2787. Dean Lane skate park (286)

What a dazzling portrait from Pekoe on Dean Lane. It is so good to see that she is painting a lot already this year and that this is the fourth piece I have posted (I think) from her so far in 2020.

Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020
Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020

I would say that the facial features on this piece are as good as I have seen on a pekoe face to date, and that maybe having a solid fill rather than shadings has accentuated the features. I would make a further observation, which is a very minor point because I do really like the piece, that the hair on top needs to go a bit higher for the whole head to be in proportion. I am guessing that the height of the wall here was the limiting factor, not the talent of the artist

2784. Dean Lane skate park (285)

Regular readers will know that I really don’t like posting pieces by ‘unknown’ artists, but sometimes I’ll see something that is just too good to consign to the depths of my archive and this is one such piece. Rather simple, yet appealing to me at least, is this slightly geeky looking character on one of the walls at Dean Lane.

Unknown artist, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020
Unknown artist, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020

The cartoon style and subject matter appeal to me, and while it might not be the best piece of art in town, I actually like it a lot. I can’t work out the letters just to the left, it could be GTIFF or STIFF ot STTFF or some other combination, but Google searches have yielded nothing so far, so if anyone out there knows who the artist might be please shout.

2768. Dean Lane skate park (284)

This beauty is the second recent collaboration from Dasco and Oseque. I know that Dasco is Bristol-based, but haven’t seen any of Oseque’s work before now, and have kind of assumed that he is not from these parts. I have done a little checking on the Interweb, and as far as I can make out, Dasco is from the Canary Islands and Oseque (José Castillo) is from Granada, but also seems to have a connection with Bristol. Either way, I hope we get to see more from this pairing.

Dasco and Oseque, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020
Dasco and Oseque, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020

The piece itself is a beautifully merged collaboration with the character portrait rising out of the letters. The colours are quite dulled and although really impressive as it is, give the whole thing a low-key feel. Oseque has a way of making his portraits look like they are drawn into a sketchbook rather than sprayed on a wall. Really nice work.

2767. Dean Lane skate park (283)

Here he is again, this time half way up a fire escape on the recently disused building at Dean Lane. I speak of yet another rabbit from Nevergiveup (@followmyrabbits), this particular one is painted as a balloon drifting up into the sky.

Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020
Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020

I think that the artist’s name is a self-fulfilling prophesy. I just wonder if he will ever tire of painting these things. When he first came to Bristol, he used to paint monsters but he seems to have given up on them now. Naturally, many more to come from my archives.

2766. Dean Lane skate park (282)

Modest and understated, Pekoe just goes about her business from time to time. No fanfare, no fuss and she turns out pieces like this beauty behind the railings on the swimming pool wall at Dean Lane.

Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020
Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020

This is the second piece by Pekoe that I am aware of this year, the other was down by the M32. Typically, Pekoe has painted a portrait, this one in three quarter view, with characteristic big hair decrated with rain drops, stars and an unhappy ‘smiley’. Many of her pieces are tinged with sadness which I hope is not indicative of her own state. It is always a pleasure to find her work.

2749. Dean Lane skate park (281)

I have a feeling that this is the work of an artist who will be appearing with some regularity on Natural Adventures. I met Creks at the back end of last year when he was down from Leicester with some friends painting at the M32 roundabout (to follow). It seems that since then he has painted a few walls around Bristol and I am wonderinng if he has moved down here.

Creks, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
Creks, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020

Creks is a graffiti writer who seems to play with a number of different styles and this small quick one in Dean Lane is just a little sample of his obvious talent. Watch this space for more from Creks.

2738. Dean Lane skate park (280)

When Inkie comes back to Bristol, he usually marks his return with a little gift or two, and this one from a recent visit home is an absolute corker. Deliciously clean and sharp, this vibrant INKIE is a classy piece.

Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020

It is incredible how the colours leap out and slap you in the face, an effect probably exaggerated by the gray day and flat light. It is great to see a little shout out to The Agent, who is one of the longer established street artists in Bristol. Altogether a superb piece. Thank you Inkie.

2737. Dean Lane skate park (279)

I don’t need to write too much about this – regular readers will know the form. It is a rabbit by Nevergiveup or #followmyrabbits. This one is on the roof of the Bedminster swimming baths which is on Dean Lane, a popular graffiti spot but it has to be said that this rabbit stands out from all the graffiti writing around it.

Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2019
Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2019

I’m not too sure how old this rabbit is – it looks quite fresh, and I have a feeling that there might have been a different one here before it, but then again I might be imagining things. So, so many more rabbits to share…

2736. Dean Lane skate park (278)

Forgive the rain spot on the feature image, it was a very wet day when I took these pictures, and no matter how hard I tried to protect the lens from the rain, I just didn’t meet with much success. Sometimes though you simply have to venture out in all kinds of weather to capture incredible pieces like this one by Decay for fear that they could be tagged or painted over at any time, especially in Dean Lane.

Decay, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
Decay, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020

I am loving the new direction that Decay is taking with his writing this year, with the inclusion of an additional set of letters behind his familiar ‘DECAY’. In this piece on the famous curved wall, he has written the letters HTM, which I believe is a crew name, possibly his partnership with Rezwonk, which stands for Hold the Mustard (thank you Paul). I look forward to January when it comes to Decay, because he seems to reinvent himself, not too much, and then kicks off for the rest of the year with the new idea. This particular idea has a lot of mileage in it and I can’t wait to see more.

 

 

 

 

2734.Dean Lane skate park (277)

It is such an obvious thing to say, but I can’t stop myself… this is a two for the price of one wall from Slim Pickings (TES). It is not often that you get to see two pieces by the same artist side-by-side, especially painted around the same time. What is nice about these it that you can compare the subtle differences between the two designs, both of which are beautifully clean by the way.

Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020

I don’t know the derivation of his TES pieces, but I suspect they began as a tag and have evolved over time into these elaborate and aesthetically pleasing works. The one on the left has some excellent colour choices with a wavy separation and some nice drips on the T. Woz Yer = was here, possibly one of the oldest mottos used in graffiti.

Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020

On the right is a slightly older form of his TES with little accent marks to the bottom left and right of the letter sequence. There is a single solid fill, but in this one the whole thing is finished off with a red boundary line. Spotting the difference between the two is rather fun, perhaps he should do this more often.