This is an utterly magnificent piece taking up the whole board under the M32 by travelling artist ESKA. It is one of at least three pieces he has dropped while staying I;Bristol, and possibly more, but Being in Cornwall at the moment, I have lost touch a little.
ESKA, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2024
This epic piece is a feast for the eyes, with a stunning colour palette of goods and silvers. There is so much going here with the combined writing and symbolism. To be appreciated fully it really needs to be seen up close because there is a lot of detail that isn’t captured with the full image, and I now rather regret not taking close-ups. ESKA has been a breath of fresh air o; the Bristol scene.
Scrapyardspec, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2024
I am not too sure where Scrapyardspecs hails from, but he seems to be a regular visitor to Bristol leaving behind occasional characters Painted in his unique style, filling up those awkward spaces, because the versatility of his characters.
Scrapyardspec, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2024
This square piece contains a three-eyed variant of Scrapyardspec’s character, painted with the wobbly lines so indicative of his style. the zany character has a wagging tongue, another common feature of his work. All part of the spectrum of street art we are blessed to see in Bristol.
Logoe payed us one of his visits a couple of weeks back, and this is a magnificent piece of writing he left behind, that has lasted longer than many of his pieces do. I think he painted at least six pieces on this particular visit, and I will be sharing those I found over the coming days and weeks.
Logoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2024
The letters of this script writing are really bold and look quite chunky with a deep 3D drop shadow. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of this one is the vertical stripes in oranges and greys in the background, which provide a strong foundation and springboard for the letters. Nice work from Logoe.
Doors 283 – Doors from Exeter, Devon – Part I, October 2023
Regulars may have picked up that I am currently on my annual fishing trip in with a great friend, Andy. We have been doing this since 1986 or so, and only missed two years. Once I was away in the Falkland Islands and the other was Covid lockdowns. Although this year’s trip has been delayed, we are here now.
On the way home from last year’s trip we stopped off in Exeter, because Andy’s daughter is a student there and her digs needed a bit of pest control. While Andy spent a couple of hours with his daughter I went for a stroll around the city and these are some of the doors I photographed. I hope you enjoy them:
Tudor House and door, Stepcote Hill, Exeter, October 2023
Front door and low window, Stepcote Hill, Exeter, October 2023
Black door with glass panels and old bay window, Exeter, October 2023
Modern door with a nautical feel, Exeter, October 2023
A rather boring door with a nautical theme.
Relocated Merchant House, Exeter, October 2023
This Tudor house was moved from its original position in Exeter to this spot. In the process it lost two gables windows in the roof.
Ancient door, Tiddy House (1630s), Exeter, October 2023
Ancient door, Tiddy House (1630s), Exeter, October 2023
Old cellar door, Tiddy House, Exeter, October 2023
That’s it for this week, I need to get ready for fishing later on today. More from Exeter next time.
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.
Mr Crawls and Mote, Redcliffe Way, Bristol, October 2024
A quick one today as I need to get myself sorted for a day of fishing. This is a magnificent pair of characters from Mr Crawls and Mote… the gift that keeps on giving. The piece can be found on the hoardings opposite Temple Meads station.
Mr Crawls and Mote, Redcliffe Way, Bristol, October 2024
The trademark chrome background helps to lift the characters and give them prominence. A bird with a hat from Mr Crawls, and a lovesick monster from Mote. What’s not to like about these characters?
Don’t expect too much from me today. I am on holiday and paradoxically have less time than usual to compose a blog post than usual. This is a rather nice piece from the anti-style graffiti writer Whos.
Whos, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
There is a charm about Whos work, and this chrome piece certainly makes an impact. The fills and chrome character provide a rather fun overall effect, and it is great to see Whos out and about again.
Whos, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
The letters spell out WHOS and include a little character portrait in what looks like a rather psychedelic piece. The most striking part in this chrome arrangement are the stars and tears that appear in the fill of the letters. A nice piece from Whos.
I prepared today’s posts yesterday, because I am (at the time of scheduled publication) on my way to Cornwall for a few days away with a fine friend who I have been fishing with every year for more than 35 years. My posts may become a little erratic over the next few days, but with the earlier dark evenings I should have a little time to write them.
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2024
I really don’t get to post enough work by Corupt, so it feels good when I do get round to it. This is a lovely piece spelling STICK, but this time he has taken a homonym approach and replaced the ‘I’ with a ‘Y’. The letters are blocky and rigid and beautifully filled with colourful spots, stripes and drips. The whole thing is bordered with a thick black line and then reinforced with a red outline a couple of inched further out, framing the piece nicely. It is always great to see Corupt’s work, and to chat when I bump into him, which seems to be quite frequently these days.
My children, like all siblings, take great pleasure in asking me which of them is my favourite. Because I have a pigeon pair, I say to my boy, ‘you are my favourite son’, and my girl, ‘you are my favourite daughter’. It has worked so far, but the truth is that it is possible to have different favourites for different reasons. I say all of this because Bloem is definitely one of my favourites, but I have arrived at that point through liking her style, watching her develop, and also because she is a lovely person who makes time to chat and talk about her work.
Bloem, Peel Street Green, Bristol, October 2024
In this piece Bloem visits some of her favourite themes, a hand with long nails clutching a beautiful flower and a spiked chain. The classic coming together of beauty and jeopardy and threat. The whole thing is presented in shades of pink and set on a framed black background. This is a really mature piece with a story being told and plenty of symbolism. Great work from Bloem.
One of the most powerful and energetic introductions to Bristol has been the emergence of Noise, over the last eighteen months or so. Since his arrival, he has been producing no end of pieces in his distinctive fat-letter style and collaborating successfully with several different artists. He is productive and talented, and fits into the Bristol way of things really well.
Noise, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2024
In this piece, in the tunnel, Noise has compressed his writing slightly, but has managed to do this without compromising his chunky letters. The colours work nicely, although being slightly on the dark side, they are a little difficult to do justice to in the murk of the tunnel. A gallery is long overdue… watch this space.
Natural adventures 