1063. Upfest 2017 (75)

These are two really beautiful pieces that I wish I’d spent more time looking at during my walk around North Street Green at Upfest. Each of them is calming and serene, and they make a fine pair. I am not sure if the co-location was by accident or by design, but it works very well.

Paintily, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Paintily, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The left hand side is by Paintily, a Bristol-based artist originally from Brighton. There is something about this stencil that I like a lot, and the stripes on the face of the girl finish the piece off beautifully. I have not seen any of her work before, but would love to see her take her work to the streets.

Taina, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Taina, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The right hand side is by Taina, and has the feel of a children’s book illustration. Such a simple idea and so beautifully painted, there is a whole story unfolding here, and one I want to know more about.  Taina is a Swiss-Finnish artist based in Zurich whose work I think I could very well fall in love with. A quick look at this website might give you an insight as to why I like her work so much. I definitely want her to return next year.

Paintily and Taina, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Paintily and Taina, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I remember

.

Not a day goes by

when I don’t spend a moment

thinking about you.

.

by Scooj

1023. M32 Spot (9)

On one of the duller walls in Stapleton Road at the M32 skate spot, a whole bunch of new pieces have appeared, of which this is one, which have really  brightened up the place. This ‘love bomb’ is by SPZero76 and features the dog, so often included in his works.

SPZero76, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2017
SPZero76, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2017

SPZero76’s works are always clean and tidy, often with quite a lot going on and plenty of detail to look at. He often includes his ‘stamps’ too, such as the little spray splat with ‘I love Bristol’ or the little SP with a heart. There is never any doubt about who his works are by.

SPZero76, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2017
SPZero76, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2017

In my limited conversations with SPZero76, I think the one overwhelming thing I take away is his extreme enthusiasm and love for what he does – it comes across in all of his work. I was pleased to find this, because I hadn’t really twigged it was there and it is always nice to make discoveries.

1004. The Bearpit (89)

I took these pictures a while ago, but have always had the intention of posting them. First though I had to do a bit of homework. The piece appeared in The Bearpit back in January 2017, and was not by any of the artists I am familiar with.

The work itself is on the face of it quite simple, featuring a key, a knife, a feather and some twigs. Once you step back, you will notice the whole thing spells out LOVE…there is a lot of thought and symbolism in this and it is a much more complex piece than one might think on first inspection.

Riky Boy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
Riky Boy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

The colours of the piece , whether accidental or deliberate, are significant because the red white and green are the colours of the Italian flag and the artist Riky Boy comes from Milan. I am guessing he was passing through Bristol and left us a present, because I haven’t seen any of his work here since.

Looking at his Instagram account, it would seem that the ‘key’ motif is one he uses a lot, and would appear to have some deeper significance for the artist. I find this work and other pieces I have seen online rather intriguing. Riky Boy’s style is quite unique and raw, but there is a great deal of emotion and intellegence behind his work. A really satisfying find.

Once loved

 

Through the mist of time

thoughts of you evaporate

into the ether.

 

by Scooj

788. The Bearpit (70)

This is the second paste up by qWeRT that I have posted in recent days, and it is right in the middle of The Bearpit, but I’ll wager most people who pass through won’t even have spotted it. Another wonderfully happy piece, with a bug-eyed character holding up uits hands and creating a heart shape. Simple but pleasing.

qWeRT, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017
qWeRT, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017

I really like qWeRT’s work that has started to appear in Bristol. I am guessing that the artist visits from time to time, and lays down a trail of  wheatpastes probably in one session – if you get lucky, like I did, you might find several of them in a single linear walk.

qWeRT, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017
qWeRT, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017

A really welcome visitor to the streets of Bristol. You might just be able to see that has been placed in front of the Cheba and SPZero76 pieces.

First love

.

We were lovers once

those affections did not last

but they were not lost. 

.

by Scooj

696. The Bearpit (52)

It is always great to see a new Tom Miller piece, and this is a wall he has favoured in the past. I can’t keep up with this particular wall, and have some pieces that have never made it to the blog. Maybe if I was retired…

Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017
Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017

This work has all the hallmarks of a Miller piece; body parts bursting with a suffusion of colour and ‘imaginite’ – the way thoughts might look if they could be painted. There is a little story going on here, chasing after love perhaps. I would like to think it is a happy picture and not a morose or sad one. I really am a big fan of Tom Miller’s work.

Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017
Tom Miller, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017

672. The Bearpit (45)

Photographing street art and posting it on digital social media can be a frustrating thing sometimes. Some bloggers or Instagrammers, put up their images within hours or minutes of finding a new piece. This is great for getting a picture of ‘what’s new’ but is usually unaccompanied by any sort of narrative, and rarely a location…I don’t understand why people are so guarded. Others like myself, like to add a little bit of a back story…sometimes a little tedious (I’m sorry)…to give the reader just a little bit more than a snapshot. The big disadvantage of the latter approach is that images about contemporary news events seem rather out dated by the time I get to post them. A case in point is this witty ‘love is’ piece by John D’oh in one of the tunnels of The Bearpit.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017

So my apologies to all for the tardiness of this post, but I think it is still worth including in the blog. I don’t need to say much about the subject matter – it has been world news after all. I love the subtle (?) reference to Trump’s hair. This is a fun piece ridiculing the ridiculous.

John D'oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017
John D’oh, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017

Human need

 

When all’s said and done

there is only one thing; we

just want to be loved.

 

by Scooj