Month: February 2021

3477. Felix Road (1)

It is all too easy to get trapped into visiting the places that you are familiar with and I have been guilty of not exploring too much around Bristol for about a year, for fairly obvious reasons. Every now and again though I have ventured into new territories, often on the back of seeing something on Instagram and setting off to find it. This wonderful piece by Dabuten Tronko is an artefact of one such mission, an added bonus, if you like.

Dabuten Tronko, Felix Road, Bristol, February 2021
Dabuten Tronko, Felix Road, Bristol, February 2021

Although this piece was painted in 2019 it takes me back to the first pieces of his that I saw back in 2017, when his work had a strong theme of wooden rowing boats. Don’t ask me why, I mean who’d ever have thought they would be the subject of street art, but in the more than capable hands of Dabuten Tronko they have an intrinsic beauty and interest. He seems to favour the deconstruction of these little boats as much as intact versions.

This is an expertly painted piece, with amazing colours and superb definition between the subject and background. So happy to have discovered it, albeit rather late in the day.

Snow envy

.

An east-west divide

they have it and don’t want it

the snow is whiter…

.

by Scooj

3476. Purdown HAA Battery (13)

I managed to take the dog for a very muddy walk last week up at Purdown. It is the first time I have been there for a while and there were quite a few nice pieces up there. It would appear that Zace has made himself at home up there and this is the first of several pieces by him I will be posting.

Zace, Purdown Battery, Bristol, February 2021
Zace, Purdown Battery, Bristol, February 2021

There is a simplicity about Zace’s work that keeps it real and unpretentious. Clean lines and single colour shading keeps a focus on the alien character set in a starry sky. A fun modest piece from Zace.

3475. M32 roundabout J3 (280)

Many street artists and graffiti writers have dual or multiple personas when they throw paint at a wall. There are many reasons for this, for example sometimes it is to obfuscate their identity as most of this activity isn’t strictly legal, other times it is to separate out professional from personal identities. Here we have an artist who I have met before under a different name, but here he is with his new moniker ‘SERM’.

Serm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2021
Serm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2021

I was fortunate enough to bump into SERM when he was half way through painting this piece and we chatted for a little while. It is interesting to see how he works and that the little smoke wisps along the top of the piece are one of the first bits he paints, which is counterintuitive for a non-artist like me.

Serm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2021
Serm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2021

This is a very nice piece of writing with some great colour selections and the yellow 3D shadow works particularly well. I hope this is the first SERM of many.

Long tailed tits

.

They come from nowhere

never still for a moment

and then they are gone

.

by Scooj

3474. Dean Lane skate park (386)

Nina Raines dropped me a message on 17 January to say that she and some friends were going to be repainting the North Street dental surgery, just in case I was able to come along. Unfortunately work is so busy at the moment, it is impossible for me to choose the moments I get to visit spots around Bristol, and the two days this was being painted were chockablock, which was very disappointing. Far from disappointing though was the outstanding piece that Nina Raines, Phoebe Tonks and Ana Cruz painted along the practice wall.

Nina Raines, Phoebe Tonks and Ana Cruz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021
Nina Raines, Phoebe Tonks and Ana Cruz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021

This is one of those collaborations where all three artists have combined their talents in the one piece and it is impossible for me to know who painted which bit, so this is a true fully-integrated collaboration. The 1950s look and feel of the lady with her toothbrush and toothpaste at the ready is inspired and adds a superb splash of colour in this corner between North Street and Dean Lane.

Nina Raines, Phoebe Tonks and Ana Cruz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021
Nina Raines, Phoebe Tonks and Ana Cruz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021

While the lady character is the focal point of the piece, there is so much other interest on this busy wall with the decorative patterns and outlines of children and a tooth fairy. In my view this piece is brilliantly designed and brilliantly executed, and I sincerely hope that the dental surgery are pleased with it. This is a fine landmark in this part of Bedminster.

Nina Raines, Phoebe Tonks and Ana Cruz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021
Nina Raines, Phoebe Tonks and Ana Cruz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021

Ali Hamish Campbel and Nina Raines, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019
Ali Hamish Campbel and Nina Raines, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019

3473. M32 Spot (104)

At times photographing and writing about street art requires some detective work, tracking down who might have painted a particular piece. This is especially true when new artists burst onto the scene. I shan’t go into the detail of how I found Tao.create, suffice it to say that it wasn’t easy.

Tao.create, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021
Tao.create, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021

I believe that this might be her first wall in Bristol, although I might be wrong there, but if it is, what a fabulous debut. The trapeze artist has a lovely feel about her and a grace and poise that comes across really well. The colours and shadings are very nicely done and the framing of the subject works very well on a column – it would look rather awkward on a landscape wall. Let’s hope this is the first of many.

Yorkshire pudding

.

In my Yorkshire blood

quantities estimated

perfect rise each time

.

by Scooj

3472. St Werburghs tunnel (223)

This is a really nice example of two artists who like to paint together switching things up a little. Kool Hand and Daz Cat have painted a lot together, but not so much over the last six months or so. When they collaborate, Daz Cat normally paints a character and Kool Hand provides the writing.

Kool Hand and Daz Cat, St Werburghs, Bristol January 2021
Kool Hand and Daz Cat, St Werburghs, Bristol January 2021

In this recent piece in the tunnel, the leopard on the left is by Kool Hand and is superbly done, I think it might be one of his best characters yet and Daz Cat has thrown up the letters DKAT. It must be fun painting with friends and playing with styles and methods and it certainly keeps things interesting for the likes of me.

3471. M32 Cycle path (107)

This is the latest in a sequence of new Laic217 pieces, but one that alas only lasted a few days before being over-painted. Set on a nicely prepped black background, this piece has a skeleton (of course) and some throw up writing about the place. This is quite clever, because it looks like the tagging looks like it was already there and Laic217 has planted his piece over the top of it, but it is all his work.

Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2021
Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2021

At risk of repeating myself, something I do a lot of on Natural Adventures, it is the textures in the clothes and materials that Laic217 carries off so well. On this particular piece, the zip is the star of the show. If you like street art with clothed skeletons, then Laic217 is yer man.