Tag: Portrait

4027. Upfest 2021 75×75 (71)

We have been so spoiled this year with the Upfest 75 walls in 75 days event, and in particular with some extraordinary pieces by Irony. This is the second Irony piece from the event, and is an absolutely extraordinary portrait.

Irony, West Street, Bristol, October 2021, Upfest 21
Irony, West Street, Bristol, October 2021, Upfest 21

Irony is known for his female portraits that it is difficult to keep your eyes off. The photorealistic detail and depth is beyond astonishing, and puts this artist right up into the world top league alongside other artists like Bubblegum in Barcelona.

Irony, West Street, Bristol, October 2021, Upfest 21
Irony, West Street, Bristol, October 2021, Upfest 21

Looking deep into those eyes, it is impossible to know what the girl is thinking, and as with many of his portraits, her emotions are not easy to read, inert almost, and yet she is wonderfully animated. I think the blue hair is a touch of genius that works so well with this wall and this spot.

Irony, West Street, Bristol, October 2021, Upfest 21
Irony, West Street, Bristol, October 2021, Upfest 21

I made several attempts at photographing this wall, but it is not easy as the immediate front yard has become a bit of a building site and there are two rather unhelpful black wheely bins that are totally in the way most of the time.

In my view, this is one of the best pieces to appear in Bristol in 2021.

4025. Brunel Way (128)

I am a little annoyed with myself, because I was actually very close to Pekoe while she was painting this piece, but was having a long conversation with Tack Jucker at the time. When, finally, I walked under the bridge to see who was painting, I saw that it was Pekoe, but she had gone, and I missed her by minutes. Such a pity as it is a while since I last spoke with her.

Pekoe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021
Pekoe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021

Notwithstanding my irritation, the piece she painted is a good ‘un. A classic Pekoe portrait in a vibrant red with decorated big white hair. The tears are there, which always makes me a little sad, because it projects a sadness in the character, and maybe in the artist too. Great to see another piece from this prolific Bristol portrait painter.

4017. M32 roundabout J3 (354)

This is a very appealing colour selection for this fiery Pekoe piece on the M32 roundabout. Another interesting feature is that Pekoe has given us more than just a portrait, which is the norm with her work, and we have the top halfI  of the character.

Pekoe, M32 roundabout ,Bristol, October 2021
Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2021

I think that this might be an early Halloween piece, or it is simply a cheeky devil, either way it is nice to see, and I love the little winged orange emoji-type thing. Brace yourself for a season of Halloween pieces, which seem to be getting more and more popular every year.

4011. Purdown HAA Battery (36)

Pekoe has had a little bit of a quiet period, after a year in which she has created so many of her fabulous portraits. The pause is over, and she is hitting walls once again with customary frequency.

Pekoe, Purdown Battery, Bristol, October 2021
Pekoe, Purdown Battery, Bristol, October 2021

This quick one up at Purdown Battery is eye-catching in its lovely white and purple colour scheme. The reference ‘I love you to the moon and back’ links to a children’s bedtime book called ‘Guess how much I love you’ by Sam Mc Bratney and illustrated by Anita Jerram. This was one of my daughter’s favourite books, and mine too, come to think about it. A lovely piece with some lovely sentiments.

4008. St Werburghs tunnel (263)

Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah! It has been such a long time since I have seen a street piece from Kid Crayon, although he has been doing a lot of studio and digital work over the last few months, it is refreshing to see something big and bold. In this collaboration, Kid Crayon has teamed up with Nightwayss, who conversely doesn’t seem to have stopped hitting walls this year, he is a machine.

Kid Crayon, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2021
Kid Crayon, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2021

To the left of this ‘Finger Trap’ piece, Kid Crayon has painted a brilliant character (is it a self-portrait?) poking his finger into the trap while tipping his red baseball cap. The character is brilliant and so uniquely Kid Crayon.

Nightwayss, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2021
Nightwayss, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2021

To the right and making up the other half of the collaboration, joined with the central trap, is an unusual piece by Nightwayss. I love this recent experimental style from Nightwayss that seems to be exploring the fragmentation and interruption of a portrait and other elements, such as a parrot in this case. The fine artist in Nightwayss is coming to the fore in exploring new ideas and forms. Pity about the tag, but hey, you snooze, you lose!

Lovely and most welcome collaboration.

3993. Picton Lane (11)

Kosc really is an extraordinary talent, especially as, under a different name, he is a graffiti writer with an utterly different style. Pieces like this are serious business for Kosc who is fine-tuning his skills for these photorealistic portraits and writing.

Kosc, Picton Lane, Bristol, August 2021
Kosc, Picton Lane, Bristol, August 2021

Picton Lane is a wonderful Bristol backstreet in Montpelier that plays host to some classic pieces, of which this is one. I remember seeing it as a work in progress a long time ago, but didn’t get back until quite recently to enjoy it as a finished piece. I am full of admiration for the piece. It is so good, and I am not sure that I would be doing it justice by waffling on like I usually do, and I am doing right now.

