.
Vaulted canopy
in the distance a folly
shafts of light, moist air
.
by Scooj
Heaven is a place on earth
Tag: Dog
5463. St Werburghs tunnel (380)
The work of Slakarts tends to be occasional these days, rather than frequent, but in a way that makes it a little bit more special when it does come along. This double portrait piece was a lovely surprise a couple of weeks back at the entrance to the tunnel, which the council have once again, in their wisdom, buffed over.
There is a story to this piece I would think, and my guess would be that Slakarts has a dog and he is showing his love and appreciation in this piece. The quick characters piece is filled with a light white backwash and finished with strong clean black outlines, all the hallmarks of a job done in a bit of a hurry. It is nicely thought out though, and the contented couple are accompanied with the words “Man’s best m8”, which is rather sweet really. Great to see that Slakarts has managed to get out again, even if only occasionally.
Antidote
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End of a long day
a short walk with man’s best friend
clearing the cobwebs
.
by Scooj
5321. Upfest 2022 (79)
I don’t think that I would have predicted that Smak and Elvs would have teamed up to paint an Upfest collaboration, and yet that is exactly what they did. What I really like about the piece is that it is an integrated collaboration, with elements from each artist woven into the whole.
I had a little chat with Elvs, just as he was finishing packing up, and rather irritatingly (for him) I pointed out a little mistake, which he then felt obliged to correct. It was only a small thing, but once seen, it couldn’t be unseen. In the picture above, the mistake is that the yellow body of the character didn’t quite align behind the blue triangle. The image below shows Elvs making the necessary alteration.
The whole piece is brilliantly painted, with some fine blue and pink letters (the perfect colour combo) by Smak and a dog/cat character playing around behind the writing. This is a fun piece that really captured the atmosphere and vibe of the festival.
5257. Upfest 2022 (67)
An occasional visitor to Bristol for Upfest, Woskerski is an outstanding artist who operates out of London. I have posted pieces by him a few times in Natural Adventures, but because I don’t visit London much these days, his appearances have been few and far between.
This extraordinary piece, depicting some sort of alien interaction in a future vision of Earth, was painted over a couple of days, and the work in progress shot provides a little insight into Woskerski’s method. It looks like he sketches up the elements of the piece and then ‘colours them in’ which is quite an unusual way of going about things, but he is wonderfully successful at it.
There is such a sense of movement created by the dogs, which have been so accurately captured, but the star of the show for me is the serene face belonging to the girl wearing a hoody/space helmet to the right of the piece. Woskerski is such a massive talent, and it was a real privilege to welcome him to Bristol for Upfest 2022.
Reminiscence II
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Adored companion
poised on heather-clad cliffs
long walks in Cornwall
.
by Scooj
5148. Stokes Croft
I was walking home from town a week or two back, after a leaving do for a very dear friend and colleague who I have known for about 30 years. I took the opportunity to take a couple of snaps of this wonderful piece by Haka, which I have known about for a while, but just haven’t been able to photograph. For nighttime photographs, I think they have come out pretty well – it is amazing how good mobile phone cameras are these days (sounding like the old man I am).
The message is a great observation and commentary on the current cost of living crisis, with inflation at over 10% and pay offers typically under 5%, meaning a cut in salaries for most people (a situation I have been living with for more than 10 years, being about 20% worse off in real terms than I was before Tory austerity measures). This Government think it is fine to cut thee taxes of the richest, but restrain pay for everyone else. The sooner they go, the better.
I’m familiar with the character Haka has painted – a right old meanie – but I can’t quite place what cartoon series/book he is from. Fabulous to see a political piece from Haka.
Wet
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That wet kind of rain
the dog smelling of wet dog
a proper drenching
.
by Scooj
5088. Purdown (54)
This piece seems to benefit from being framed by the snow and the heavy grey sky. It is by an artist I haven’t come across before, Sam Brentnall, and my first impression is a good one.
The stylised dog heads stacked on top of each other create a strong and colourful pattern, and the whole unusual composition is fun to look at. It looks like the black outlines have been painted using marker pens rather than spray cans, and this seems very much like the work of a studio artist who is exploring possibilities with street art. I sincerely hope to find more street work from Sam Brentnall this year.
5085. Cumberland Basin
Naturally, whenever SkyHigh comes to town, Roo will be with him, as they are partners as well as painting partners. This ensures that we receive a double hit of great artwork from two wonderfully talented artists, each time they come to Bristol.
This is a beautifully executed and framed piece from Roo, featuring a dog with a spray can. What I love about Roo’s work is that everything is perfectly finished. There are no rough or blurry edges, no see-through fills, and the composition is always first-class. The cartoon style is perfect for her animal characters, and there is always a sense of fun in her work.
On this occasion, Roo left behind some extras, one of them a few yards away from this piece, another in Dean Lane and a small cat piece in the middle of the M32 roundabout. She and her other half can come back any time they like!
Natural adventures 