Tag: Face

3769. Upfest 2021 75×75 (6)

Oh my goodness! There are some pieces that you look at and, well, they simply take your breath away. For me, this is one of those pieces. Painted for Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days event, this astonishing collaboration from Mishfit and Mazcan simply blew me away, and I look at now as I am writing and wonder at its magnificence.

Mishfit, King William Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Mishfit, King William Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

These two portraits work so incredibly well together and are perfect for the space vacated by Caro Pepe and AgeAge. To the left is a stunning portrait from Mishfit painted with incredible graded skin tones and a beautiful headdress, the colours of which are reflected in a cloud to the right of the subject. I haven’t seen any of Mishfit’s work before, but what an introduction.

Mazcan, King William Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Mazcan, King William Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

Mazcan on the other hand has visited Upfest on a couple of occasions, but this piece is definitely a step up from before, and I think she must have been practising. This blue face has quite a lot of attitude and there is so much depth and bone structure created with clever use of shading. The red streaks in the hair add so much to the depth and contrast of the piece too.

Mishfit and Mazcan, King William Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Mishfit and Mazcan, King William Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

Genuinely, this is a bloody brilliant collaboration and will definitely stick in my memory for a long, long time.

3768. Brunel Way (114)

This is another opportunity to showcase the wonderful and slightly different work of Bristol artist Maybe. This artist burst on to the scene earlier this year, painting pretty much exclusively in a stretch of concrete columns supporting Brunel Way, a busy road crossing over the river Avon at Cumberland Basin. His small pieces are little treasures and rather fun to seek out.

Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2021
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2021

The first piece is one of Maybe’s trademark reversible faces combined within a rectangle, each painted in its own wonderful colours and shades. There is something about the simplicity of these pieces that makes them rather calming and easy to look at and enjoy.

Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2021
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2021

The second piece is a rather clever little design of a moon eating a banana in some kind of reflective motif idea. I am a fan of Maybe, and am enjoying the progress being made. I look forward to maybe finding some pieces in other parts of Bristol.

3767. Frome side (11)

The nice thing about dropping down beneath the M32, where a canalised section of the River Frome flows, is that it seems to be a popular spot for visiting artists to paint, often accompanied by Bristol friends showing them around.

Wee Nuls, Frome side, Bristol, June 2021
Wee Nuls, Frome side, Bristol, June 2021

This delightful piece by Wee Nuls was painted a few weeks back by the Belfast-based artist who, it appears, cut her teeth with spray painting in Bristol some time ago. I love this kind of portrait piece that sits comfortably alongside Slakarts, Pekoe and others who create bright and colourful faces about the city. I hope that Wee Nuls makes more trips to Bristol soon.

3765. Brunel Way (113)

It would appear that Zake is off the leash. Over the past month, I have seen and photographed several Zake pieces that seem to get better and better. This is the first one in a series, and a good starting point.

Zake, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2021
Zake, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2021

I first came across Zake’s work on the columns under the M32 several of which still remain, which is remarkable really and shows the respect from other artists. Although this is not his best work, it does hark back to those earlier pieces. There is some great uplighting going on here and an exaggerated characterful face. Watch this space for more from Zake.

3751. Brunel Way (112)

Another wonderful column piece from Maybe under Brunel Way and one in which he has combined his faces theme with his more recent cosmic theme to great effect. I have said before in posting Maybe’s work, that I like street art like this because it is a little different and another legitimate form of artistic expression.

Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2021
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2021

I would love to know the secret behind the technique used to create the the planets and stars, the shading on the planet surfaces is particularly nicely done. Maybe’s work just goes from strength to strength.

3747. M32 roundabout J3 (328)

I am thoroughly enjoying this relatively recent design format from Face 1st, and I think that this is roughly the fifth or sixth piece that I have seen in this style. One of the pleasures of taking an interest in street art is watching how each of the artists evolve their styles and subjects… what they practice and what they choose to discard. Few things on the street/graffiti art scene remain static.

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2021
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2021

This piece appeared a couple of weeks back, quietly and quickly and unusually not as part of a collaboration with PWA friends. The block letters spelling FACE are filled with the dynamic (crazy) blue hair belonging to the smiling girl, whose omnipresence is at the heart of all of Face 1st’s work. I like the darker tones of the piece, which seem to work really well. Another beauty.

3743. Brunel Way (111)

Judging by the number of photographs I have of these delightful small pieces by Maybe, I will be posting them pretty regularly over the coming weeks and months, which can only be a good thing. I expect it won’t be too long before I have enough to do a gallery. I love this kind of quirky and different street art, as it represents another element on the vast spectrum of styles and techniques used to brighten up our streets.

Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2021
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2021

Maybe tends to paint only under Brunel Way, and I haven’t seen any of his work anywhere else in Bristol. This is a calm and meditative piece that really demonstrates how far Maybe has come in such a short space of time. The signature profile face is in the form of a balloon, but in this piece the introduction of planets in a star-studded sky is a theme that the artist returns to in several more works. Lovely to see, and something a little different.

3710. Leonard Lane (29)

Leonard Lane has had a small renaissance lately thanks in no small part to 3F Fino who seems to have been enjoying himself and experimenting with ideas in the murky, narrow, stinky Lane.

3F Fino, Leonard Lane, Bristol, May 2021
3F Fino, Leonard Lane, Bristol, May 2021

This is an unusual and impactful piece from 3F Fino, and I’m not sure I would have been able to attribute it to him if it were not signed. There is something faintly Van Goughian about the artwork which looks like a series of brush strokes rather than the work of a spray can. Original and interesting work.

3698. Brunel Way (105)

This is a very special post showcasing the work of an artist who has only recently hit the scene with almost all of his work appearing on the columns under Brunel Way. The artist is Maybe, and his small acrylic/marker pen works have been improving from week to week. This is a wonderful example of the depth and breadth of street art in Bristol and shows that there is room for everyone here.

Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2021
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2021

I have collected several pieces into this one post to give you a flavour of his style and subject material that tends to focus on faces and interlocking images.

Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2021
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2021

Even since April the quality of the line drawings and the materials he uses have improved considerably and in future posts you will see how quickly the artist is getting used to working on concrete canvasses and gaining in confidence.

Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2021
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2021

For people like me (and Paul H) it is always very exciting when new artists emerge on to the scene and establish their intent. The egg face piece above is one of my favourites.

Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2021
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2021

Even running from top to bottom in this series you can see how the lines have become sharper and the creativity of ideas expanded. There is so much to look forward to from this artist. All that remains is for me to get lucky enough to meet him while painting one of these creations.

3693. Brunel Way (104)

Face 1st is still painting at full tilt at the moment and every day I feel like I am stumbling across something new from him. This piece was from earlier on this month and is in the style of his most recent theme of what looks like burst bubblegum mess surrounding the smiling girl’s mouth and face.

Face 1st, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2021
Face 1st, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2021

It is interesting how some artists hit upon an idea or theme and then work on it for a while before moving on to the next thing. Decay is another artist who reinvents his theme roughly annually and then produces lots of versions of the new theme. All fascinating stuff. More of these from Face 1st to come.