Kosc, Picton Lane, Bristol, August 2021
Kosc, Picton Lane, Bristol, August 2021

Kosc has reached a new level this year, and it is difficult to know how much higher he can take it. I wonder whether he should do a street art festival circuit to get better known outside Bristol, but that takes a lot of commitment. This black and white face is just awesome.

Kosc, Picton Lane, Bristol, August 2021
Kosc, Picton Lane, Bristol, August 2021

The tiniest tinge of colour is provided by the magpie’s tail, but it is enough to lift the whole piece just that little bit more. It is Kosc’s attention to detail that makes this piece sing. An absolute beauty.

3949. Brunel Way (121)

I have had these pictures lurking in my archive for a little while, and at last find a moment to bring them to you. The column piece (they can be a real pain in the backside to photograph) is by Mudra, and is characteristically rather fun.

Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2021
Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2021

Mudra has painted all the way around the column and on one half is a portrait of a white-haired gentleman compete with moustache (of course) and a little speech bubble with Mudra’s @ signature.

Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2021
Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2021

On the other half of the column is a hand holding what looks like a match or a candle, but it might be something altogether different. Mudra has a very strong, chunky style which hits you hard and is difficult to ignore. Head-turning stuff.

3942. The Pump House

At the western end of the floating harbour on the north bank is a pub called the Pump House, a place I have walked past a hundred times but never been in, which probably reflects the fact that I am not much of a pub person, not because I don’t like pubs, but because I have got out of the habit, probably since having children.

Inkie, The Pump House, Bristol, August 2021
Inkie, The Pump House, Bristol, August 2021

Inkie painted this fabulous commission around the same time as he painted his ‘I can’t get you out of my head’ piece for Upfest 75×75. You often see this with Inkie, that when he is in town, he will paint several walls over a few days, before returning to London.

Inkie, The Pump House, Bristol, August 2021
Inkie, The Pump House, Bristol, August 2021

This wall is an absolute gift for Inkie who is known for both his ‘signwriting’ skills and his stylised portraits of women with stunning hair. This whole piece is embellished with some beautiful patterns and flowers and is a ‘must see’ wall for anyone walking the Harbourside circuit. Good on the Pump House for tapping into and supporting Bristol’s fine tradition of celebrating street art and street artists.

3937. Upfest 2021 75×75 (60)

This magnificent collaboration was one of the earlier ones to be completed for Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days summer event, and these pictures have languished in my archives since June. The collaboration is by Koeone and Paul Monsters and plays magnificently to each of their strengths.

Koeone and Paul Monsters, West Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Koeone and Paul Monsters, West Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

The beautiful portrait in greyscale is by Koeone and is painted with such care and attention to tones and shading, which brings an incredible calmness and grace to the piece. The hand is amazing, and perfectly in proportion.

Koeone and Paul Monsters, West Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Koeone and Paul Monsters, West Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

The overall piece is very typical of a Koeone production, where the hair is separated from the face, being decorated with a highly colourful design or pattern, in this case perfectly painted by Paul Monsters.

Koeone and Paul Monsters, West Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Koeone and Paul Monsters, West Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

Paul’s geometric design in greens, blues, purples, browns and oranges lends itself perfectly to a collaboration with Koeone. I think that these two should get together again, because the complementary styles have created something very special here. A lovely collaboration.

3922. Cumberland Basin

I have a lot of attachment to this wonderful piece by Jelly, her second at this spot this year, because of the conversations we shared before she visited Bristol. There is something comforting and confidence-building when an artist makes contact with me to talk about meeting up during a painting visit. I must say that I was touched that Jelly made contact before her recent trip, and I only wish that I had been able to catch up with her while she was painting this piece, but unfortunately I had a full-on work day and wasn’t able to escape.

Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021

Jelly has painted another of her beautiful portrait pieces, complete with her trademark exaggerated eyelashes on this high-turnover wall in Cumberland Basin. The piece, presumably entitled ‘open your eye’, is a portrait of a woman with a third eye, a common theme in street art, and suggests using perception beyond ordinary sight.

Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021

The shading on the face and hand with red tints helps to provide a deep perspective, and the eyes and nose are particularly beautifully painted. I love the Henna tattoo on the back of the hand and fingers, and the jewellery too is a lovely detail that lifts the piece way above the ordinary.

Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021

Another nice touch are the little white streaks of light on the woman’s hair that allude to the strands of hair so effectively. This is a lovely piece from a lovely artist who is thoughtful and inclusive. I do so hope that next time she is in Bristol I will  be able to accompany her, at least for a little while, as she creates another of her fabulous portraits.