5088. Purdown (54)

Sam Brentall, Purdown, Bristol, March 2023
Sam Brentall, Purdown, Bristol, March 2023

This piece seems to benefit from being framed by the snow and the heavy grey sky. It is by an artist I haven’t come across before, Sam Brentall, and my first impression is a good one.

Sam Brentall, Purdown, Bristol, March 2023
Sam Brentall, Purdown, Bristol, March 2023

The stylised dog heads stacked on top of each other create a strong and colourful pattern, and the whole unusual composition is fun to look at. It looks like the black outlines have been painted using marker pens rather than spray cans, and this seems very much like the work of a studio artist who is exploring possibilities with street art. I sincerely hope to find more street work from Sam Brentall this year.

4896. Dean Lane skate park (552)

Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022
Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022

Although he doesn’t paint anywhere near as often as he used to, Mr Draws is an important regular on the Bristol scene and his ‘DRAW’ letters are an essential staple for anyone who enjoys graffiti writing in the city.

Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022
Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022

This photograph is proof that we do occasionally get a bit of snow in Bristol, and although this snow event didn’t amount to much, it was bloody cold for about a week or so. We have returned to a climate changed warm period now though. Coincidentally Mr Draws’ piece has a wintery flavour to it, and it works rather nicely with the snowy foreground. This is a nicely executed and finished piece from Mr Draws.

Thursday doors – 24 February 2022

Doors 174 – Mountain doors, Alpe d’Huez, February 2022

I have been absent from the Thursday doors club so far this year, due to the pressure of work, but am missing it very much and so am squeezing this one in, just to let you know I haven’t completely disappeared off the face of the earth.

My wife and I were lucky enough to join some friends for a skiing holiday in early February, our first holiday abroad for three years, and first together without our children (almost 20 years). The trip had been jeopardised several times over by changes in COVID-19 rules around Europe and the UK, but we made it and had the most fabulous time in Alpe d’Huez, France. Great company, great snow and some of the best skiing I have ever done, despite having a knee injury.

Just one door for you today, but what a door! On one of the long green runs in Auris, heading to the Chalvet lift, we’re these two little green huts popping out of the snow. The huts are curious in themselves and posed loads of questions, mostly around what on earth these huts were for. I still haven’t worked that out yet. A lovely door on a lovely hut in a lovely location.

Green Hut door, Alpe d'Huez, France, February 2022
Green Hut door, Alpe d’Huez, France, February 2022

That just about wraps it up, and I hope I will have time to post more doors soon. I hope you all 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