6268. Cheltenham Paint Festival 2024 (3)

Epod 3000, Cheltenham Paint Festival 2024, Dunalley Street, Cheltenham, July 2024
Epod 3000, Cheltenham Paint Festival 2024, Dunalley Street, Cheltenham, July 2024

Good morning and welcome to another brand-new week. What better way to kick off than with the third trio of pieces photographed at this year’s Cheltenham Paint Festival? One of the notable things about the festival, which I am sure I will return to at some point, is that Andy ‘Dice’ Davies and his organising team are constantly finding new walls to decorate, meaning that existing murals get to stay where they are, constantly growing the outdoor gallery, which becomes an increasing draw for visitors and inward investment. If only the festival was able to gain more confidence from funders, which I know was a real struggle this year.

Epod 3000, Cheltenham Paint Festival 2024, Dunalley Street, Cheltenham, July 2024
Epod 3000, Cheltenham Paint Festival 2024, Dunalley Street, Cheltenham, July 2024

Fresh from his appearance at Upfest in Bristol, Epod, who is firmly on the festival circuit, produced this beauty on the side of the Holiday Inn Express, enhancing the visual value of the building tenfold at least. A stunning portrait of a beautiful woman with a sound system in her hair… and why not?

Fark, Cheltenham Paint Festival 2024, North Place car park, Cheltenham, July 2024
Fark, Cheltenham Paint Festival 2024, North Place car park, Cheltenham, July 2024

Next up is this very neat and tidy piece from Fark, who has become a CPF favourite and who managed to wheatpaste up his name pretty much everywhere I went in the town. A view, a rainbow and a bird – you cannot go wrong.

Wolfskulljack, Cheltenham Paint Festival 2024, Two Pigs, Cheltenham, July 2024
Wolfskulljack, Cheltenham Paint Festival 2024, Two Pigs, Cheltenham, July 2024

Finally, another favourite at the CPF is Wolfskulljack whose Gothic-style Posca pen sketches are utterly captivating and technically brilliant. Her study of animals and their form is a joy to behold, and there is always a sense of menace or threat about her work.

I’ll be posting more from Cheltenham in due course.

15. Leonard Lane (2)

Tucked away in Leonard Lane on a white plank of wood is this unusual piece of street art by Wolfskulljack. It would appear from her Facebook page that street art is a bit of a departure from her usual illustrations.

Wolfskulljack interestingly misspelled her name on the signature, which made me doubt its authenticity, but it is definitely hers.

Wolfskulljack, Leonard Lane, Bristol, August 2015
Wolfskulljack, Leonard Lane, Bristol, August 2015

This is the first time I have seen her street work and I suspect, given that she is an illustrator, that there won’t be too much more. She comes from Cheltenham and who knows, maybe if she does get a taste for street art, we’ll see more of it in Bristol.

A mysterious and beautifully detailed drawing

7/10