun and uncomplicated days.

Daz Cat, Purdown Battery, Bristol, September 2021
Daz Cat, Purdown Battery, Bristol, September 2021

Daz Cat has recently taken his work to a new level, creating more than a simple posed character, but instead a character in a scene that tells a whole story. Sophistication and detail have improved his already excellent work and I, for one, am thoroughly enjoying his expansion. It is always a treat to find his work.

3925. M32 roundabout J3 (346)

This is a curious collaboration from painting pals CD.TC and Daz Cat. I don’t know why, but the whole thing doesn’t quite work for me. I love the work of both of these artists, so it is surprising to me when I see something that looks a little bit clunky.

CDTC, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2021
CDTC, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2021

The piece on the left is by CD.TC in which he combines his letters, in full caps, with one of his trademark monster faces breaking the letters up in thee middle. The monster is nicely done and the letter details and decorations well thought out.

Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2021
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2021

To the right is the Daz Cat contribution, and I think that this is where I have a bit of an issue. I don’t like the letters in the mouth, and I’m not too sure the paw clutching an arrow adds much to the piece. Also, the way that the two pieces join I feel is a bit average really. I can only put this down to Daz Cat having a bit of a bad hair day when he painted this, because it bucks the trend of some truly outstanding pieces he has painted recently.

3913. Brunel Way (120)

Aha! This is a brilliant piece from Daz Cat, with an awful lot more going on than the usual portrait of a cat that the artist usually serves up. Here we have a story ‘life’s not a race’ and it would seem that it was inspired by Daz Cat’s observations that some of the people around him are keen to grow up too quickly, or perhaps more quickly than he is. The tortoise is a common metaphor for such a commentary. Daz Cat considers this one of his best pieces to date, and I must say that I don’t disagree.

Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2021
Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2021

Larger than his more common portrait pieces, this story is framed nicely and contains an industrial (dark) backdrop, in front of which the cat (a self-portrait of sorts) sits contentedly and rather eccentrically on/in the back of a tortoise. The ski goggles are a nice touch and something Daz Cat has painted before. A classic piece from this young artist who recently has stepped up a level.