7003. King Square Avenue

Bethcub, King Square Avenue, Bristol, June 2025
Bethcub, King Square Avenue, Bristol, June 2025

Following my last post featuring a couple of wheatpaste drawings by Bethcub recently, I had a nice Instagram message from the artist, who had read the post and told me a little bit more about these wheatpastes. Bethcub confirmed that they are one-off charcoal drawings from her life drawing class, which she fixes and pastes up straight after the class. It is always great to know a little bit more about the art on our streets.

Bethcub, King Square Avenue, Bristol, June 2025
Bethcub, King Square Avenue, Bristol, June 2025

In this sketch, the model is perching (rather awkwardly) on a stool as if in transition. Some lovely curves, and an unusual position, make this a fascinating study. Seeing things like this, make me excited about retirement and a pledge I have made to myself to start art lessons. Why wait? You might ask – not enough hours in the day, I might reply.

1714. Upfest 2018 (39)

The artist for this piece is Rosie McLay, not to be confused with Muffin Mclay the old English sheepdog in the brilliant book ‘Hairy Mclary from Donaldson’s Dairy’ by Lynley Dodd. I digress. Rosie is a graduate of UWE in Bristol where she studied drawing and applied arts. There is more about her in this interesting short interview on the ‘Sky Light Rain’ website

Rosie McLay, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Rosie McLay, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Her piece for Upfest of course appeals to me because it is centered on a fish, and some readers might know that fish hold considerable significance for me. I love her sketch style and there are some interesting concepts to the piece, the bones in the mouth of the fish and a hand emerging by the tail and a skyline along the base of the piece, I would love to know the back-story to this one. Great work from Rosie McLay.