Tag: Portrait

4811. New Stadium Road (42)

Lazo, New Stadium Road, Bristol, November 2022
Lazo, New Stadium Road, Bristol, November 2022

This piece, by Lazo, is one of the most arresting portraits I have seen in quite a while. It was painted during a Paint jam between some artists I know and some I have never heard of, including Lazo.

Lazo, New Stadium Road, Bristol, November 2022
Lazo, New Stadium Road, Bristol, November 2022

There is some good shading work in tones of blue, green and yellow which provide plenty of depth to the face. Although this is not the best portrait piece I have seen, and there are some things that don’t quite work for me, I think it is very good and there is something about it that compels me to look at it. Perhaps it is the expressionless face, or the hanging hair, or the colours. Whatever it is, it fascinates me. I hope to see more from Lazo.

4809. Coach and Horses

Hazard, Coach and Horses, Bristol, November 2022
Hazard, Coach and Horses, Bristol, November 2022

It is too easy in life to take things for granted, and sometimes we need something to remind us that special places, people and events are happening all around us all the time, if only we woke up and appreciated them. I had such an awakening yesterday, when photographing this Halloween paint jam from the RBF crew on the wall of the Coach and Horses. This spot is easy to drive past, but very difficult to stop and park near, but thankfully I found some obliging double yellow lines that I occupied for five minutes.

Hazard, Coach and Horses, Bristol, November 2022
Hazard, Coach and Horses, Bristol, November 2022

Hazard is a phenomenon. Her work goes from strength to strength and this recent Halloween portrait is absolutely exceptional. The detail, the shading which provides depth, and the expression are flawless. I love this piece and Hazard’s work, and I do not take it for granted, rather I see it as a privilege that I get to see her work on a regular basis. Brilliant.

4799. Cheltenham Road, Boston Tea Party

Kid Krishna, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, October 2022
Kid Krishna, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, October 2022

When you spend your spare time searching out and writing about street/graffiti art, you develop an amazing peripheral vision for noticing something different, something new, in the places that you visit most often. I was walking to the office last week (a rare occurrence these days), and from the corner of my eye I saw this bright flash of colour behind a hedge on the wall of The Boston Tea Party, where an Alex Lucas piece once proudly stood. The colour belongs to this outstanding piece by Kid Krishna, which I assume is rather new.

Kid Krishna, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, October 2022
Kid Krishna, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, October 2022

For me at least, this piece was an extra surprise because it is by Kid Krishna, and to date I have only seen his writing, and wasn’t aware that he painted art pieces as well. This is an unusual, but compelling portrait piece in bright colours and almost in a cubist style. Great to see that Kid Krishna has several strings to his bow, and a great addition to his portfolio.

4786. Cumberland Basin

Hika and Pekoe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Hika and Pekoe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

This is an unexpected collaboration between Hika and Pekoe… unexpected because I don’t really know much about Hika, although I do know all about RBF’s Pekoe. The two have combined nicely and there is much to like about the collaboration.

Hika and Pekoe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Hika and Pekoe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

Hika’s letters might appear, on first inspection, to be a bit messy, but take a closer look and they are nice and clean with decent fills and a black 3D drop shadow. Some of the embellishments include red squiggles, and some rather nice yellow drips.

Pekoe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Pekoe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

Regulars will know how much I admire Pekoe’s work, and this is a lovely portrait piece from her. Perhaps the most unusual thing about this one is the hairstyle. Pekoe’s portraits usually host big hair full of stars and shapes, but this one has a stylish short cut that works really well on the limited height of this space. Beautiful big eyes and a customary tear – great work from Pekoe. All in all, a really nice collaboration from this pair.

4756. Upfest 2022 (53)

Sphiza, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Sphiza, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

There are some paintings at Upfest that you fall in love with at first sight and this magnificent mural by Sphiza is exactly that. From the moment I first saw it, I knew it was something rather special.

