I took these pictures back in January this year, but the wonderful piece by Tasha Bee (Keep it Colourful) is way older than that. I have included it in part not only because I love her work but also because I haven’t seen anything new from her for such a long time, which is a great shame.
Tasha Bee, Purdown Battery, Bristol, January 2020
I know that Tasha Bee is working on some other projects at the moment, but maybe once the weather gets a bit nicer she will be lured out to brighten up all of our lives again. The piece is classic Tasha Bee and features a stylised portrait with wonderful ‘big hair’. Everything that is great about street art is right here in this piece. It left me smiling.
Lobe is probably one of the most distinctive artists in Bristol, with her portrait pieces composed of strong black outlines, solid fills with shading against the black lines, all contained within a white outline strip. How amazing it is to see how her work has developed over the last year or so. (Note to self, time for a Lobe gallery?)
Lobe, Armada Place, Bristol, February 2020
I believe that this piece was painted at the same time as a recent Rusk piece although it is not part of a collaborative effort. It is great to see Lobe ‘hitting’ this board as I consider it to be a much under-used spot by decent street/graffiti artists. Enjoying the ride.
What a dazzling portrait from Pekoe on Dean Lane. It is so good to see that she is painting a lot already this year and that this is the fourth piece I have posted (I think) from her so far in 2020.
Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2020
I would say that the facial features on this piece are as good as I have seen on a pekoe face to date, and that maybe having a solid fill rather than shadings has accentuated the features. I would make a further observation, which is a very minor point because I do really like the piece, that the hair on top needs to go a bit higher for the whole head to be in proportion. I am guessing that the height of the wall here was the limiting factor, not the talent of the artist
Another lovely portrait piece from Lobe, taken through railings at the M32 Spot. You can see the chanelled River Frome behind the pillar. The river passes under the city centre in a culvert, beneath Cabots Circus and Broadmead shopping centres, beneath the old fire station, beneath the fountains in the centre, along towards the Arnolfini, then it is siphoned underneath the floating harbour before eventually discharging into the New Cut. If only Bristolians knew what lies only a couple of meters beneath their feet.
Lobe, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020
Back to the art and this wonderful face in the typical style of Lobe, that is with thick bold black outlines and strong fills in only two or three shades. I’m not sure if those are eyes or half-moon spectacles. If they are the latter, then they are upside down. More from Lobe to come.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Natural adventures 