Tag: Nature

398. M32 Roundabout J3 (17)

UPDATE: Instagram to the rescue…this work it appears is a collaboration between Serge KB (Kortenbroek) and Simian Switch, both from the Netherlands. In this work, the animal is the work of Serge KB and the background by Simian Switch.

Generally I don’t like to post an artwork unless I know who it is by, but occasionally the interweb lets me down, and I just can’t seem to track down the artist. This is one such case.

Unknown artist, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, August 2016
Unknown artist, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, August 2016

This lovely work appeared around the same time as Upfest, so I am guessing that the artist isn’t local, or if they are, I haven’t seen any of their work before. There was another piece at Dean Lane skate park by the same artist which appeared at the same time, but no obvious signature there either. I love this piece, the colour selections and the depiction of the animal create quite a unique feel. It is simply beautiful, and I felt I had to post it to share it, but also to possibly get some insight from readers as to who the artist is.

393. Chance Street, Shoreditch, London (1)

I think it is safe to say that Roa must make it into most street art/graffiti art enthusiasts’ top ten, particularly those interested in wildlife and nature. On my latest work trip to London, I had another overnight stay and took advantage by finding a hotel not too far from Shoreditch.

Roa, Chance Street, London, August 2016
Roa, Chance Street, London, August 2016

I walked towards Brick Lane and found this wonderful, enormous hedgehog. Roa’s work is almost always in black and white tones and is picked out especially well on brickwork. The style is unmistakable and unique, sometimes a difficult thing to achieve in a crowded and growing scene.

Roa, Chance Street, London, August 2016
Roa, Chance Street, London, August 2016

When I was a youth, hedgehogs were abundant, so much so that they were very regular victims of road kill, even in cities. I even used to feed a family of them in my London back garden. Now alas, they are very much in decline. In fact this Roa depiction is the only hedgehog I have seen for about twenty years. It is a wonderful reminder of the splendour of this little creature. Thank you Roa.

390. Upfest 2016 (34)

There are some artists who are quite unique, because of their style, subject matter or materials. Shok 1 is one such artist. I don’t know if anyone else does what he does, or at least with so much skill.

Shok 1, Upfest, North Street, Bristol, July 2016
Shok 1, Upfest, North Street, Bristol, July 2016

Shok 1 is a British artist who specialises in X-ray images. Watching him work was amazing. He uses a small image for reference, and then sprays out every detail on a large wall. His attention to detail is just exceptional. I watched him ‘mist’ an area on the bottom right of the piece, and over five minutes he must have sprayed the same spot twenty times, with different densities of spray.

Shok 1, Upfest, North Street, Bristol, July 2016
Shok 1, Upfest, North Street, Bristol, July 2016
Shok 1, Upfest, North Street, Bristol, July 2016
Shok 1, Upfest, North Street, Bristol, July 2016

I don’t know where he got the X-ray of the unicorn from, but it must be a pretty rare thing.

Shok 1, Upfest, North Street, Bristol, July 2016
Shok 1, Upfest, North Street, Bristol, July 2016

Shok 1 was a lead artist at Upfest and quite deservedly so. It is amazing to have one of his pieces in Bristol as I don’t recall seeing one here before. I hope he returns next year, or sooner. Almost pure perfection.

389. Upfest 2016 (33)

I never made it to Upfest 2015, which might be a blessing, as I would probably still be writing posts about it now if I had. I was struck though by how many ‘treats’ were hidden in the North Street area after the event.

23Magpies, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
23Magpies, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

It was in searching carefully for these ‘treats’ that I started to find some lovely paste ups by 23Magpies, such as this chameleon. Her work is heavily focused on wildlife and the environment, and her feature piece for Upfest was this lovely fox and design.

23Magpies, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
23Magpies, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I am a big fan of 23Magpies’ work and will be writing about some of the treats she left behind after this year’s festival. On this particular piece, you’ve got to love the detail of the bee on the rim, which the fox appears to be watching. Great stuff.

388. Upfest 2016 (32)

This artist has appeared regularly on this blog and requires no introduction. Aspire’s birds are in inspiration and a tonic for those who live in the city of Bristol. He is a prolific artist who brightens up the some of the darker places for example; The Bearpit and walls and hoardings in the Stokes Croft area.

