Zake, Conrico and Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2022
I have not missed my routine tours around Bristol photographing street art, while I have been away, it is good to have a break from routines, but it is one of the things that will soften the blow of returning home.
Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2022
Shortly before leaving Bristol I managed to photograph the curved wall in Dean Lane, with this fine collaboration between Zake, Conrico and Daz Cat. The Zake portrait is a fine 3/4 profile of a woman with fine blonde hair. Very nicely done.
Conrico and Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2022
The main part of the wall is slightly crazy and brilliant all at the same time. The dragon hatching from an egg in front of a mountain and desert scene is by Conrico, and the cats, but Daz Cat, although I am not sure if the larger orange cat is a cat. A refreshingly different kind of collaboration from these three.
I have a feeling that this might be the third piece painted by Jelly in Bristol, and this time she has brought a friend, apparan, with her. The double portrait, sited just off North Street, is a welcome burst of colour on what is an otherwise rather dull stretch of street.
Jelly and apparan, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
The two portraits, although quite similar in style, have their own distinctive elements, such as the long eyelashes that Jelly likes to paint. It is really interesting to see the skin tones contrasting and the hair colours too. Portraits of women by women – this is great to see. A fine contribution to Upfest 2022, and we would welcome these two back anytime.
I think I was being rather thick when I looked at this piece, and it took me quite a while to unpick what was going on. It is funny how you can look at something but not really see it, which is something I pride myself on being able to do ordinarily, but in this instance I failed.
Used Pencil, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
The clever piece is by Used Pencil and is of course a portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth, although not an entirely flattering one. Upfest was held this year just before the extended bank holiday during which the nation celebrated the Queen’s platinum jubilee – I didn’t celebrate, because I was in Porto with my daughter.
This portrait is a bit like a fully painted doodle and it is very nicely executed too. Used Pencil is another artist I have never come across before and his Upfest biography reads:
I am Used Pencil, the ‘Secret Walls’ winning, mural making, illicit illustrator with walls covered and exhibitions curated in HK, Lisbon, LDN, Manchester and Iceland, to name just a few. Always starting with a pencil and paper, I like to make marks on all surfaces using fine line creative wizardry.
Although there isn’t the same kind of volume of street art in Porto as there is in Bristol, the range and variety of pieces is extensive and imaginative. These two pieces, by Carvalho, are studio paintings that have been framed and stuck to walls, carefully selected in various different places in Porto. I found these two, but I don’t know how many there might be, and there aren’t any references to them on his Instagram account.
Carvalho, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
The first piece has been placed on an orange-tiled wall, which I think was very carefully selected as it picks out the orange tones in the subject’s skin, and contrasts well with the purple hoodie. The piece itself is a stunning portrait of a young man, in which the proportions are perfect, Colours, tones and shading all combine really well, and as for the placement – this is truly spectacular free street art.
Carvalho, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Carvalho’s other piece, that we found, looks like it has been around for a little while longer, as the frame is a little weathered. The canvass itself, though, still appears to be in reasonably good condition. Once again the placement of the piece has been carefully considered, and is on a rather neglected door, contrasting cleverly with the subject of his picture.
Carvalho, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
The portrait of a young child might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is certainly an arresting image that is worth a second glance. The perspective is unusual for a piece of art, but isn’t this how we see people smaller than ourselves? Once again, the tones and shading in this piece are exceptional. Two great finds of great works by a very talented artist.
I had to include this piece by Jody, even though it is only a half-piece, because it is absolutely fantastic. It was painted during the 50th birthday paint jam for Turoe a few weeks ago, which generated some outstanding writing and character pieces. Unfortunately, as I have found out to my cost, you snooze, you lose, and I just didn’t get down to the wall in time to photograph Jody’s portrait in full. The left-hand side had been sliced off (neatly, at least) by a newer piece by Cort.
Jody, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2022
I feel I ought to know who the character is in this piece, but I don’t. It is remarkable to think that Jody can create something so brilliant in only four hours, and it is humbling to see the amazing work that these artists produce. A half beauty from Jody.
I have said it many times, but it is worth repeating, that one of the additional benefits of Upfest is that artists often leave a little bit extra, over and above their ‘official’ pieces. This shutter piece is a ‘quick one’ by Irony that he painted before leaving Bristol. How privileged we are.
Irony, North Street, Bristol, June 2022
This piece is so good, and leaves us guessing so much about the woman in the portrait. We are teased by Irony, and it is what we can’t see that is as important as what we can see. I have spoken repeatedly on Natural Adventures about the talent of Irony, and this piece reinforces his status as a world class street artist. A magnificent portrait piece.
Mazcan produced my absolute favourite collaboration of last year’s Upfest 75 walls in 75 days (75×75) event, so it was a great pleasure to meet her while painting the second of two portraits, both in Greville Smyth Park over the two days of the festival.
Mazcan, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
The portrait, you might recognise as Uma Thurman and in my view, is an excellent likeness in her stylised form. It was interesting to see how quickly Mazcan was able to produce this piece, which was a bit of a bonus extra piece, using up one of the spare boards available on the second day.
Mazcan, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
When I see art like this, I realise how lucky we are in Bristol to host Europe’s largest street art festival in the shape of Upfest, and I offer huge respect to Steve and Emma who together with their team manage to organise a truly phenomenal event on such a regular basis. Lovely stuff.
Mazcan, King William Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
How wonderful to see a familiar Bristol artist taking up one of the semi-permanent walls at Upfest this year. The artist in question is the magnificent Kid Crayon with the first of two Upfest pieces, the other being on a temporary board in Greville Smyth Park.
Kid Crayon, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
This rather rare (these days) street piece by Kid Crayon features his name in blues and pinks, nicely worked around the notice board on the wall and a beautiful cartoon-style portrait. The portrait of a silver-haired woman wearing a choker round her neck, is a fine portrait indeed and works so well with his style. The best bit is a return of a floating crayon just in front of the woman’s mouth. It is so good to see Kid Crayon hitting walls again, I only hope he finds time to keep up the momentum.
I enjoy enormously seeing street art when I am visiting other parts of the UK or other countries, but I am conflicted when it comes to writing about what I see, because invariably I know nothing about the artists. This magnificent mural by Tamara Alves is a case in point.
Tamara Alves, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
I’m not quite sure what area of Porto we were in when we saw this, but the image is a striking one with a beautiful woman wrapped in an embrace of arms and hands. Tamara Alves is a massively talented artist from Lisbon, and you can read more about her on her very nice website. This was one of several large murals we saw in Porto.
Porto is a city spanning the north and south banks of the River Douro, across which there are six remarkable bridges, each with its own unique design and purpose. Perhaps the most impressive and iconic bridge is the Luis I Bridge, designed by Theophile Seyrig, a student of Gustave Eiffel, which has a lower and upper level. The upper level is now a metro and pedestrian route and offers some of the finest views of Porto from its span. Heading north on the bridge, this impressive mural by Frederico Draw looms large on the left-hand side of the bridge.
Frederico Draw, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
I know nothing of the artist, and a quick Google search took me to his Facebook page which contained little information. As my primary focus is on Bristol street art, I will leave it to the ‘resource investigators’ among you to find out more. The piece itself is a wonderfully blended portrait, making full use of the derelict wall as a backdrop, and is certainly eye-catching from quite some distance. I love the little shrine at the bottom left of the wall too. A cracking piece by a cracking bridge in a cracking city.
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