6748. Purdown (85)

DFC1848 and Skem, Purdown, Bristol, February 2025
DFC1848 and Skem, Purdown, Bristol, February 2025

It can be quite a challenge photographing pieces when I am walking the dog, because he doesn’t much like standing around, and will often pull on his lead, just as I am taking a picture (annoying). This is particularly challenging at the Purdown spot on account of the small herd of goats which live within the enclosure, which send the dog into a frenzy of sniffing, pulling and general desperation to find the beasties.

DFC1848 and Skem, Purdown, Bristol, February 2025
DFC1848 and Skem, Purdown, Bristol, February 2025

On my last trip to Purdown, I saw this rather nice collaboration from DFC1848 and Skem. I am very familiar with DFC1848 and his work, but I don’t think I have posted any pieces by Skem before. These two monsters straddle the writing in the middle spelling out SKEM. I particularly like the way Skem’s monster interacts with his letters as DFC1848’s monster cheekily watches on. A nice collaboration from a pair of ‘out-of-towners’.

6699. Purdown (83)

Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, January 2024
Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, January 2024

The derelict gun emplacement at Purdown is located within a fenced-off area which is home to a small herd of goats. I think that they are ‘employed’ to help the vegetation down. The presence of the goats makes my trips with the dog something of a challenge, because their smell and very existence drives him crazy, and I have to keep him on a very tight lead. This of course makes taking photographs all the more difficult, with many images blurry of at jaunty angles, when the dog pulls just as I take the shot. I did manage to get a couple of decent pictures of this fabulous goat character piece by Daz Cat.

Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, January 2024
Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, January 2024

Daz Cat continues to develop his style and his pieces are so much richer in content and style and offer a great deal of depth and context that was absent from his early ‘flat’ pieces. He is a great example of an artist who learns and improves all the time. There are other artists who tend to remain quite static and comfortable doing what they do. Both approaches are legitimate, although as an observer, watching the development is an added bonus. I hope the goats of Purdown appreciate this homage.

5302. Purdown (58)

Enn Kay (NAK), Purdown, Bristol, May 2023
Enn Kay (NAK), Purdown, Bristol, May 2023

Let’s hear it for the goats! The ruins of the Purdown Anti-Aircraft gun emplacement, commanding fine views over North Bristol, are contained within a fenced area into which goats are introduced each spring, presumably to keep the undergrowth in check. This humorous piece by Enn Kay (NAK), carries a strong message for dog owners, to make sure they are kept on a lead, as there have been several attacks by dogs on the goats. This is a sentiment I fully agree with as a responsible dog-owner, and I always have my cocker spaniel on the lead in this space.

Enn Kay (NAK), Purdown, Bristol, May 2023
Enn Kay (NAK), Purdown, Bristol, May 2023

The goat, in cartoon style, is looking pretty fed up with yet another dog passing by, mine was right in front of this piece while I photographed it. It is beautifully painted, and the look on its face is priceless. It goes to show that not all advisory notices have to be authoritative and stern, humour and kindness can have a similar impact. Nice work from Enn Kay.

4697. Brunel Way (173)

Nugmoose, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2022
Nugmoose, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2022

The columns under Brunel way are a real pain to photograph, and it would be infinitely preferable if they were square, with four faces, like the ones under the M32. No amount of complaining will make any difference, so you’ll have to make do with these slightly inferior images of a rather interesting piece from Nugmoose. (Nice to see a Mr Draws piece in the background).

Nugmoose, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2022
Nugmoose, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2022

Nugmoose definitely has his own take and unique style of subject and painting, usually, if not always, built around a world of aliens. This rather satanic goat-alien is typical of his creativity, all wrapped up with some alien writing at the bottom of the piece. Not all street art is the same, and Nugmoose definitely pushes the boundaries.

1613. Watercress Road

This is a great example of how a small piece of Street art can really brighten up a place and fit in well with the surroundings. I took the picture a week or so ago and couldn’t remember the name of the street (and what a name!), so I went on to Google maps and found it. I did a little streetview tour and saw that this wall had not been in great repair and certainly wasn’t something that you would take a second look at.

Graft Workshop, Watercress Road, Bristol, July 2018
Graft Workshop, Watercress Road, Bristol, July 2018

So well done to the owner for repairing the wall commissioning the excellent Graft Workshop to create this magnificent piece which faces the St Werburghs City Farm. I guess the goat was chosen to reflect the City Farm. The piece itself is beautifully done and reminds me a little of the work of Oze Arv who came to Bristol for Upfest 2017. I’d like to find more street work from this fine collective.

584. Richmond Road (3)

I was actually looking for something else when I found this goat stencil by Stewy. I have known about it for sometime, but had no idea where it was. Finding it was the reward for my curiosity in seeking out some graffiti nearby.

Stewy, Richmond Road, Bristol, January 2017
Stewy, Richmond Road, Bristol, January 2017

Stewy has produced some wonderful stencils around the city, including this Robert Wyatt piece posted last year. Animals and well known people are the areas Stewy specialises in and his stencils are distinctive in that they are nearly all two tone.

When I first photographed the goat, the sun played havoc, with half the goat in sun and half in shade. I tried making a shadow with my body, but it looked, frankly, a bit crap, so these pictures are a second attempt ion a flat-light day, and not great pictures either.