Tag: Peter Sheridan

3772. Upfest 2021 75×75 (7)

Our household self-isolation is about half done now and it is getting a bit boring. When you can’t leave the front door for anything, the fear of missing out (FOMO) starts to build, and for me, this is manifested in how many new pieces of art I might never get to see, such is the high turnover. I confess, it really gets to me, but on the other side of this, it exposes my obsession, which probably needs moderating. A time for introspection.

Meanwhile, I have got a vast reserve of unpublished photographs that could keep me posting for a couple of years at least. Upfest pieces will always get prominence on Natural Adventures, and this astonishing piece from Peter Sheridan is really absolutely stunning.

Peter Sheridan, North Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Peter Sheridan, North Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

This one seemed to creep under everyone’s radar, and I don’t think I have seen any work in progress shots on social media. The finished piece was suddenly there, appearing as if by magic. The character piece creates an extraordinary atmosphere and sensation of being locked up, one I can utterly relate to at the moment, and one that probably reflects the past 18 months or so.

It is so good, I’ll just pause and leave you to enjoy it.

2679. Cheltenham 2019 (28)

Aah, pigs swimming, but not any ordinary pigs, it looks like these might be related in some way to the uniformed kind. I absolutely love this rather surreal mural from Peter Sheridan at the Cheltenham Paint Festival 2019. It is an outrageous piece beautifuly painted.

Peter Sheridan, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019
Peter Sheridan, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019

Peter Sheridan painted one of my favourite pieces of Upfest 2018 and he has carried on his brilliant work in Cheltenham. It took a while to find this piece but it was well worth the endeavour. It is not only the bizarre and humorous story of the piece, but the execution is quite exquisite.

Peter Sheridan, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019
Peter Sheridan, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019

Any piece with water is always going to be a challenge, but it is one that the artist has risen to and mastered. There are two other pieces that instantly come to mind when I see this and they are; the Odeith crocodile at Upfest 2018 and the figure in water by Cosmo Sarson at Upfest 2016:

Odeith, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Odeith, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Cosmo Sarson, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Cosmo Sarson, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

 

1985. Upfest 2018 (121)

Many years ago I recorded a Supertramp concert from the the TV, using a cassette recorder and microphone pointed at the TV speaker…it was how we did things in those days. My brother was having a small party of teenage friends on the same evening, so my recording was polluted with the sounds of a party going on in the background. When I played the recording back, I heard one of my brother’s friends exclaim ‘wow wee!’ at the start of one of the songs (he obviously liked it), and to this day, I can still hear that boy’s voice in my head, and do so every time I say wow wee. This digression is relevant only in that when I saw this brilliant piece by Peter Sheridan at last year’s Upfest, the voice in my head said ‘wow wee!’.

Peter Sheridan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Peter Sheridan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

This was absolutely one of my firm favourites from the festival. There is so much to like… the composition, the colours, the perspective and the brilliant execution. Even the observation of how the bark on this particular type of tree looks (similar to a silver birch or cherry bark). An absolute belter, and for comparison, I have included his unflattering but brilliant piece depicting Teresa May (boo) and Pokeman Go in 2016.

Peter Sheridan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Peter Sheridan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

624. Upfest 2016 (94)

Peter Sheridan is an artist from Glasgow who is now based in Dorset having been raised in Manchester. He has been painting since 1982 when he returned from an inspirational trip to New York at the tender age of 12.

Peter Sheridan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Peter Sheridan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

This piece was one of the first satirical pieces that I had seen, coming so soon after Theresa May had been appointed as leader of the Conservative Party in Early June 2016, and by default landed the job of Prime Minister.

Peter Sheridan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Peter Sheridan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

Sheridan managed to combine May’s rise to the top with the Pokémon-go craze that was sweeping the nation at the same time.

Peter Sheridan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Peter Sheridan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

This is a great commentary piece and presents us with a rather sinister view of the Prime Minister, something that I think chimes with a great many people who are not wedded to the right/far right of British politics.

Peter Sheridan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Peter Sheridan, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016