Aspire, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Aspire, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

 

This is not the first Blue Jay that I have seen by Aspire, and I hope he will continue to do more. This one is special though, in that it was produced for Upfest and will remain intact for at least a year as it is within the playground of Ashton Gate School, in the company of some other great street art.

Aspire, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Aspire, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Alas! I didn’t make it to this site on the Saturday, and missed the opportunity of seeing Aspire at work and of meeting him. Note to self…make better use of the Saturday at Upfest 2017.

Aspire, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Aspire, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

“You are beautiful when you are who you are”

383. Upfest 2016 (27)

I am a huge fan of China Girl Tile, and was so excited to hear that she would be at Upfest 2016. I had seen lots of her work on social media, but nothing in the flesh, so it was a real treat not only to see her at work, but to be able to say hello and stop for a quick chat.

China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I caught up with China Girl Tile while she was finishing off her work in the drizzle on the second day of the festival. The wall she was working on is in the back yard of the Hen and Chicken and in really great company (Fake, Cosmo Sarson…and others).

China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I am glad she chose foxes for this installation, because as many of you may know Bristol is famous for its urban foxes. In fact some research a few years ago showed that the most densely populated group of foxes on record were in and around my allotment. Their numbers fell due to mange and the introduction of wheelie bins with strong lids. I digress. I love foxes.

China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Her reference to the Campbells soup tin is not only witty but is incorporated so very well into the unfolding story.

China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Her work is unusual and refreshing and executed with such skill and dedication. The tiles are really beautiful and enchanting. Please can we get more China Girl Tile work in Bristol.

China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

 

Queens’ flight

 

In their millions

reminiscent of ash spewed

from a volcano.

 

by Scooj

371. Upfest 2016 (22)

There was so much street art on offer at Upfest, that if you blinked you could miss something. I am so glad I had my camera with me, although on the day I took this photograph, my camera ran out of battery (aaaaargh what an idiot!) so I had to use my phone camera, and the results don’t really do the art justice. This was one of those pieces that was better ‘in the flesh’ but still looks pretty good in this photograph.

Mutiny, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Mutiny, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

The artist is Mutiny (Jane Laurie), a British, London-based,  wildlife illustrator, fine art painter and street artist. Clearly very talented and driven with a desire to raise awareness about endangered wildlife; she uses the hashtag #lovewildlife and signature anatomical heart on all her street art work. Oh! so much great stuff at Upfest.

370. Upfest 2016 (21)

A lovely cheerful piece by Beep Monkey at Ashton Gate School. Saturday was obviously the day to be at this site, as there was only one artist on the Sunday when I came down, and most of the works were complete.

Beep Monkey, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Beep Monkey, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I must confess that I didn’t spend too long looking at this when I photographed it, but have had some time to look at it and find out more about the artist. Beep Monkey is new to street art, but has a rich background in illustrative and digital work; you can see the shading under the rabbit’s foot looks like a pen and paper sketch. I look forward to seeing more of his street pieces.

363. Upfest 2016 (20)

Towards the end of North Street (the West end) there are a lovely pair of garage doors that constitute a desirable spot for local street artists. At Upfest 2016 the honour was given to Rocket01 to work his magic.

Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

When I got to his pitch, he was rather concerned about the inconsiderate car drivers who were impatiently tooting street enthusiasts as they photographed his work. An irritation shared by many who were trying to admire his work on this tight corner. I chatted with him for a short while and told him I would write about his work in my blog…so here it is.

Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

This is a striking piece by Rocket01 who originally comers from Sheffield and tours the country as a street artist. This was the first time I have seen his work, and I was really impressed. I like this kind of thing.

Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

In his bio from the Upfest programme, he talks of his work with the following quote:

“I have visions of a post-apocalyptic world where mankind has finally embraced nature and immersed himself within it. He swims with the fishes, he flies with the birds, chlorophyll runs through his veins and his eyes photosyntesize.”

I rather like this, but that is no surprise coming from a ‘nature boy’.

Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

There is detail in this work that hints at sustainable energy, peace, nature…visions of hope. Another great Upfest piece.

Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016