Tag: Portrait

2768. Dean Lane skate park (284)

This beauty is the second recent collaboration from Dasco and Oseque. I know that Dasco is Bristol-based, but haven’t seen any of Oseque’s work before now, and have kind of assumed that he is not from these parts. I have done a little checking on the Interweb, and as far as I can make out, Dasco is from the Canary Islands and Oseque (José Castillo) is from Granada, but also seems to have a connection with Bristol. Either way, I hope we get to see more from this pairing.

Dasco and Oseque, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020
Dasco and Oseque, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020

The piece itself is a beautifully merged collaboration with the character portrait rising out of the letters. The colours are quite dulled and although really impressive as it is, give the whole thing a low-key feel. Oseque has a way of making his portraits look like they are drawn into a sketchbook rather than sprayed on a wall. Really nice work.

2766. Dean Lane skate park (282)

Modest and understated, Pekoe just goes about her business from time to time. No fanfare, no fuss and she turns out pieces like this beauty behind the railings on the swimming pool wall at Dean Lane.

Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020
Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020

This is the second piece by Pekoe that I am aware of this year, the other was down by the M32. Typically, Pekoe has painted a portrait, this one in three quarter view, with characteristic big hair decrated with rain drops, stars and an unhappy ‘smiley’. Many of her pieces are tinged with sadness which I hope is not indicative of her own state. It is always a pleasure to find her work.

2580. Upfest 2018 (171)

Well I don’t know about you, but I am getting rather excited about the return of Upfest which will be running in Bristol from 29 to 31 May, although some of the premium walls will be painted during the week before the festival, to make sure they are completed when the main pulse of visitors come.

Sake One, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Sake One, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

So (I hate anyone who begins sentences with so) just to whet your appetite I thought I’d take a little look back at Upfest 2018 and some pieces I haven’t yet got round to posting, starting with this beauty from Sake One. In the WIP photograph the artist was taking a break with his (I assume) family, which was lovely to see. Quite a lot of artists had their families and children buzzing around which made the whole thing feel a bit more inclusive.

Sake One, Upfest, Bristol, September 2018
Sake One, Upfest, Bristol, September 2018

I didn’t get to see the completed piece until some while after the festival, mainly because I think he finished it after I had left. Alas, this is another one of those spots that seems to have a car permanently parked in front of it, so you’ll just have to make do with these pictures. A fabulous piece from a fabulous artist.

2746. St Werburghs tunnel (142)

The year is yet young, but already I have seen a feast of outstanding individual works and collaborations in Bristol – I am beginning to think this might be a great year for street art switching up a level. This amazing collaboration between Dasco and Oseque is a great example of the quality of work on display.

Dasco, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
Dasco, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020

On the left, the writing from Dasco is simply sublime. I can’t believe that I have only recently registered his work, and must go through my archives to see if I can unearth some of his older stuff. Everything here is sheer perfection from the rectangular frame to the design, carefully considered shades and tones to the sensational execution. This is as good a piece of writing that I have seen so far this year, and probably a lot longer.

Oseque, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
Oseque, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020

I am not familiar with the work of Oseque, and I am not sure, but I think he might be visiting. I know that there is a new collaboration from these two in Dean Lane, but I just haven’t had time to go and take a gander. Maybe tomorrow. In the meantime just feast your eyes on this beauty – it is amazinng how a piece like this on a grubby wall in St Werburghs tunnel can look like the very best of canvasses in a studio or gallery. Even the graffiti beneath the protrait seeping through seems to add to the quality of the piece overall. Magnificent work.

2729. Hepburn Road (14)

I absolutely love this stylised portrait by Pekoe. It kind of ticks a lot of boxes for me. It is bright and colourful, thoughtful and emotional, simple and complex, a really great piece which is tucked away at the lower end of ‘crack alley’.

Pekoe, Hepburn Road, Bristol, January 2020
Pekoe, Hepburn Road, Bristol, January 2020

I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting Pekoe, but look forward to such an occasion… it is only a matter of time. Pretty much all of her works that I have seen are portraits, and most convey a lot of emotion, for example, in this piece the subject is crying triangular tears, there is a sadness here, common to a few of her other works. I was so pleased to find this, before seeing it on Instagram as is the case with so many pieces these days… nice to make a real discovery.

2717. Dean Lane skate park (274)

Finding a piece that is not only from a new (to me) artist but is also rather different is always one of the great pleasures of being a graffiti hunter. On the famous curved wall at Dean Lane, this delightful portrait appeared a couple of weeks back. It is by artist Lucy Danielle who is a midlands-born Bristol-based illustrator and graffiti murallist. Although she has painted quite a few walls, I don’t think I have knowingly ever seen one before.

Lucy Danielle, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
Lucy Danielle, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020

I understand that this is a portrait of her sister which is a really nice thing to do. Set on a black background, the face really stands out, and the additional decorations help the to fill the  space without distracting from the subject too much. Imagine how different the whole thing would look without the purple circle and yellow squiggles. I need to find some of her other work.

2686. M32 Cycle path (49)

It is a great time of year for street art because although there is not a huge amount of action (something of a relief for me I can tell you) on the streets it is a time when artists are doing their ‘first piece of the new year/decade’ and it somehow feels a bit like a fresh start.

Pekoe, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2020
Pekoe, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2020

This new one from Pekoe on the M32 cycle path is a fresh and clean start to the year. Of course the portrait piece wouldn’t be a Pekoe work without the big hair, and what magnificent hair with a crown, hearts and face concealed in it. A wonderful way to kick off January.

2643. Cheltenham 2018 (9)

When they (whoever they are) created Irony, they certainly bundled up an enormous amount of talent into one person. This magnificent portrait piece was painted by Irony for the Cheltenham Paint Festival in 2018, but luckily for everyone who lives in or visits the town, it is still there for all to see.

Irony, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019
Irony, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019

I had seen this piece many times on Instagram, but to see it ‘in the flesh; is another experience altogether. It is breathtaking. I don’t know the backstory to this piece, if even there is one, but it really is special.

Irony, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019
Irony, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019

It is a pity that we don’t get to see much of Irony’s work here in the West of England, but I guess we have Upfest and the Cheltenham Paint Festival to lure him out of London from time to time.

 

 

2633. St Werburghs tunnel (119)

Another interesting piece from Lobe, who really seems to have picked up the pace during the second half of 2019. Her stylised portraits are becoming more dynamic and expressive, but the same basic ingredients of strong lines and bold colours remains.

Lobe, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2019
Lobe, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2019

I am really struggling with the light quality in St Werburghs tunnel at the moment with most of my images lokig rather washed out and yellow. This washed out look is somewhat exacerbated when artists paint in yellow colours, because there is little I can do by way of adjusting the colours to make them more representative of what they actually look like. What I am really saying is sorry about the poor colour quality of these images.

2599. Upfest 2018 (170)

What an amazing portrait at Upfest 2018 by artist Michel Velt, which was one of two he painted over the course of the festival. His style is really interesting and it almost looks like a felt tip drawing rather than spray paint.

Michel Velt, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Michel Velt, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Looking at the piece I wonder if it was quite finished, because the orange decoration on the right hand side is missing a little bit of black edging. The whole event was so disrupted by the changeable weather that a number of pieces were abandoned or incompete. It doesn’t matter at all wih this, because it is so beautifully presented. A wonderful piece.

Michel Velt, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Michel Velt, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018