Thursday doors – 8 September 2022

Doors 193 – Porto doors (Part 7)

You might have noticed (or might not) that I have taken a bit of a Thursday Doors breather, and haven’t posted for a little over a month. This situation is mostly down to work pressures and holidays, two extremes of the spectrum of available time. Anyhow, I am picking up again now with a continuation of doors from Porto, with this random selection of fabulous doors from a fabulous city. I hope you enjoy them:

Tall fancy green door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Tall fancy green door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Black door with tiled surround, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Black door with tiled surround, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Fine old door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Fine old door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Seen-better-days-doors, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Seen-better-days-doors, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Street doors, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Street doors, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Iron and glass doors on the Monument Church of St Francis, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Iron and glass doors on the Monument Church of St Francis, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Berlengas doors (closed), Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Berlengas doors (closed), Porto, Portugal, June 2022

That is about as much as I can muster for this week, and I hope to share more of these Porto doors next week (time permitting, of course). Have a great weekend.

If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.

by Scooj

Thursday doors – 4 August 2022

Doors 192 – Porto doors (Part 6)

My life is no less busy this week and I am covering for two of my colleagues (in a team of four) who are on their holidays, so I’m afraid this will probably be a bit rushed, before I start a long day at work.

Porto is a gift that just keeps on giving. There is so much to see and do and marvel at, not least the churches of the city. Although the idea of tiling the façade of buildings was imported from Seville, it is definitely one of the USPs of Porto, and this can be evidenced through the stunning tile decorations in blue and white on many of the churches.

So this week we have a small selection of doors from Porto churches, but if I am honest it is the tiles that are the star of the show. I hope you enjoy them.

Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church, doors and tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Church tiles, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

These churches are just another reason to visit this wonderful, vibrant city. That’s it for another week. I might be taking a bit of a break from Thursday doors over the next two or three weeks, but will have plenty more to share with you after that. May I wish you a happy weekend ahead.

If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors  from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.

by Scooj

Hello boys

.

Always here, waiting

occasional second glances

balcony voyeur

.

by Scooj

.

Who is looking at who?

Thursday doors – 28 July 2022

Doors 191 – Porto doors (part 5)

I’m back on the trail of Porto doors this morning, with another selection of doors from a mini-break I shared with my daughter at the beginning of June. Already the holiday feels like a distant memory, so revisiting it with these door posts keeps it fresh in the mind. This week is a fairly random selection from the coastal district of FOZ do Douro. Enjoy:

Lighthouse with red door, Foz do Douro, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Lighthouse with red door, Foz do Douro, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

Weathered door, Foz do Douro, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Weathered door, Foz do Douro, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

Beautifully designed gate door, Foz do Douro, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Beautifully designed gate door, Foz do Douro, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

What lies behind the door of fear? Foz do Douro, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
What lies behind the door of fear? Foz do Douro, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

Green door, Foz do Douro, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Green door, Foz do Douro, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

Tall green door, Foz do Douro, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Tall green door, Foz do Douro, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

That’s your lot for another week, may I wish you a fine weekend ahead.

If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors  from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.

by Scooj

Thursday doors – 14 July 2022

Doors 189 – Porto doors (Part 4)

It is a bit of  a busy day today, so I am having to rush this post a little. Porto is an extraordinary city and has an eclectic mix of old and new architecture and well-preserved and derelict buildings all in close proximity, adding to the visual interest of the place. You never quite know what surprises there are going to be around the corner. This week, I have themed the doors loosely around retail – I hope you enjoy them.

Art nouveau shop front, doorway and door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Art nouveau shop front, doorway and door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

Neo classical? shop front, doorway and door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Neo classical? shop front, doorway and door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

Art nouveau shop front, doorway and door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Art nouveau shop front, doorway and door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

Ornate shop front, doorway and door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Ornate shop front, doorway and door, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

Possibly my favourite door of the trip, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Possibly my favourite door of the trip, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

Doors on a shop front that has known better times, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Doors on a shop front that has known better times, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

May I wish you a happy rest of week, and to those of you in the UK, I hope you don’t fry over the weekend.

If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors  from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.

by Scooj

4558. Porto (10)

This is the last in this short sequence of pieces from Porto, but for me they represent a fun departure from the focus on Bristol street art, and make an introduction to the different styles that you can find in different cultures around the world.

Mesk, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Mesk, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

The fact that I am sharing this piece with you at all can be attributed to the street art hunter’s philosophy of being guided by curiosity – what lies down that alley…? should I walk just a little bit further…? Had I not followed my instinct, I would never have found this magnificent piece by Mesk in an alleyway off the beaten track. The soft tones in browns and pinks, are a bit of as trademark of this artist, and work really well together. The cartoon-style is also really appealing. I have another couple of pieces by Mesk from this trip and look forward to sharing them with you soon.

4557. Porto (9)

Another prolific artist in Porto is Costah. What is really enjoyable about Costah’s art is that he has embraced the whole edgy culture of street art and seems to combine legal with non-legal walls and is equally at home with paste ups as he is with spray paints.

Costah, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Costah, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

This cat, painted on a derelict building on a steep hill just north of the river is a really classy piece. Just by looking at it, you can see straight away that it is painted by someone who knows and understands street art. The stylised cartoon cat is a real charmer and seems to fit in so well with the sun-baked wall it is painted on. More too from Costah to come.

4556. Porto (8)

A prolific, and it would seem well respected, artist in Porto is Hazul. Over the three days that we were there exploring the city we encountered a hatful of abstract murals by the artist, some new, some old and some that looked like commissions. These are the first three…

Hazul, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Hazul, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

The first is a beautiful piece in black, white and red (the colours of early Decay pieces), with nice curvy lines and patterns. The crystal shape is almost like a signature and appears on a lot of Hazul’s work.

Hazul, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Hazul, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

The next piece looks more like a commission, and is nicely placed on the side of a building. The abstract shapes seem to have a consistent form and the colour selections work wonderfully well. This is a really carefully thought out and skilfully executed piece.

Hazul, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Hazul, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

The last of this mini-gallery is likely to make it into a Thursday doors compilation at some time in the future. The shapes in this piece are not unlike those in the piece above. Once again some great colours have been used. Hazul seems to be an artist who really knows and understands their craft. More from Hazul to come.

4555. Porto (7)

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
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, 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
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.

4554. Porto (6)

There is something perfect about this picture, and it is one I like very much. It was taken on our first day of exploring Porto while we were just finding our bearings. I don’t know who the artist is, but his charming monster character reminds me a lot of Mote’s work in Bristol.

Unknown, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Unknown, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

The framing of the piece is what makes it so appealing, and while it isn’t exactly the best piece of street art you’ll ever see, it is highly memorable and simply good fun.