Well this is an absolutely extraordinary and highly unusual portrait piece by Bristol-based artist Lee Ellis. I have not seen any of his work before, but that is because I think he is primarily a studio artist and not a street artist.
Lee Ellis, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
I took a look at his work on the Interweb and he has this incredible style that has a touch of menace and darkness about it, but also manages to convey emotions and passion in the subjects. It would be interesting to see what he could do with a proper outdoors wall. Striking work.
This week I thought I’d share a few of the doors I encounter every time I walk to work, with one or two that are set back a little from my main route. Most are from Stokes Croft, arguably the most ‘colourful’ stretch of road in Bristol (which is some achievement let me tell you).
The first two doors are neighbours, one maintained rather better than the other. It is the awnings over these doors that I love, and which are so typical of some of the older houses in Bristol, although many no longer exist at all…War effort?
Door, Stokes Croft, Bristol, January 2019Door, Stokes Croft, Bristol, January 2019
The next three doors are typical of the heavy tagging that goes on in this district. Nearly all of the housing in the area is rented accommodation, and landlords seem to be resigned to the futility of removing the tagging and graffiti – it is an accepted norm here. Having said that, I noticed this week that a couple of buildings have had a makeover and the walls and doors are all freshly painted…a blank canvass?
Door, Stokes Croft, Bristol, January 2019Door, Stokes Croft, Bristol, January 2019Door, Stokes Croft, Bristol, January 2019
The last door I have meant to include here before but never had the right story to tell with it. As a small enterprise just off Stokes Croft, it fits the bill nicely and rounds off this week’s doors.
Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2024Sled One, Greville Smyth Park, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024Sled One, Coach and Horses, Bristol, March 2024Sled One, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, October 2023Sled One, Cumberland Bain, Bristol, October 2023Sled One, M32 roundbout, Bristol, August 2023Sled One, The Carriageworks, Bristol, May 20233Dom and Sled One, The Carriageworks, Bristol, April 2023Sled One, Lighthouse Community Garden, London, April 2023Sled One, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, April 2023Sled One, North Street, Bristol, January 2023Sled One, North Street, Bristol, January 2023Sled One, Brook Road, Bristol, November 2022Sled One, Brook Road, Bristol, November 2022Sled One, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2022Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022Sled One, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022Sled One, Moon Street, Bristol, July 2022Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022Sled One, The Carriageworks, Bristol, May 2022Sepr and Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristtol, April 2022Sled One, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, April 2022Sled One, Greenbank, Bristol, March 2022Sled One, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, January 2022Ments and Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021Ments and Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2021Sled One, North Street, Bristol, December 2021, Upfest 21,Sled One, Greenbank, Bristol, September 2021Sled One, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2021Sled One, St George, Bristol, April 2021Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021Sled One, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2021Sled One, Picton Lane, Bristol, January 2021Smak and Sled One, Upper York Street, Bristol, January 2021Sled One, Upper York Street, Bristol, January 2021Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2020Sled One, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2020Sled One, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2020Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2020Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2020Smak, Curtis Hylton, Ments and Sled One, Clift House Road, Bristol, October 2020Curtis Hylton, Ments and Sled One, Clift House Road, Bristol, October 2020Sled One, John Street, Bristol, September 2020Sled One, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020Tom Miller, Smak and Sled One, Nova Scotia, Bristol, July 2020Sled One, Nova Scotia, Bristol, July 2020Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2020Sled One, Armada Place, Bristol, July 2020Sled One, Cattle Market Road, Bristol, June 2020Sled One, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2018Sled One, Star and Garter, Bristol, March 2020Sled One and Ments, Star and Garter, Bristol, March 2020Sled One, Turbo Island, Bristol, February 2020Sled One, Turbo Island, Bristol, February 2020Sled One, Armada Place, Bristol, January 2020Sled One, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020Sled One, Upper York Street, Bristol, October 2019Sled One, Wilder Street, Bristol, October 2019Sled One, L Dub, Bristol, October 20193 Dom and Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2019Sled One, L Dub, Bristol, July 2019Sled One, Wilder Street, Bristol, April 2019Sled One, Wilder Street, Bristol, April 2019Sled One, Lower Ashley Road, Bristol, February 2019Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2018Sled One, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019Sled One, Nelson Street, Bristol, March 2019Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2019Sled One, Lower Ashley Road, Bristol, January 2019Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2019Sled One, Wilder Street, Bristol, December 2018Sled One, Thomas Street, Bristol, October 2018Sled One, Brunel Way Bridge, Bristol, September 2018Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2018Sled One and Smak, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2016Sled One, Raleigh Road, Bristol, January 2018Sled One, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2017Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2017Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2017Sled One, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017Sled One and Epok, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017Sled One and Smak, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2016Sled One, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2017Sled One, St Werburghs Tunnel, Bristol, June 2017Sled One, M32 roundabout Bristol, June 2017Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2017Sled One, Magdalene Place, Bristol, December 2016Ments, Sled One, Epok, Peal, Meds, Wilder Street, Bristol, February 2017Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2017Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2017SledOne, Unity Street, Bristol, September 2016SledOne, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, December 2016Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2016Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2016Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2016Sled One and Epok, Armada Place, Bristol, June 2016Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2016Sled One, Old Bread Street, Bristol, June 2016Sled One, Moon Street, Bristol, October 2016Sled One, M32, Bristol, July 2016Sled One, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2016Sled One, Upper York Street, Bristol, August 2016Sled One, Upper York Street, Bristol, August 2016Sled One, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016Sled One, M32 Roundabout,Bristol, June 2016SledOne, Unity Street, Bristol, June 2016Sled One, St Werberghs, Bristol, May 2016Sled One, Old Bread Street, Bristol, November 2015Sled One, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2016Sled One, Ashley Road, Bristol, 15 April 2016Sled One, Old Bread Street, Bristol, November 2015Sled One, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, March 2016
On yet another completely new wall for Upfest 2018 was this slightly unusual abstract piece from Rob Wass. You had to keep your eyes peeled for this one due to its location down a side street on the main drag between North Street and Ashton Gate.
