Tag: Mural

555. Stokes Croft, the Carriageworks (21)

Without question this is the most iconic graffiti view in Bristol. These two have been side by side at the top of the Carriageworks building for as long as I can remember. Any street art fan that has visited Bristol is more than likely to have this shot.

Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016
Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016

The crocodile on the left is by Rowdy, many of whose works can be found in nearby Montpelier and which I have featured on this blog before. Remember this cat for example? The skull on the right is by the very famous Sweet Toof who along with Rowdy is one of the original Bristol street/graffiti artists. It is incredible, but I think this is the first piece by Sweet Toof I have featured here on the blog – I am losing my touch. I will dig out some other of his pieces. If you cannot wait for that, I recommend his very active Instagram account @thesweettoof or take a look at his rather nice website.

Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016
Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016

When you pull back from the closeups, you can see how high and large these pieces are, and for the observant among you, you will also notice the FOIS letters by Kleiner Shames on the bottom right. Welcome to Bristol.

554. M32 Roundabout J3 (29)

Taking a quick look back to Haloween last year and a gathering of several street artists from the ASK crew, who produced several pieces with ghoulish themes. This one is from Epok and unusually for him included a rather good character of Frankenstein’s monster.

Epok, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, December 2016
Epok, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, December 2016

The colour selections are up to his usual high standards and the letters mistily disguised, which is a bit of a departure from his trademark strong shapes and sharp lines. I like this piece very much as it demonstrates the range of Epok’s work. I am just sorry that I didn’t have time to post it last year.

Epok, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, December 2016
Epok, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, December 2016

552. M32 Roundabout J3 (28)

I have said enough about how great Sled One is, so I’ll not dwell on repeating myself, but simply show you some pictures I took earlier in the Summer of one of his awesome pieces.

Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2016
Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2016

As with many of his murals, there is a story to be told here, but his stories always seem to be a little obscure, and I’ll be damned if I can figure them out.

Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2016
Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2016

His cartoon style of creating animals has a dream-like quality to it. Always beautifully sprayed, but something slightly weird in their looks or mannerisms.

Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2016
Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2016

In this piece we see a cat and a mouse, the latter of which bears a resemblance to the character Scrat from the Ice Age films. The mouse is running off with cheese, but the cat looks like he’s having none of it.

Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2016
Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2016

This is a fun piece from Bristol’s best.

549. York Road (1)

There are rewards to be had when making the effort to walk just that little bit further, or turn down a street you’ve not been down before. My reward recently for doing this was to come across this beautiful mural on the front of a small terraced house in Montpelier.

Alex Lucas, York Road, Bristol, December 2016
Alex Lucas, York Road, Bristol, December 2016
Of course it is by the unmistakable Alex Lucas, who really has stamped her mark all over the area, and added to it’s boho atmosphere. The floral designs are bold and colourful, but for me it is always the little animal characters that I find most enchanting.

Alex Lucas, York Road, Bristol, December 2016
Alex Lucas, York Road, Bristol, December 2016
There is a mouse ringing the doorbell, probably paying a visit and another mouse perched above the door. Perhaps my favourite of these though is the frog slumped on a brick ledge above the basement well.

Alex Lucas, York Road, Bristol, December 2016
Alex Lucas, York Road, Bristol, December 2016
A fantastic work by a brilliant artist/designer. Should you find yourself in Montpelier, it is well worth a visit.

548. M32 Roundabour J3 (27)

Another fine example of wildstyle writing down at the M32 roundabout by the inexhaustible Sled One. This piece has a metallic look to it, not only in the colour palette but also in the angular nature of the lettering and embellishment.

Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2016
Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2016

I have probably said as much as I need to in previous posts about how much I admire the work of Sled One. Always beautifully executed, never ever disappointing.

Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2016
Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2016

544. M32 Roundabout J3 (26)

Another nice piece by Deamze on the M32 roundabout wall, on the St Pauls side, from back in July 2016. It is quite an unusual piece, rather stylised and reminiscent of stained glass.

