I am going to be clear about this. I want to find more pieces by Face F1st. I love the simplicity of the lines. The sentiment of the faces. The cool colours.
I have not been able to find out much about the artist other than that they belong to the PWA (Pirate Wall Art) crew.
This little side street in Stokes Croft is bursting with street art with a very high turnover. There is a lot more to come from here.
8/10
On previous occasions when I have tried to photograph this Andy Council whale, there have been vehicles parked, on the grass, right up to it. I finally got a clear shot at it during a recent walk to Bedminster.
The style is unmistakable…a natural form created from architectural elements, usually recognisable Bristol landmarks.
This piece was painted during Upfest 2015 and is one of my favourites by Andy Council.
8/10
It came in the post.
Unspeakably excited;
Ericailcane.
by Scooj
Room 212 is an art shop that promotes and sells the works of local artists, on the Gloucester Road about half way between Bishopston and Horfield. To my shame I have not yet visited the shop, but having looked at their website, I will make a visit soon, if only to buy a Stewy print.
Above the shop front is a fabulous stencil of Cary Grant sitting cross legged and waving to passers by.
Stewy specialises in artworks of iconic people and tends to spray them close to where they live/once lived. In this case, Cary Grant (Archibald Leach) lived very nearby, and went to the local primary school in Bishop Road before heading out to the USA. Locals are very proud of their world famous son.
This is a typically understated stencil by Stewy, and hits the mark perfectly.
8.5/10
The Tobacco Factory is a fabulous multi-use centre in Bedminster, Bristol. It was saved from demolition by George Ferguson, currently the Mayor of Bristol, and forms a central hub for urban regeneration in the area and is something of a cultural magnet.
The car park has been one of the spaces opened up during the Upfest street art festivals, indeed it more resembles an outdoor gallery than a car park.
This striking piece is by Anat Ronen and was painted as part of the 2015 festival. Anat is a self-taught artist based in Houston who started painting as a way of life only in 2009. Her work is beautiful and I would recommend a visit to her website.
8/10
My mother tipped me off about this one a couple of weeks ago when she saw it on a shopping trip in Chichester. I cannot express how pleased I was, firstly that my mum is quite cool and secondly that JPS has hit Chichester with one of my favourite stencils.
I wrote about this stencil (in Bristol) in my second street art blog, and it remains one of my favourite works of any street artist.
Chichester is one of those cities that has no culture of street art, but held a festival in 2013 (I think), so it is all a bit organised if you know what I mean. The JPS piece adds a little bit of spice as I’m not too sure it was a part of the festival.
Wonderful.
9/10
Back in September I posted a tribute to Mibsy at this exact location.
Recently it would appear that another much loved member of the Bristol graffiti community has passed away, and tribute pieces are popping up everywhere, as tags, burners or full scale walls like this one.
There is little documented information about Mike Buzz, but there is this quote taken from the Bristol Graffiti and Street Art FaceBook site; “one of the nicest guys in the graffiti game. Buzz says love life. Rocking in paradise”
This is a lovely work by Deam, Ames and Skank, and once again reaffirms just how close the graffiti and street art community is in Bristol. It is also good to see that there is a small reference to Mibsy on this new work. There will be more posts on Buzz soon.
8/10
One of the unintended consequences of developing the Bristol harbourside has been the erection of hoardings in front of unrented retail spaces. Being Bristol, these would have been magnets for graffiti of all kinds. It would appear that the developers commissioned Cheo, a prolific local artist, to paint the hoardings to brighten up the area, and to prevent others from scrawling.
This four panel mural tells a story of a giant squid and pirates; a suitably nautical theme for Bristol.
People seem to take these murals for granted. Every time I go to Millennium Parade I watch, and I have never seen anyone stop to look at the art although I am sure they are conscious of it.
As always Cheo has plastered the panels with his trademark bees.
7/10
This rather beautiful and unusual piece by The Krah, is hidden away in the dark reaches of Leonard Lane. The Krah is a London-based artist/street artist, who was raised in Greece where he was a prolific graffiti artist during the 1990s.
He has a fabulous website that shows off his work, and is really well presented…well worth checking out. This piece is typical of many of his works and has that designed feel to it that can also be seen in Inkie’s and Zesk’s work.
A lovely and refreshing work.
I have walked past this wonderful Dali portrait many times, but it was only today that I noticed the signature close to the ground. It is by Ben Slow, who has a background in fine art.
Ben Slow, Hotwell Road, Bristol
Since painting this piece in 2009, he has gone on to do some large portraits mainly in London, but also in other cities around the country. I am very fond of this piece.
8/10
Natural adventures 