A familiar piece in a familiar place from a familiar artist. This is a beautiful abstract piece by Shab, sprayed in one of his favourite spots in Dean Lane skate park. I do like it when artists kind of ‘claim’ a spot, although it is not so good when they guard it jealously.
Shab, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2017
Always pleasing on the eye, Shab’s work holds a kind of mystery for the viewer, and a fascination too. Of course, the eye usually plays a part in his work, and adds some realism to this abstract world. Such subtle colours in the eye, set against the black and white surround.
Shab, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2017
I have always liked and probably always like the work of this highly respected Bristol master.
I have grown so accustomed to seeing NEVERGIVEUP’s work dominating The Bearpit, that it was a pleasant surprise recently to see one of his monsters turn up in Dean Lane. In the short space of time that he has been living in Bristol, he has really let his presence be known. He is prolific and unappologetic…when he sees a wall he paints it.
NEVERGIVEUP, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2017
I haven’t yet seen his work at the M32 or in Stokes Croft yet, but I guess it is just a matter of time. Another fine monster from this young Polish master.
The Communicate Conference, organised by the Bristol Natural History Consortium, is a coming together of wildlife/environment communications specialists from all sectors across the UK and beyond, to learn from great speakers and exceptional workshops. The challenges of ‘saving the planet’ have never been so great but the mood of the conference was to use our collective knowledge and passion to make positive changes. This, in the turbulent landscape of ‘fake news’ and ever reducing financial resources. Communicate is my annual fillip. I will do my best.
The light in these images is a bit wishy washy, and doesn’t do this lovely mural by Meghan O’Malley justice at all. The mural wasn’t up for long, before it was overpainted, so I am pleased to have been able to see it, especially as it features three magnificent fish.
Meghan O’Malley, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017
I had to do a little research to find out more about the artist, and it turns out she is a murallist living in Bristol. A quick glance at her website should convince you that she is a highly accomplished artist who has an eye for the surreal. This fish piece however is simply beautiful.
Meghan O’Malley, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017
Having recently graduated in Drawing and Applied Arts from the University of the West of England (UWE), I very much hope to see more of her work on the streets in the near future. Definitely one to look out for.
I have just attended a communications conference in Bristol, at which I found out that this piece and two others in The Bearpit were part of a campaign organised by Wild Walls (part of Wildscreen) and that these three fish mimic the recycling icon. All good, except that I found this out by chance. My feeling is that campaign pieces need better calls to action, or they risk being lost in the white noise.
On the hoardings in South Street Park, not far from the Miss Wah and Korp collaboration, was this exceptional piece by Hazard. I am not all that familiar with Hazard’s work, but she has been recognised by The Guardian as one of the top five female street artists in the UK, and you can see why.
Hazard, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Her pieces are often feature a female portrait with ornate hair ornamentation, and this is a really superb example of her work. It is interesting to see that she completed the portrait first and then went on to decorate the hair with scarves and feathers. The horns add another strange element to the whole thing.
Hazard, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
I didn’t get a chance to meet her, but with any luck she will be back in Bristol before too long. I have a feeling, from reading her biography on her website, that she might live somewhere in the West of England, but that is just a hunch.
Collaborations are always fun to observe. Some take the form of two artists creating a seamless piece in the style of the pair, for example Nomad Clan, while others produce work incorporating their own styles that complement each other. This piece is a great example of the latter. What makes it more appealing is that both of the artists clearly got on and really seemed to enjoy working together.
Miss Wah and Korp, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
The bunny figure in the centre of the piece is by Miss Wah, and the three worm-like creatures either side are by Korp. I would like to think that the two characters sandwiched in between are by both artists, but they have more of a Miss Wah feel to them.
Miss Wah and Korp, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
The colours work very well together across the whole piece, and overall it has an upbeat feel to it. I’m not sure that they have collaborated since, but I’m sure they would both be up for it if the opportunity presented itself again.
This is a small piece by an artist I have not come across before. Sigil is a Norwich-based paste up artist who appears to have a very strong story to tell about the environment, an observation made by looking at his/her Instagram feed. This would seem to be confirmed by reading the biography notes from this year’s festival which includes the following:
‘By using the visual language of animals & plants, combined with themes of ideography, science and faith, SIGIL connects with the public directly within the urban environment, encouraging attitudes of environmental stewardship.’
Sigil, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
I like artists that promote environmental issues through their art, such as Louis Masai and ATM, as this is partly what I do at work…connecting people with the environment through communication. So I have an immediate soft spot for this piece, which highlights the perils facing the vaquita, a small porpoise and currently the most endangered cetacean in the world.
The artwork looks a little bit rushed, which it might have been, due to the rain, but it is a nice piece. I would like to see more of Sigil’s work, particularly paste ups.
This is an interesting piece from Dice 67 at Upfest this year, where we see the artist continuing to experiment with his freehand spraying, having spent most of his street art career to date stencilling.
Dice67, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
To my shame, I have to confess that I walked past Dice 67 while he was spraying this piece, but didn’t recognise him or the style of painting. I even took a couple of pictures, but didn’t make the connection. It was only later, when I met Dice 67 and his family in the Steam Crane, that I realised I had goofed.
Dice67, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
I went back to South Street Park later during the festival and found the completed piece, but at that point it hadn’t been signed. I later found Andy (Dice 67) again and advised that he ought to sign it, as other people like me might be expecting to see a stencil. In the feature picture, you will notice that the piece was signed in the end.
Dice67, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
The work itself is a self-portrait, and I wonder how much the pretend ears were influenced by his children. I really like it that Dice 67 is making this big step in the art he creates, and I am looking forward to seeing more of it in the future.
Dice67, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
It is also worth mentioning that Dice 67 organised the highly successful Cheltenham Paint Festival in September, which I was unable to visit, but some of the pictures I have seen on Instagram were utterly awesome.
I think I have been saving this one up for a while, because I like to hold back some of the really good pieces I come across. This is of course by Louis Masai and has been around for about eighteen months or so I would think.
Louis Masai, Stapleton Road, Bristol, January 2017
Is is on a wall in Stapleton road, opposite the Andy Council spider. Louis Masai’s work is at the forefront of using street art to highlight the danger our magnificent wildlife faces, and he does it in an engaging and welcoming way. He is not protesting, rather he is educating.
Louis Masai, Stapleton Road, Bristol, January 2017
This pangolin piece I think is my favourite of his in Bristol, probably because I am very fond of these bizarre creatures, and he has captured it in an interesting pose.
Louis Masai, Stapleton Road, Bristol, January 2017
The patchwork quilt effect that Louis Masai achieves in his work is quite remarkable, and you could spend hours just looking at the detail in each section of the ‘material’. In this particular piece, the pebble dash wall adds another level of texture to the overall work…although it must be a nightmare to spray on. All good. Now to save the planet.
Natural adventures 