Dog Bless the Band, Feeder Road, Bristol, May 2023
I said in a recent post that I had come across several Dog Bless the Band pieces that were completely new to me, and this is one of them. Hoardings are a bit of a bitter-sweet feature; they provide a great canvass for our street artists, but by definition, they are temporary and have a short lifespan. I guess they reflect the ephemeral nature of street art and graffiti culture.
Dog Bless the Band, Feeder Road, Bristol, May 2023
His letters ‘MOTEL’ tickle me every time I see them. As is usually the case, Dog Bless the Band has used modest pastel shades for his fills, which contrast nicely with the background pink and red spotty backdrop. Another nice piece from this productive artist.
There is no stopping Kid Krishna these days, and it seems that I rarely go out taking pictures without bumping in to him. We usually chat for a while, which I enjoy, and each time we meet I get to know him a little better. Because he doesn’t really use social media, it can be quite difficult to know where all his pieces are, so often you get to discover them rather than hunt them down, and that is always most gratifying.
Kid Krishna, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023
Nothing seems to phase Kid Krishna, for example a return on a wall… simply paint round it. This black white and yellow piece is fairly typical of his unusual writing, and he has included a character in the middle, which reminds me of a king in a pack of playing cards. There is no doubting Kid Krishna’s talent and his genuine enthusiasm for art, and I think we’ll continue to see much more from him this year.
Lee Roy is a writer who has been knocking it out of the park this year with his distinctive style of writing. You can be pretty much guaranteed that whatever he paints will be bright and eye-catching. This is a lovely piece on the swimming bath wall in Dean Lane.
Lee Roy, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2023
There is a bit of a cosmic theme going on here, and he even includes the words ‘cosmic gypsy’. Galaxies, planets and stars decorate the background, and there is a rather curious assemblage of toadstools at each end of the piece – perhaps hinting at the reason for the psychedelic scene? Nice one from Lee Roy.
Soap, Face 1st and Zake, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2023
I haven’t posted much from this hoarding for quite a long time, mainly because the stuff that gets painted there is rarely up to scratch, but also because I don’t pass by this way as frequently as I used to. How nice it was to fins a PWA collaboration here a short while ago.
Soap, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2023
The pool of artists in the PWA crew numbers about five or six, but pretty much ever-presents are Soap and Face 1st. The left hand side of the triptych is by Soap and contains both of the icons he likes to use at the moment, the Ice King and a Face 1st girl. The whole thing hangs together well and there are rather nice floral bursts throughout.
Face 1st, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2023
Face 1st has written Face with some nice deep block letters and a dismembered leg running through it, with gloopy blood dripping from the holes. Face 1st certainly enjoys painting splats and dripping, oozing gunge in his pieces, but this one is a little bloodthirsty.
Zake, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2023
To the right, the collaboration is rounded off with a portrait and upper torso piece by Zake. The face is full of character and depth, created with light and dark – a Zake speciality. All three pieces are set on a sky blue background decorated with spots, squiggles, clouds and bubbles. It is great to see some decent work on these panels.
I don’t know where Wispa (@willow_the_wispa) lives, but she seems to pop up all over the country and indeed in other countries, which gives me the impression that she is constantly on the move. On the upside, it means that she comes to visit her Bristol RBF friends reasonably regularly and leaves something for us all to enjoy.
Wispa, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2023
This is a wonderful mash-up of stylised throw-ups and tagging finished in a neat, tidy and deliberate way. Sanitising this kind of artwork isn’t easy, and Wispa has done it brilliantly. At first glance it might look like a mess, but it is in fact a really classy piece from a great writer. I already look forward to her next visit.
Tack Jucker is an artist whose work I have enjoyed from the very first piece I saw back in October 2021. Animals are his speciality, but he has also painted several hand studies too and this is one of them. I have been aware of this piece for about a year, but recently re-photographed it, because I couldn’t find it in my archives.
Tack Jucker, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023
There is a lot of symbolism in this piece, with an all seeing eye in the palm of the hand and tears cascading down to form a river. The perspective in the hand is superbly worked and the light and shadow provides depth and contrast. This is a really nice piece from Tack Jucker, whose occasional pieces are always a welcome contribution to the Bristol scene.
A lush scene, photographed at the beginning of this rather glorious spell of weather we are having. This is not, however, the first time I have photographed this piece, but I never got round to posting it, so I thought I’d have another go. It is, of course, by the tireless Werm.
Werm, River Avon, Brtistol, May 2023
I rather like the way that the encroachment of greenery complements the greens in the piece, and that the purples and oranges almost resemble flower petals. Spelling out WERM, the letters are beautifully crafted and filled, and demonstrate just how quickly this artist has developed and keeps improving.
Apparan, Lighthouse Community Garden, London, April 2023
I have only once before seen work by Apparan and that was on a collaborative gate piece at Upfest last year with Jelly. Finding this piece on a work trip to London was therefore a real treat. The portrait is really beautifully done, although the hair looks a little more abstract than the rest of the portrait.
Apparan, Lighthouse Community Garden, London, April 2023
There is a lot of depth in the piece, and the shadows around the lady’s neck are very nicely painted. I also really like the leaf print dress, and the folds in the material. There is something very summery about the piece, augmented by the verdant mini-meadow in front of it. Wonderful work from Apparan.
Eyesaw, Lighthouse Community Garden, London, April 2023
What finer subjects for street art than Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble? I have seen a few pieces by Eyesaw at festivals in Bristol and Cheltenham, and his work plays on the concept of 3D images that can be viewed using blue and red 3D spectacles. However, I don’t have a pair and am not convinced these pieces work, but are illustrative only, to create an effect.
Eyesaw, Lighthouse Community Garden, London, April 2023
The piece also includes some pixelation and glitching, creating the illusion of being a video piece. I rather like the anarchic touch where these two, usually harmless characters, are wielding a baseball bat with nails and a Molotov cocktail. Great fun from Eyesaw.
Laic217 is on fire at the moment, and painting fairly regularly, which is great to see. This portrait piece takes us back to a theme that Laic217 particularly enjoys, which is the distortion and disintegration of the face.
Laic217, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023
Set on a red background, the skin is melting away to reveal the skull underneath. Of course, a baseball cap with an ‘L’ on it is a required accessory and shows off the artist’s skill with recreating the illusion of fabric and materials. A great example of Laic217’s work, with more to come on Natural Adventures soon.
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