6348. Purdown (78)

Mr Crawls, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024
Mr Crawls, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024

When I first encountered Mr Crawls, it was his pieces of birds that first caught my eye, and although he has come on quite a way from his early Bristol pieces, with the encouragement of his painting partner Mote, this particular piece up at Purdown is a bit of a throwback.

Mr Crawls, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024
Mr Crawls, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024

The particular type of bird is a little difficult to nail down. The colour of the beak and head would suggest a gull, but the shape of the beak is far more raptor-like. I guess it doesn’t actually matter, because the joy of creative art is that you can conjure up imaginary things and situations. This is a fun piece from the productive Mr Crawls.

Red kite

.

A once scarce raptor

fills motorway margin skies

reintroduction

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by Scooj

2285. Overton Road (1)

It’s like busses… you can wait ever such a long time and then three come along in quick succession. This is the third recent piece I have photographed by Bristol artist Bex Glover who seems to be on a bit of a roll with her street work. Ordinarily she might be better known for her studio work and operates her business under the name Severn Studios but of course my interest is predominantly in her street murals.

Bex Glover, Overton Road, Bristol, June 2019
Bex Glover, Overton Road, Bristol, June 2019

This lovely commission is on the side wall of the Hobgoblin pub on the Gloucester Road and is made up of two panels. On the left is a beautiful raptor, wings unfolded, perching on a bent branch.

Bex Glover, Overton Road, Bristol, June 2019
Bex Glover, Overton Road, Bristol, June 2019

On the right hand panel we see another bird, possibly the same one, in full flight stretching out its double set of wings. There is something very lyrical about this mural which seems to be telling a story about nature in its full glory. Bex Glover is a fabulous artist and her illustrative style takes me back to my childhood and picture books.

The piece is a ‘selfie spot’ funded by the Gloucester Road Bristol Independent District which promotes the shops, cafes and other outlest in Gloucester Road.