This is the second piece I have found from relative newcomer, Conrico. In fact I found this one before I came across the diver piece that I posted yesterday. Any artist who recreates Dr Seuss art in any form gets a big (Seuss-like) thumbs up from me.
Conrico, Devon Road, Bristol, July 2019
This writing, bookended by the Lorax and some trufula trees, is nicely done, and the whole piece has an air of calm about it. His style, and I can’t quite pin it down just yet, is a little rough at the edges, and I mean that simply in the sense that it is not crisp and clean like the work of Cheo, for example.
Conrico, Devon Road, Bristol, July 2019
I am really looking forward to seeing what Conrico can do, and like very much what I have seen so far.
This is the third of the Seven Saints of St Paul’s pieces by Michele Curtis and Paintsmiths that I have posted, and it is a real stunner. I love these pictures, because the light and sky are perfect, bringing out the best in the artwork.
Michele Curtis and Paintsmiths, Fern Road, Bristol, July 2019
This ‘saint’ is Barbara Dettering, who was one of the co-founders of the St Paul’s Carnival (along with the other six ‘saints’) and who fought for the rights for people from the Afro-Caribbean community in Bristol.
Michele Curtis and Paintsmiths, Fern Road, Bristol, July 2019
Michele Curtis and the Paintsmiths have once again pulled a rabbit out of a hat with this one. It is an exquisite mural and one that is such a classy way to recognise and pay tribute to local heroes. Not only is the portrait beautifully painted, but the flowers and exotic bird balance the piece perfectly. I love this.
A beautiful aquatic scene and collaboration by Bristol fave Tasha Bee (keeping it colourful) and new boy on the block (to me at least) Conrico. For a while now, a loose aggregation or crew has been in existence called ‘the Monday Club’. At its heart is Tasha Bee, but other members include Soap, Zake, Face 1st and now Conrico amongst others. This is a Monday Club production.
Conrico, New Stadium Road, Bristol, July 2019
I have only seen two pieces by Conrico to date (the other one to follow soon) and what I have seen so far I like. There is a great story going on in this piece with the diver who seems to be making away with some pearls or at least looks like he is up to no good. I like the spray cans in his helmet and the manic fish adding to a sense of mischief.
Tasha Bee, New Stadium Road, Bristol, July 2019
The other half of the collaboration, by Tasha Bee, has a mermaid who seems to be equally obsessed with the Pearl she has in her left hand. And just next to her is the shell from which the pearls are coming. Speaking as a marine biologist I ought to point out a few inaccuracies in the piece, but speaking as an admirer of art I think this is a wonderful collaboration in the story-telling style.
This is the second post I have written about a piece by DFC1848. You may recall from the last one that the artist is better known to me as a street art hunter who takes great pictures of street art in Bristol, Cheltenham and further afield.
DFC1848, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019
DFC1848 has started doing a bit of spraying himself, and in my eyes it is pretty good. This little character contains the letters DFC, although what these stand for I have no idea… I’ll have to ask him next time I see him. I went to this wall yesterday, and sadly (but rather predictably) it has been sprayed over, but it is possible to see remnants of the piece. I am full of admiration for his work and inspired to carry on practising so that I can take the leap and do a piece on a wall somewhere, sometime.
Mid-way along North Street is a rather nice craft shop called Creative space, and recently Andy Council gave the upper level a fabulous makeover. I think it was part of the Upfest Summer Editions event, which has more than made up for the lack of a full blown festival this year.
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, June 2019
The space is not an easy one to paint and I think that Andy Council has made a great job of creating a symmetrical piece over the two windowswith what looks like two Chinese dragons facing off in the middle.
Andy Council, North Street, Bristol, June 2019
As with all his pieces, if you take a little look closer you can see that it is made up of buildings and architectural features, and around the beasts there is a liberral sprinkling of toadstools. This is a stunning piece (difficult to photograph on account of the bright skies behind) that exemplifies the talents of this most treasured Bristol artist.
You can always spot a high-quality piece of graffiti writing. There is something about the confidence with which it is painted, the clarity of the lines and competence of the fills, not to mention the accoutrements. This piece by Turoe has it all.
Turoe One, Brunel Way bridge, Bristol, June 2019
Tucked away under the Brunel Way bridge, the piece was completed during a paint jam with Veks (to follow) and really is of the highest quality. I don’t have many pictures of Turoe’s work, so it was great to capture this one.
I love this little piece in one of the tunnels of the M32 roundabout. It is by Face 1st, and although completely recognisable as his work, it is a shift away from his usual belle, and one that I love. It is characteristic of his branching out and exploring new ways to present his art.
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
It is the eyes that are the clue to the artist, they seem to have an anime appearance about them and are always most appealing. Although it is small and hidden I can’t help feeling that this is representative of the significant shift happening in Face 1st’s work right now.
Another artist who seems to have spent the winter in hibernation is Daz Cat, but he has certainly woken up recently, and this rather uplifting pun-message (have a mice day), and perhaps slightly less uplifting image is a recent piece from St Werburghs Tunnel.
Daz Cat, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2019
What is interesting about this one is that Daz Cat has shown time and time again that he can paint these great cats, and dogs too sometimes in his wonderful style, but judging from this piece, I think a bit more practice on his mice is needed.
Now that I have started trying to spray paint myself I know how difficult it is so it is perhaps a bit rich for me to be too judging of other’s work. Perhaps this is why theatre critics don’t act or direct.
It is the shape and style of the letters that give this artist away, it is of course Cort, but he has recently taken to writing PAD, although here it looks like PIADY. There are many things to admire in this piece, which was painted solo, rather than with his friend Laic217.
Cort, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2019
The two contrasting backgrounds of pink and blue add interest to the piece and the little details such as the red dots and lines and the gold rings are typical motifs used by the artist and ones that make his work so distinctive. Unusual and full of interest.
Well, well, well this piece by John D’oh caused something of a stir locally, and I shall try and give a brief description of why. It first appeared down a little side lane off St Michael’s hill about three weeks ago. I had spotted it from a bus on my way to work and registered it as one to come back to to photograph. The first lesson here is always take pictures of street art when you see it, because if you wait it will be gone next time you pass by, and this is exactly what happened with this.
The following week I was on my way to five-a-side football and it was still there and I made a mental note of coming back ASAP to take some pictures. On my way home an hour and a half later it had been buffed with white paint.
At pretty much the same time, there was a story on the Bristol Live website that it might be a Banksy, and stories like this always cause a stir. The piece is actually a clever adaptation of a Banksy work painted in Los Angeles entitled ‘Playhouse foreclosure‘. The core elements are the same, but the builder is absent, and the little girl is standing on the other side of the playhouse facing the other way.
John D’oh, St Michael’s Hill, Bristol, July 2019
The central point of the piece however was to enter into the realms of debate over the copyright of street art. It is critical of the stance taken by Banksy (and his lawyers) who recently won a case against a museum in Milan for selling Banksy Merchandise. Banksy has always had a pretty firm position of being against copyright and intellectual property rights, so this piece is simply highlighting the hypocrisy.
Having said that, this is a really difficult area for street artists and one that causes a lot of lively discussion. I know that John D’oh admires Banksy greatly, and has in the past used Banksy’s work and inspiration for his own work. In this instance I think he is being deliberately provocative to highlight this copyright/ideology minefield.
So how did I get my pictures? Well the great thing about stencils is that they can be used again and again, and within a couple of days, John D’oh had returned and repainted the piece (you can see the white paint that had been used to buff the original). Who buffed it in the first place and why, well we might never know, but all’s well that ends well.
Natural adventures 