A Bristol pub has had an eye-catching new makeover.
The Old Stillage in Redfield is known for having distinctive murals painted on its front, with previous designs including a menacing dragon.
The venue on Church Road now bears a number of otherworldly characters, some with key-shaped heads and others with keyhole shapes in their arms, seemingly appearing out of pink windows in a bright blue sky.
Read next: Bristol people 'did not get enough exercise' during pandemic
The new look is the handiwork of locally-based artist Skinny Gud who, along with painting assistant and project coordinator Beth Vickers, has crafted the mural with a mix of brushwork and spray paint.
Explaining the concept behind the piece, its creator told BristolLive they drew inspiration from religious archetypes from their catholic upbringing.
“Basically the key head is a metaphor for conscious learning. You can unlock anything with your head, if you put the work in you get anything done. It’s all about playfulness, trying to make people smile and just brighten up the place a little bit.”
The pub’s manager Jamie Hardy added there were also plans to install plywood cut-outs of the key head characters depicted in the mural along the roof of the pub, so they are “peering over” onto Church Road.
Mr Hardy said: “After Covid people seem to be going in the wrong way, a lot of businesses are going down the pan through no fault of their own. We just wanted to show we are not going that way, we are doing the best we can to keep the community happy and by doing that we wanted to have a brighter front.”
He added that the pub’s patrons “absolutely love” its new look.
“They like the new colours, they like how bright and vibrant it is, and what it stands for. Just having that new brightness is certainly welcoming to customers.”
Mr Hardy explained The Old Stillage’s landlord Namaya Reynolds began allowing graffiti artists who frequented the establishment to reimagine its walls in order to bring “something new” into the community, and stand out from other “plain, boring” pub fronts up the road.
He added the pub looks to update its artwork every three to five years, depending on “how clean we can keep it.”
The pub enlisted Skinny Gud for its latest revamp after its management was impressed with the work the artist previously did in the recently extended back garden for a hip-hop event it runs.
It marks the first time Skinny Gud has created a mural on the front of a building or large wall.
The artist said they were “praying” locals would like it, and said they had received a range of reactions from passers-by during its creation.
“When I first started off it wasn’t mapped out properly, I was getting a lot of bad feedback. People do not hold back when they’re riding past, if it looks bad they will tell you.
“But as it has come together and the painting has finished and we’re getting the sign done, it’s been nothing but good feedback so far.”
Sign up for our What's On in Bristol newsletter packed with essential stories to help you make the most of living in the city.
