Tag: Loch Ness

2234. North Street

Well, this picture is a bit on the slant isn’t it? Such was my excitement at just admiring this incredible piece by Loch Ness, my photography skills went to pot. Sorry about that. Loch Ness is a bit of a specialist at these long walls, managing to create a psychadelic journey through an unintelligible story, but a story nonetheless.

Loch Ness, North Street, Bristol, May 2019
Loch Ness, North Street, Bristol, May 2019

I think that there is a bit of a climate change and biodiversity story going on. A bird on a healthy tree to the left seems to be interacting with the central bear character. On the right some buildings and clouds, maybe representing emissions, take the eye to a dead or dying woodland.

Loch Ness, North Street, Bristol, May 2019
Loch Ness, North Street, Bristol, May 2019

I will be forever indebted to Loch Ness for the two hour spray paint lesson he gave me in May 2018. From that he gave me the confidence to buy my own cans and give it a go. My experimenting so far has been tricky – this is a whole lot harder than it looks – but enormous fun. I am mostly getting used to the pressure and the caps and thinking about layers for cutting in. I’m also having fun sketching out drafts and ideas, which from a non-artist is rather fulfilling. Thank you Loch Ness.

Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Loch Ness, Jessop Underpass, Bristol, December 2017
Loch Ness, Jessop Underpass, Bristol, December 2017

 

2111. Upfest 2018 (138)

I have always had a soft spot for Loch Ness’ work, but even more so since he gave me my first spray painting lesson last May. This rather trippy piece the pub garden of the Steam Crane is bright, colourful and slightly peculiar.

Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

I must have taken the picture after Upfest itself as during the festival this garden is absolutely heaving and taking clean shots of this wall is near impossible. The piece features a kind of skeleton on its side, although I actually think that the wall is on its side, because the drips go from left to right. In order to see the piece as it really is, I have turned the photograph 90 degrees and hey presto! you can see it much more clearly.

Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Always great to see work from Loch Ness.

1620. North Street Green (12)

A wonderful collaboration between Paul Monsters and Loch Ness that has been hiding away in my archive for such a very long time. Too good to leave there, especially as I owe my debut piece to these two, Paul for all his unvelievable work on Upfest and Loch Ness for giving me my lesson in spray painting.

Paul Monsters and Loch Ness, North Street Green, July 2015
Paul Monsters and Loch Ness, North Street Green, July 2015

It is rare to see a piece by Paul Monsters these days that isn’t some kind of geometric design, and Loch Ness too has developed his technique and is favouring larger pieces these days. The two still collaborate, and I expect to see them both hard at work at Upfest.

I am writing this in advance, but by my estimate this post should be out the day before Upfest begins.

Europe’s largest street art festival begins in Bristol tomorrow, and I am (will be) beside myself with excitement. Time to prep cameras and make sure all batteries are powered up to the max. I’ll start to post images from the festival as soon as I am able, but regular followers will know that it take me about 9 months or so to work through them.

1353. Upfest 2017 (139)

Just across the road from South Street Park in a school yard the fabulous combination of Paul Monsters and Loch Ness were busy at work. I’m not sure that many people got to see the final piece, which had been slow to finish due to the weather combined with the fact that after Upfest, access to the school yard has been restricted.

Paul Monsters and Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Paul Monsters and Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Two fine bristol artists who use bright colours in their work, but with very different styles. Paul Monsters works with geometric patterns creating 3D shapes and shadows that draw the eye in to examine in detail what is happening.

Paul Monsters and Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Paul Monsters and Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Loch Ness, who also uses lots of colour in his work tends to spray monsters or animals with pieces that tell a story.

Paul Monsters and Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Paul Monsters and Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The whole piece is a major asset for the pupils of the school, who probably don’t appreciate how lucky they are to have such a beautiful piece adorning this playground building. I got lucky, and managed to take these pictures when the gates were opened for the contractors to remove a cherry picker (which had been used by Nol in the same yard).

1006. East Street

Situated on top of the Besley Hill estate agent’s premises and commanding a grand view from East Street over to the Steam Crane is this colourful and detailed piece by Loch Ness. Having seen Loch Ness at work on more than one occasion, I know that he takes his time and really concentrates hard on every detail of his work.

Loch Ness, East Street, Bristol, March 2017
Loch Ness, East Street, Bristol, March 2017

This particular piece features a whole bunch of monsters perched on top of a row of houses enjoying themselves playing and fishing. There is a nice little touch on the right hand side, where you can see two hot air balloons, something for which Bristol is famous – indeed Cameron balloons is directly behind this shop.

Loch Ness, East Street, Bristol, March 2017
Loch Ness, East Street, Bristol, March 2017

Loch Ness fills his pieces with colour and energy and there is always a lot going on. This is a fine and entertaining piece which brightens up this end of the high street.

866. Lower Approach Road (3)

The third piece from this site down by Temple Meads Station. The day I first went to take pictures here, Copyright and Paul Monsters were just finishing off their magnificent piece. To their left, working hard was Loch Ness diligent in his work on this piece.

Loch Ness, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, May/June 2017
Loch Ness, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, May/June 2017

Unfortunately for him, I broke his concentration for a little while. The piece is quite unusual and full of details and little stories. The main figure looks like it is a reindeer – unusual for this time of year.

Loch Ness, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, May/June 2017
Loch Ness, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, May/June 2017

To the left of the reindeer is what I would describe as a burst of nature, and this was the part Loch Ness was working on when I photographed the work (first time).

Loch Ness, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, May/June 2017
Loch Ness, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, May/June 2017

As he was working it looked very much like he was working to a plan, and he was almost ‘painting by numbers’. Of course one has to recognise that he designed the plan and has the incredible skill to execute it, I am not suggesting for a moment that the process he uses is any easier than any other.

Loch Ness, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, May/June 2017
Loch Ness, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, May/June 2017

674. Upfest 2016 (101)

There was an underlying theme to Upfest 2016 and that was the emergence of ‘Mr Graff’. This was a playful idea where Cheo was asked to create Mr Graff in the style of Roger Hargreaves ‘Mr Men’. Other artists were encouraged to play with the idea, and several did exactly that.

Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

This piece ‘Mr Impossible’, is by the colourful and talented Loch Ness who specialises in psychedelic and surreal imagery. His pieces often have a host of playful characters sprayed in a multitude of great colours. Loch Ness also sprayed another piece at the school during the festival, but I don’t have a picture of the completed work, which was still behind scaffolding when I caught up with him for a chat. His work brightens up the dullness around us.