Tag: UK

PD

.

Parkinson’s disease

incurable, progressive

a part of our lives

.

by Scooj

  • In 2020, during lock down, my wife was diagnosed with having Parkinson’s Disease. Of course, it was a huge shock, and we are gently easing ourselves into a life with the disease. Last night I went to my first event for people with PD and their partners/families/carers. It was a brilliantly funny comedy evening with Paul Mayhew-Archer, writer of the Vicar of Dibly, amongst other situation comedies. His honest and intelligent look at PD was brilliantly delivered, and for me at least, removed some of the fear about what lies ahead. I don’t think I would have self-disclosed this through the haiku had I not been to see his comedy show last night. Bravo Paul M-A and all who live with PD.

5299. Brunel Way (209)

Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2023
Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2023

I would definitely like to see more from Mr Underbite on the streets. His versatile, if rather unfortunate, character definitely adds a touch of butter sweet humour to the streets of Bristol. Although this is a small piece, probably a little old and slightly out of the way, I thought I would post it, because it has a charm about it and is very much a part of the everyday street art experience in the city.

Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2023
Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2023

Technically, this piece is more Daveside than Brunel Way, but I use the latter as a generic area description, in much the same way that I use Cumberland Basin to describe the large area just north of the river. Nicely painted, the hapless character, with his comb-over hair, makes me smile, just as all of Mr Underbite’s pieces do. I only found this by mistake, reminding me always to walk the few extra yards and to be inquisitive… the rewards are out there.

5298. Dean Lane skate park (609)

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023

It might be the colour palette, I don’t know, but there is something about this piece that instantly grabs you and says ‘hey, I’m special’. Hire’s work will be a familiar to regular readers of Natural Adventures, and he is one of my favourite graffiti artists in Bristol, and I think that what he has done here is exceptional.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023

Three things stand out for me in this piece. The first is the colour selections for the letters and the background and the way they complement each other so well – very pleasing to the eye. The second is the almost imperceptible difference in colour shade used for the H and R, compared with the I and E of his name, so subtle and so clever. Finally, I think that the little squiggles surrounding the letters are brilliant and remind me of a visualisation of Brownian motion. Each of these elements lift the piece from being great to exceptional.

5297. St John’s Lane (2)

Shade One, St John's Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Shade One, St John’s Lane, Bristol, June 2023

This is the second piece I am posting from an outstanding collaborative ‘wall’ on a new hoarding in St John’s Lane. This breathtaking portrait piece is by Shade One and is significant in so much as it demonstrates so clearly how over the last couple of years he has developed his style from high-end cartoon portraits to a photorealistic style.

Shade One, St John's Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Shade One, St John’s Lane, Bristol, June 2023

The sunglasses woman is painted in greyscale, which works really well when set against the colourful cosmic, cloudy background. When working in greyscale, particular attention has to be paid to light and shade, and Shade One has done this well, particularly in the folds of the fabric of the woman’s top. This is one of several outstanding pieces painted during a high-class paint jam a short while ago.

5296. Cumberland Basin

Kid Krishna, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023
Kid Krishna, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023

Just when I think I have seen it all from Kid Krishna, he comes up with this delicious piece in Cumberland Basin. Normally his letters, albeit cryptic, spell out CRIE, but I am not sure whether that is the case here – it might be a KRIE variant. Although the writing is a bit busy, it is calmer and cleaner than some of his more recent pieces.

Kid Krishna, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023
Kid Krishna, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023

Thee star of this piece, in my view, is the Mickey Mouse character standing to the left. It isn’t enough for Kid Krishna to paint a conventional flat Mickey Mouse, no, he has painted a deliberately blurred three-dimensional character wearing a cap and with half a skull across Mickey’s face. There is something weird going on with the shorts, with what looks like holes and a fiery furnace behind. Brilliant stuff from the artist who simply doesn’t stop.

5295. Purdown (57)

Full Time Ghoul, Purdown, Bristol, May 2023
Full Time Ghoul, Purdown, Bristol, May 2023

It is happening a little too frequently on Natural Adventures, but Full Time Ghoul (FTG) is another artist who is definitely underrepresented on these pages, and I might have to do a sweep of my archives and post a whole group of pieces in one go.

Full Time Ghoul, Purdown, Bristol, May 2023
Full Time Ghoul, Purdown, Bristol, May 2023

Full Time Ghoul pretty much always paints his mega-tag, either in single or multiple forms. Here we have three ghouls joined together in a pattern resembling an everlasting knot. Recently, FTG has been using these pink and red colours for his work, and I imagine he might have bought a bulk order of paint and is gradually working his way through it.