Rob Wass, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
As yet my mind isn’t fully made up on this one and I really can’t put my finger on my reservation. I think it might have more to do with the aspect of the wall and the pebble dash finish (which must be a nightmare for painters), than it does to do with the piece itself.
Rob Wass, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Over the years, Rob Wass has produced some lovely pieces for Upfest and he has become a firm favourite. I imagine that this one will remain in place for a while because of its accessibility.
Always, always a firm favourite with me are the pop culture stencils by Stephen Quick, a brilliant Bristol artist and Upfest regular. This piece ‘Can stand up, will stand up’ is one of a series of similar pieces that he has created with this character.
Stephen Quick, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
There are several cultural references in the piece, which include the obvious homage to Star Wars, but also there is the sword of He Man and the bracelet (not in this picture) of Wonder Woman. His style is unique and vibrant, and I always look forward to a quick annual catch up at Upfest.
One of the more obviously striking and describable pieces of Upfest 2018 was this interesting hand speaker by Agent Provocateur. It is weird but whenever I look at it I find it very hard not to see the Northern Ireland flag, which is rather distracting.
Agent Provocateur, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
This is a simple and quite challenging piece with an element of edge or threat combined with humour and general oddness. I’m not sure why there is so much damage to the right hand side board, but I think the artist could have tidied it up a little bit. Maybe I photographed it before completion. A memorable piece.
Nevla was late to the party at Upfest 2018 and as a result I didn’t manage to get a final picture of his rather cookie panda. On the upside though I did at last get to meet the elusive cartoon king of Bristol street art, and what a nice fellow he is too.
Nevla, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
I made a few notes on my iPhone about our conversation, but unfortunately I lost them when the motherboard gave up a few weeks ago. A quiet class act who seems to enjoy painting alone, Nevla adds something to the Bristol scene that is unerringly optimistic, which is a tonic when so much around us is in utter chaos.
Just opposite the Tobacco Factory in Raleigh Road Justinks painted this captivating tiger with an interesting twist. He describes his art as surrealism and biorealism, and although I think the latter might be a made up word, it certainly works when explaining this piece.
Justinks, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Justinks is based in Malta and works as a tattoo artist (the crossover between the two disciplines is remarkable), but since 2011 he made the decision to go big and create some large street art pieces – a great decision in my mind. It is difficult to know what to make of the subject of this piece due to its distortion of the familiar, there is no doubting the talent of the artist though. Great work.
This stunning shutter piece is by Sake One, a West Coast (USA) artist who has been spraying since the early eighties and was greatly involved with the hip hop culture in San Diego during his youth. There is a thorough biography of the artist on the Upfest website, which is worth a read.
Sake One, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
The piece itself is a highly accomplished work, as you’d expect from an artist of this calibre. The profile of the girl is sensitively painted and blends perfectly with the subtle writing to its right. The tragedy of shutter pieces is that they are rarely seen during daylight hours, even at weekends when so many shops seem to be open…not like in the old days!
One of the first pieces that I recall from Upfest 2018 is this magnificent hummingbird by L7M, a very well-known artist originally from São Paolo who first picked up a can at the tender age of 13. Obviously practice makes perfect.
L7M, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
The vibrancy and movement in ther piece is remarkable, and the hummingbird itself is absolutely stunning. L7M was one of the featured artists last year and we certainly got our money’s worth as he did another excellent piece a little further down North Street (to follow).
Natural adventures 