Sphiza, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Sphiza, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

In this piece, which makes extraordinary use of colours to create shadings and texture (a bit like a stencil might), Sphiza conveys an important ‘peace’ message via a portrait of a youngster drawing a peace symbol on a sheet of paper. I don’t know very much about Sphiza, and haven’t seen any of her work before, but am especially interested because she is from Porto in Portugal, and regulars will know how much I love the city.

4744. M32 roundabout J3 (432)

DNT, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2022
DNT, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2022

I got super-lucky a couple of weeks ago when I bumped into DNT just as he was finishing off this outstanding piece just outside the M32 roundabout. I didn’t recognise him or his work at first, until we started chatting. What an absolute pleasure it was to meet him, and although I had met him before, he didn’t recognise me. I like his work very much, and it was a privilege to be there just as he was wrapping up.

DNT, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2022
DNT, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2022

The piece, on the side of a food wagon, features a woman in an elaborate headdress with an Aztec or Mayan feel about her. It is an outstanding and vibrant piece, beautifully designed and executed, and knowing who it is by after the event, so obviously a DNT work. Superb work and a red-letter day.

4740. Elton Street (12)

Tanith Gould, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
Tanith Gould, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

Tanith Gould was one of four female artists who painted the bill boards on Elton Street recently, adopting the paint jam colours and creating this imaginative portrait piece.

Tanith Gould, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
Tanith Gould, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

I am not entirely certain what this thoughtful piece is about, but there is a story here, and the imagery is impactful. This might be the most accomplished piece I have seen from Tanith Gould, and she has certainly earned her place in this prestigious ‘outdoor gallery’

4736. Greenbank (55)

Conrico, Greenbank, Bristol, September 2022
Conrico, Greenbank, Bristol, September 2022

The next few posts willl be necessarily quite short, as I am about to take off for my annual fishing trip to Cornwall, and although it is a short break from work, we manage to fill our days, leaving not a lot of time for me to write. At this moment I am packing, ironing, looking for a reel I have lost, having breakfast, walking the dog, dropping my daughter off at school before leaping into the car for the three hour journey.

Conrico, Greenbank, Bristol, September 2022
Conrico, Greenbank, Bristol, September 2022

This piece by Conrico is a belter. Everything about it is brilliant; the composition, the weirdness and the execution left me spellbound when I saw it. There are some pieces you see and you forget, there are others that remain in the memory for a long time or forever and this is one of those pieces. Fabulous work from Conrico.

4721. Dean Lane skate park (529)

Qwynto, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022
Qwynto, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022

When you photograph street/graffiti art two or three times a week, every week, you become very used to and familiar with ‘Bristol’ art, even if you can’t identify the artist. That might sound strange, but Bristol art has a look and feel, even across the diverse range of artists and styles, and anything that is not Bristol art, stands out a mile. When I saw this piece, it stood out a mile!

Qwynto, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022
Qwynto, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022

Qwynto is an artist based in the UK, but I am not entirely sure where, but I note he has painted in Haringey and Brighton recently, so I am guessing he is from the south-east of England. He took a trip to Bristol and left behind this wonderful piece. It has something that remind me of Mudra and Kid Crayon, and although there are similarities, there are also differences. His use of colour and tone is fantastic, bringing about a very soft pastel effect, and the writing incorporates a portrait and some other contextual elements, such as the car tyre and plants. This work is right up my street, and I am thrilled that Qwynto visited us in Bristol. Fabulous.

4720. Elton Street (10)

The Hass, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
The Hass, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

What an absolute stunner from The Hass. There is little more to say about it really. The portrait piece is a little bit similar in style to some of the recent pieces by Hazard, combining a photorealistic portrait with repetition and abstract ideas, and some interesting colour tones as well.

The Hass, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
The Hass, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

The more I look at the piece, the more I see. The incomplete portrait tricks your brain into completing it. It is quite incredible to think that this has all been painted with spray cans and not a paint brush in sight. I really don’t know how these guys do it. A masterpiece from The Hass.