Full Time Ghoul, Purdown, Bristol, May 2023
Full Time Ghoul, Purdown, Bristol, May 2023

There was another smaller and older piece from FTG up at Purdown, so I thought I’d include it with this post to demonstrate that his distinctive pieces are easy to recognise. Watch this space for more from Full Time Ghoul.

5294. Brunel Way (208)

Lee Roy, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2023
Lee Roy, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2023

For a little while now, Lee Roy has been smashing it out of the park with his unique style of writing that is a kind of crossover between traditional graffiti writing with a touch of anti-style thrown in. I was fortunate enough to meet the artist for the first time on the other side of the wall to this piece (and might I add, what a lovely man he is), and he told me that he used to have a much more conventional and precise style, but that he enjoys the freedom he has with his current, rather organic style.

Lee Roy, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2023
Lee Roy, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2023

The distinctive letters wouldn’t be out of place for a Halloween piece, with lots of drips and some red blood drips too. Each letter is nicely decorated in this two-tone colour scheme, and highlighted with three thin lines to the right of each letter to give the letters a little bit of Depth. One in a string of great pieces from Lee Roy.

5293. Louisa Street (2)

Veil, Louisa Street, Bristol, May 2023
Veil, Louisa Street, Bristol, May 2023

When I accidentally discovered the hoardings around Louisa Street recently, it was a great surprise, and I guess I was a little annoyed that I hadn’t found it sooner. I don’t think that the hoardings can have been there for too long, or at least if they have, they have only recently been painted. I say this because as far as I can see there hasn’t been too much overpainting, and there is a lot of the blue board still visible.

Veil, Louisa Street, Bristol, May 2023
Veil, Louisa Street, Bristol, May 2023

Desi has produced this wonderful VEIL piece in pinks and blues and is showing great progress particularly in the complexity and design of her fills. The 3D drop shadow and border are nice and tight, and overall this piece demonstrates the strides she is making. I am looking forward to a summer of Veils and Desis.

5292. Weston-super-Mare

Andrew Burns Colwill, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023
Andrew Burns Colwill, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023

I recently shared a gallery of  outstanding artwork from the brilliant Andrew Burns Colwill on my personal Facebook page (I rarely use it these days), and it had a very positive response, which is not surprising really, such is his talent. I came across this piece, which was painted for last year’s Weston Wallz (I think), on a recent visit to Weston-super-Mare, with my friend Paul H.

Andrew Burns Colwill, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023
Andrew Burns Colwill, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023

Andrew Burns Colwill doesn’t shy away from making bold political statements, and much of his recent work has been about the potential impacts of climate change. In this piece he lampoons Parliament, and with some justification, and presents politicians and apes, the central Orangutan being draped in a Union Jack. Political commentary goes hand in hand with a lot of street art, but rarely so beautifully painted. I am reminded that I haven’t yet posted his Upfest piece from last year… so much to do. This was a very pleasant discovery.

Thursday doors – 15 June 2023

Camping and glamping site gate, Boiling Wells Lane, Bristol, February 2019
Camping and glamping site gate, Boiling Wells Lane, Bristol, February 2019

Doors 225 – Some gates of Bristol

A really quick one today. I had time earlier in the week to prepare some images from my archive, and I plumped for a selection of gates. All of these gates are from Bristol, none of them particularly special, but desperate times and all that…

The first gate boasts that is it the entrance to Bristol’s only camping and glamping site – I fear that they might have over-sold it a little. I hope you enjoy today’s selection:

Farm gate, Boiling Wells Lane, Bristol, February 2019
Farm gate, Boiling Wells Lane, Bristol, February 2019

Back gate, Bristol
Back gate, Bristol

Front gate, Bedminster, Bristol, March 2020
Front gate, Bedminster, Bristol, March 2020

Gate and door, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, May 2023
Gate and door, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, May 2023

Mind the drop. back garden gate, Devon Road, Bristol, January 2023
Mind the drop. back garden gate, Devon Road, Bristol, January 2023

Back garden gate, Devon Road, Bristol, January 2023
Back garden gate, Devon Road, Bristol, January 2023

Well that concludes proceedings for another week, I hope to have something a little more inspirational next time. May I wish you a pleasant end of week and 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

Door logo, Thursday doors