Tag: Third eye

4274. St Werburghs tunnel (281)

It is very easy to get complacent when artists regularly produce great work, which is something I try to guard against. We can take it for granted sometimes without recognising that each piece is a discrete and unique work, we just expect it. I felt this when starting this post, that this was another nice piece from Pekoe, but it is so much more than that, and requires a great deal of thought and effort on her part.

Pekoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2022
Pekoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2022

The piece was painted as the central part of an RBF collaboration with Bnie to her left and Evey to her right. Pekoe has returned to a theme she has used many times before of the portrait having a third (all seeing) eye. I just had a flashback to my biology lessons as a youngster and recalled the pineal body… also known as the third eye. Read up on it if you care to, it is interesting stuff. Great hair and a great piece that has been enhanced with colour correction as the original photograph is very yellow/orange.

3922. Cumberland Basin

I have a lot of attachment to this wonderful piece by Jelly, her second at this spot this year, because of the conversations we shared before she visited Bristol. There is something comforting and confidence-building when an artist makes contact with me to talk about meeting up during a painting visit. I must say that I was touched that Jelly made contact before her recent trip, and I only wish that I had been able to catch up with her while she was painting this piece, but unfortunately I had a full-on work day and wasn’t able to escape.

Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021

Jelly has painted another of her beautiful portrait pieces, complete with her trademark exaggerated eyelashes on this high-turnover wall in Cumberland Basin. The piece, presumably entitled ‘open your eye’, is a portrait of a woman with a third eye, a common theme in street art, and suggests using perception beyond ordinary sight.

Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021

The shading on the face and hand with red tints helps to provide a deep perspective, and the eyes and nose are particularly beautifully painted. I love the Henna tattoo on the back of the hand and fingers, and the jewellery too is a lovely detail that lifts the piece way above the ordinary.

Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021

Another nice touch are the little white streaks of light on the woman’s hair that allude to the strands of hair so effectively. This is a lovely piece from a lovely artist who is thoughtful and inclusive. I do so hope that next time she is in Bristol I will  be able to accompany her, at least for a little while, as she creates another of her fabulous portraits.

3685. Dean Lane skate park (413)

The phrases ‘it’s the early bird that catches the worm‘ or ‘you snooze, you lose‘ both come to mind in respect of this wonderful new piece from Pekoe. I had seen the piece posted on Instagram and said to myself that I would head on down to Dean Lane the next day to photograph it. How was I to know that a whole ton of scaffolding would appear overnight to obscure the portrait? D’oh!

Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021
Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021

I think I have just about managed to get away with a reasonable capture of this fine ‘third eye’ piece from Pekoe. There are definitely some new techniques coming to the fore in her work at the moment, most notably the dotted outline cheeks, chin and nose. Once again the use of bold colours guarantees that this piece stands out from the crowd.

2660. M32 Cycle path (45)

There has been a recent rush of Slakarts pieces and this one on the M32 cycle path is nicely sandwiched between Rezwok and Nightways from a session earlier on in December.

Slakarts, M32 cycle path, Bristol, December 2019
Slakarts, M32 cycle path, Bristol, December 2019

Unmistakably by Slakarts, the artist has included a third eye, possibly as an afterthought, which is not painted in the same way as the ‘normal’ eyes with the blue and yellow colours and drips. This is a nicely executed piece and a welcome addition to a wall which is dominated by graffiti writing. Let’s hope 2020 brings us a visual feast as strong as 2019.

2300. Brunel Way Bridge (14)

This column piece under Brunel Way bridge is unmistakably by Pekoe, and what a pleasant surprise it was to find it on a recent trip to the whole Cumberland Basin area. The last work from Pekoe that I saw was a collaboration with Mr Sleven at the M32 roundabout, which was rather splendid as I recall.

Pekoe, Brunel Way Bridge, Bristol, June 2019
Pekoe, Brunel Way Bridge, Bristol, June 2019

This small piece, which is typically bright and colourful, includes a theme that Pekoe is very fond of, a third eye. I don’t know what these columns are like to paint, but I can tell you that they are a devil to photograph because of the variable light, and because cameras can’t take pictures round corners, or at least mine can’t. Nice work from Pekoe.