Deamze, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, June 2016
Deamze, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, June 2016
It is not my favourite piece by Deamze and I can’t put my finger on why that might be. Possibly the background colour clashes a bit with the colours in the piece. Or maybe it is missing a cartoon character popping out somewhere. Technically beautifully worked though.

Deamze, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, June 2016
Deamze, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, June 2016

543. Rivington Street, Shoreditch (4)

Another great artist to claim a wall in Rivington Street is My Dogs Sighs, and his piece is alongside other greats such as Fanakapan, Stinkfish and Thierry Noir. This is a piece typical of My Dog Sighs, composed of a pair of eyes, and on closer inspection a scene going on in the reflection of the eye itself.

My Dog Sighs, Rivington Street, Shoreditch, August 2016
My Dog Sighs, Rivington Street, Shoreditch, August 2016

This is a clever technique used by My Dog Sighs, and it is in the detail of the eye that the story lies. Difficult to make out, but the artist knows. It is always nice to stumble upon anything by My Dog Sighs.

541. Greville Road (4)

Have you ever had that strange thing when you hear a word for the first time, maybe on the radio, or at work or something, and then, having never been aware of it in your life before, you keep hearing it again and again. One of those words for me was ‘segue’. It is funny how awareness works. And so it is with Andrew Burns Colwill for me. I didn’t know who he was only a little while ago when I posted about his goldfish. Now, as I go through my archives, I keep finding pieces by him, that I didn’t know were by him, and the best bit about that is that I can now post them here. ABC is very much front of mind for me at the moment.

Andrew Burns Colwill, Greville Road, Bristol, June 2016
Andrew Burns Colwill, Greville Road, Bristol, June 2016

This piece entitled ‘Health and Safety’ encapsulates our nation’s obsession with H&S and our equal counterbalance of mocking it. “Hold the handrail” they say at work when going up or down the stairs. Infuriating, but somehow endearing. The problem I have with H&S is that it is enforced, not because people care, but because people want to be seen to be caring. Being seen to be doing things is the biggest sham. Just do it…then you will be seen.

Andrew Burns Colwill, Greville Road, Bristol, June 2016
Andrew Burns Colwill, Greville Road, Bristol, June 2016

I seem to be on a bit of a soapbox. three glasses of wine and this is what happens. Back to ABC…I really like his work. There is something very serene about it, but in this piece there is something troubling too. Perhaps he is so moved by the H&S thing that he needed to express his feelings through his amazing art. I just rant. More to come in a while.

540. Picton Lane (6)

This is another beautiful bird creation by Aspire in Picton Lane, a little alleyway tucked away in Montpelier. I think these are house sparrows, which were so common when I was a youngster, but are something of a rarity these days.

Aspire, Picton Lane, Bristol, June 2016
Aspire, Picton Lane, Bristol, June 2016

I am full of admiration for the way that Aspire can just turn up to a wall and within a few hours transform it into something of beauty. His talent is as rare as the birds he paints.

Aspire, Picton Lane, Bristol, June 2016
Aspire, Picton Lane, Bristol, June 2016

I am filled with horror to learn that he has recently moved to London. Our loss is most certainly London’s gain. I wish him all the very best…the streets are lined with gold don’t you know.

Aspire, Picton Lane, Bristol, June 2016
Aspire, Picton Lane, Bristol, June 2016

I am sure that he will come back occasionally to his native Bristol, lest we forget (an unlikely scenario). Bon voyage.

538. Raleigh Road Vector (3)

This is another nice piece from wildstyle specialist Soker. It was in the Vector car park back in July, just before being overpainted during Upfest. The car park is a special place for Bristol street artists as it has five walls available in a gated space, so the works are rarely tagged. It also allows for gatherings and collaborations.

Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2016
Soker, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2016
This is on the side wall of the car park, and is slightly more difficult to photograph from the gates. The piece is a great example of Soker’s work. He tends not to disguise his letters as much as some and makes great colour and tone selections. A good piece.