Tag: Dean Lane

4134. Dean Lane skate park (447)

You can never rule out anything in the world of street/graffiti art, and to do so would be to suck the surprise and joy out of it all. I would never have predicted a Flava136/Mudra collaboration, and yet down in the Deaner we have a near-perfect mash-up from these two superb artists.

Flava136 and Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2021
Flava136 and Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2021

This is a great example of a blended collaboration where it is difficult to be certain who painted what. There are of course the obvious bits that have all the hallmarks of the individual artists, but the bits in-between… A trained eye can tell them apart, but to most people you’d look at this piece and consider it to be by one artist.

Basically the central monster and smiley face are by Flava136, and the left and right hand elements (which spell out MUDRA (some creative imagination required)) are by Mudra. The whole thing is an absolute gem and I hopt that they will get together again sometime in the future.

4130. Dean Lane skate park (447)

Aah! The familiar shape and style of a Slim Pickings TES plastered big and bold on the Sally Army wall at Dean Lane skate park. Like several other artists in the city, Slim Pickings’ (Tes) work is a driving creative pulse, a regular heartbeat, that creates the foundations of a thriving street art culture in Bristol. Ever present and confident.

Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2021
Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2021

This pink on yellow belter was painted over the rather nice portrait by Tao.create, illustrating how ephemeral the work of artists can be, especially in spots like this one. Lovely bubble-gum colours and drips, this is a great piece by Slim Pickings. Most unlike the artist, his pink fill is a little thin in places, and I can only think he was short of paint, because he is well known for his full and solid fills. Nice one.

4117. Dean Lane skate park (446)

Painted alongside Rozalita and 3F fino on the Sally Army wall at Dean Lane skate park, this striking portrait is by Tao.create. I have only seen a handful of pieces by the artist and I have liked what I have seen so far, but this is the best yet and introduces her work to a larger and more engaged audience.

Tao.create, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Tao.create, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

The bright portraits demands to be looked at and is big, bold and colourful. Some elements are better painted than others, the hair is very nicely done, and some of the features more developed than others (for example the nose has more work and detail than the mouth). I would like to think that Tao.create will continue to develop her obvious skills and follow in the footsteps of other Bristol portrait artists such as Pekoe and Hazard. Definitely one to look out for.

4114. Dean Lane skate park (445)

It is thrilling to see so many female artists hitting the streets through paint jams organised by the Bristol Womxn Mural Collective, and last month’s session in Dean Lane skate park were particularly productive, including this gorgeous fox mural by Urban Fay (Natasha Fay Watson).

Urban Fay, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Urban Fay, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

I’m not too sure I have posted anything by Urban Fay before, so this fox, a creature so closely associated with Bristol, is a perfect start. The decaying animal reminds us of the circle of life, and there is a lovely bit of narrative from the artist on this:

What wondrous blessings each morning’s sunrise brings us. The cycle goes on.

4109. Dean Lane skate park (444)

One of the most enjoyable thing about chronicling street art and graffiti is that every day has the potential to bring with it surprises. Those surprises are like gifts, presents from the artists to anyone who cares to enjoy their work. This lovely collaboration from Ros(z)alita and 3F fino was part of a larger collaboration that included Tao.create, but I am reserving her piece for a later date.

Rosalita and 3F Fino, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Rosalita and 3F fino, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

This is as special as it is unexpected, and although these two have collaborated before, I think that this is so nicely done and combines their styles and preferred subject matter really well.

Rosalita, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Rosalita, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

On the left is another carnival face from Rosalita (who now spells it Rozalita, hence the discrepancy in the body of this text), where the makeup this time is much more in the style of a Venetian masquerade mask. The frilled collar adds to the clown element of the piece. Beautiful.

3F Fino, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
3F fino, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

To the right, a slightly more edgy character by 3F fino is apparently spraying the clown. I often wonder with pieces like this whether they are self-portraits, or at least based on self. There are some nice elements to this cartoon-style character and his cans, and the clothes and face mask all add to the ensemble.

All in all a nice, large and vibrant collaboration from these two.

4101. Dean Lane skate park (442)

Dibz is an immensely talented graffiti writer and whose status is in the highest echelons of writers in Bristol and, I dare say, the UK. He manages to turn out beautifully designed piece after piece, never letting his standards drop, and the creativity of his designs and outstanding colour palettes is of the highest order.

Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2021
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2021

This piece in Dean Lane is extra special because it is a birthday celebration for his mother, which is really touching. For this piece, he has really gone to town, with all the elements coming together perfectly. Great design, superb colours, tight lines, beautifully crafted fills and 3D shadows. In short this is an outstanding piece, and about as good as it gets.

4095. Dean Lane skate park (441)

One of the most enjoyable aspects of following the street art scene in Bristol over recent years has been the emergence of dozens and dozens of new artists, genres and movements. Among the most interesting has been the Bristol Womxn Mural Collective that seems to be growing with some pace, and holds regular paint jams at various different spots around Bristol. Watching studio artists transition their artistry onto walls is a fascinating experience and adds some intriguing, new and fresh pieces to the spectrum of street art in the city.

Raquel Blazquez, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Raquel Blazquez, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

This small piece by Raquel Blazquez is tucked under one of the ramps in the skate park, which presents a cosy space for artists. The portrait of a woman is colourful and has a certain presence generated by the expression of the subject’s face. The piece has all the hallmarks of a fine artist (lots of detail and colour shadings) adapting to a street canvass. Lovely work and I hope to see more.

4092. Dean Lane skate park (441)

I met Hire in Dean Lane the day before he painted this beauty, and he was basically sizing up the wall looking where would be best to paint his new work. I hadn’t seen him for quite some time, but he remembered me and even remembered my name, which felt good, and we chewed the fat for a little while, before I had to dash.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

I like, and have always liked, Hire’s work. His graffiti writing has a distinctive jagged appearance of edges and shapes that remind me of medieval weapons and blades. The letters are sophisticated, spelling HIRE, and the colour transitions beautifully worked, with a bright band running horizontally through the piece. So good to see both the artist and his new piece.

4085. Dean Lane skate park (440)

Until earlier this year, I had never come across Veee. His art just wasn’t a thing in Bristol, not that you’d know it now, it seems that there are dozens of his little pieces dotted all around the city, and this is one of the more recent ones from Dean Lane.

Veee, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Veee, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

This small flat wall is the perfect size for Veee’s work and his ‘face’, made up of symbols, fits the space really well. Bright and colourful, Veee’s work is definitely becoming part of the furniture, and I think that he must have moved to Bristol for there to be so much of it. Watch this space for more from this artist.

4072. Dean Lane skate park (439)

A week ago, the Bristol Womxn Mural Collective got really busy down in Dean Lane, and there was barely a wall untouched by their work. The BWMC has become a powerful group bringing women into the street art scene in a safe and supportive environment. We, the citizens, are the beneficiaries of this movement.

Yoliws, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Yoliws, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

Some of the work contains political or social comment such as this lovely piece by Yoliws. Her assertion ‘everyone deserves to walk the streets in peace’ is absolutely bang on, and is a commendable theme. To the left are some typical inappropriate and utterly unwelcome phrases, sadly still too often heard. Yoliws has illustrated the piece with one of her fabulous characters standing up to the comments. Enough is enough!

I love this piece on so many levels.