Tag: Street art

3192. M32 Spot (80)

Yet another outstanding piece from Inkie in this purple patch we are lucky enough to be witnessing in Bristol at the moment. I am guessing that Inkie has a bit of time on his hands at the moment… maybe it is a pandemic thing and if it is then it is an upside as far as I am concerned.

Inkie, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020
Inkie, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020

Alongside some of his friends (posts to follow soon) this appeared about a week or so ago at the top end of Stapleton Road. It is an absolute classic and painted in colours that he has used before, from memory he painted a van in similar shades. Those of you who follow Thursday Doors, might well see this piece again sometime in the future (door hidden under the I and E). I will never tire of his work and am really enjoying this current spate.

Inkie, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2019
Inkie, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2019

3191. St Werburghs tunnel (189)

Every now and again in the tunnel you get to see a really classy piece of writing (in fact much more than just ocasionally – we are blessed) and this tight piece is by Gage Graphics, probably better known for some magnificent large murals arountd the city.

Gage Graphics, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020
Gage Graphics, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020

There is something comforting about mural artists who make their living from their art getting back to grassroots and slapping some paint up on a wall like this. This is the work of someone who really gets what he’s doing and carries it off with ease. There are so many good things about this work, spelling out SERIF, but the cracks in the letters do the trick for me. Something of a rarity, but so very welcome.

3190. Alfred Street (6)

On the opposite side of the Dare To building from the Smak piece in my previous post on Natural Adventures is a fine quintet of pieces of which this is one. Each piece hosts the writers name together with a little character. This gorgeous rhapsody in green is by Hemper.

Hemper, Alfred Street, Bristol, September 2020
Hemper, Alfred Street, Bristol, September 2020

Spelling out HEMS, this intricate piece is absolutely amazing and incredibly detailed. The letters seem to pop out all over the place thanks to the skillful 3D shading effects. This is a work by a fine craftsman. I’m not too sure who the little green character is to the top left, but I think I recognise him from a contemporary cartoon series.

3189. Alfred Street (5)

The paint jam at Dare To a couple of weeks ago really did throw up some fantastic work from an ‘A’ list of Bristol artists and it would seem that each artist bounced off the next to up their game a little.

Smak, Alfred Street, Bristol, September 2020
Smak, Alfred Street, Bristol, September 2020

This is a cheeky number (getting into the spirit of the adult nature of the Dare To club) by Smak. Tucked away, and slightly awkward to photograph, this bright and colourful piece includes a little devil complete with cherries on his pants. The writing is typically top quality and has that double letter style where each letter seems to have been painted twice over. More excellent work from Smak.

3188. St Werburghs tunnel (188)

No signature, but who needs a signature when your work screams out Fiva? It feels like an eternity since Fiva hit any walls, but this is quite some comeback. I don’t need to tell you what it spells, but I am probably as curious as you are as to why he decided upon the word Puffin.

Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020

The piece is dedicated to Josie and perhaps the word puffin means something to her. The writing is big and bold, but I can assure you that just because it looks simple does not mean it is simple to do. For a start there are all those straight lines and the correct spacing between letters etc. There is an extremely nice touch with the grey shadows to the left and bottom of each letter. A magnificent piece. I tried to emulate one of his letters last year, with a rather disappointing result… very difficult to do.

Scooj, H in the style of Fiva, Bristol, June 2019
Scooj, H in the style of Fiva, Bristol, June 2019

3187. Cheltenham 2020 (5)

This is the last post in this little digression from the Cheltenham Paint Festival (although I will post some more in the coming weeks) and it falls to the brilliant Bristol artist Sepr to round off his cluster. Some of the best pieces at the CPF are painted on the pavilion in Pittville Park and this is no exception.

Sepr, Paint Festival 2020, Cheltenham, September 2020
Sepr, Paint Festival 2020, Cheltenham, September 2020

Sepr’s style is so appealing to me, the retrospective style so reminiscent of the 1950s and 1960s and illustrations that used to appear in children’s books. The story here is of a man on the telephone listening to a penguin with a guitar and maracas. Go figure… stunningly executed work as always.

3186. Cheltenham 2020 (4)

One of the nice things about the Cheltenham Paint Festival is the large number of Bristol-based artists that are asked to paint. Mr Klue is a particular favourite of mine. His modest demeanour betrays his obvious talent and unique abstract style

Mr Klue, Paint Festival 2020, Cheltenham, September 2020
Mr Klue, Paint Festival 2020, Cheltenham, September 2020

I am not overjoyed at my hopeless photography. The close-up is a little too close and I have cut off the left hand edge of the piece. This is a colourful piece that probably spells out KLUE, but might not, and presents many of the trademark features we would expect to see in one of his pieces; floating steps, wisps of smoke and coiled cones give the artist away. I am rather taken with the orange ball, a nice feature.

3185. Cheltenham 2020 (3)

Daub is an artist I have come across a few times at the Cheltenham Paint Festival and at Upfest in Bristol. His ink pen pieces are most distinctive and painstakingly crafted. Last year I stopped for quite a lengthy chat, but this year was a little more difficult to interact due to social distancing.

Daub, Paint Festival 2020, Cheltenham, September 2020
Daub, Paint Festival 2020, Cheltenham, September 2020

This mesmerising piece is of an owl, I think, and between the large eyes is a small yellow beak, introducing the only colour to the work. What is not clear from these pictures is the amount of detailed shading that you can see when you get close up. A nice piece from a festival regular.

I have just checked and I never posted his piece from last year… I’ll have to put that right.

3184. Cheltenham 2020 (2)

Dice67 is the mastermind behind the Cheltenham Paint Festival and this year pulled the rabbit out of the hat to get the festival back on track in super-quick time. He is a truly remarkable man and manages to motivate others in his rather laid back style. Not only does he perform miracles of organisation and persuasion, he is also a highly talented artist and always makes time to paint his own piece during the festival.

Dice 67, Paint Festival 2020, Cheltenham, September 2020
Dice 67, Paint Festival 2020, Cheltenham, September 2020

This piece owes more than a little to the genius of Michelangelo and his fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. A common theme in street art, this is beautifully executed and the handing Of the spray can is a really nice touch. The writing, spelling Dice67, is really nice too, especially with the cracks running through the letters. Bravo Dice67.


3183. Cheltenham 2020 (1)

The first of this year’s Cheltenham Paint Festival pieces is from the tireless John D’oh with this clever Alice in Wonderland reference. As is often the case with John D’oh’s work, this piece is having a bit of a swipe at McDonalds and other corporate fast food  outlets and the impact they have on obesity and poor health.

John D'oh, Paint Festival 2020, Cheltenham, September 2020
John D’oh, Paint Festival 2020, Cheltenham, September 2020

In this scene, a rather plump Alice is being tempted to ‘drink me, eat me, buy one get one free, go large for 30p, free soft drink with every large meal’. Seeing it like this in a Dinseyfication drills home the message rather well. Many more from John D’oh to come from the paint festival.