It would seem that Laic217 enjoys painting the walls at L Dub (Lawrence Weston) and has once again turned out a typically fine piece painted at or around the time of DJ Perk’s 50th birthday paint jam a few weeks back.
Laic217, L Dub, Bristol, September 2021
Dominated by pink and purples, the character is set on a light blue background with PAD (a crew name) and Laic217 scrawled all over it. However, we didn’t come here to admire the background… the smoking character sporting a bucket hat is wearing a magnificent trippy shirt festooned with smiley faces that ripple with every fold of the material, something that Laic217 does so well. It is a clever piece when you consider the limited colour range he has used. More excellent work from one of my faves.
The seemingly constant presence of Irony in the West of England at the moment prompted me to dive into my archive to find a London piece by the artist that I have until right now not published before. I wish I had more time to post from my archives, because there are so many gems there that deserve to be on this blog, but alas I might have to wait until my retirement to find the time.
Irony, Camden Town, London, November 2017
This classic Irony mural, photographed in November 2017, is a portrait of a woman sprayed with immaculate control and filled with incredible detail and interest. The thing I return to again and again when I see this piece is the slightly ill-fitting magenta-tinted glasses, which draw you in to take a closer look.
Irony, Camden Town, London, November 2017
As I said on my post yesterday, featuring the Weston-super-Mare cockerel, Irony is a genius. There is little more to be said (genius is a word I rarely use, and so it is written with a genuine belief that Irony fits into that category).
I got distracted last week looking for an old piece by Irony that I had never posted and came across this old archway piece from Mr Penfold in King Street. This spot ‘belongs’ to Mr Penfold, and every year or two he has a go at repainting it.
Mr Penfold, King Street, Bristol, July 2018
This incarnation is rather less abstract than most of his work, and you can make out a jug or vase and some ears of corn. If I am honest, I’m not sure if this is one of his best pieces, but it is nice to be able to add it to the collection of his other King Street work.
Wouldn’t it be great if Irony painted more often in the west of England… oh, hang on a minute he seems to be turning up everywhere at the moment, something surely to be celebrated. Maybe we could tempt him to move to Bristol and treat us with his work more often, that would be good.
Irony, Alexandra Parade, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021
This magnificent cockerel piece above Sultan’s Kebab House is as brilliant as it is unexpected. What? Who? Why? The piece bursts out of the ordinariness of its surroundings on a bright yellow background and demands attention. What a fabulous addition to this seaside town, known for its street art culture generated mainly by JPS and augmented by Banksy’s ‘Dismaland’ exhibition from a few years ago.
Irony, Alexandra Parade, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021
The piece is part of an event orchestrated by Upfest for the town, more information taken from the Upfest website is as follows:
Europe’s biggest street art festival is coming to Weston this summer.
Upfest will join forces with Weston Town Council, local artists and organisations including Culture Weston to create a series of murals on buildings across the seaside town this month.
Up-and-coming local artists from Weston, as well as artists from further afield, will be taking part in the project.
They will paint 10 different murals over 10 days, mainly focused in and around the town centre.
The initiative has been funded with a £20,000 grant from the town council.
There will not be a set theme, with artists being asked to come up with their own designs.
The murals will form part of a permanent trail around the town, and it is hoped this will help to bring people into Weston. A shortlist of artists for the project is now being drawn up.
Of course, 10 walls in 10 days is going to be a bit of a challenge for me to record, living a little bit away and only visiting occasionally, but I will try my best.
Irony, Alexandra Parade, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021
I think that this piece, more than any other, perfectly demonstrates how a piece of urban art, free for all to enjoy, can lift the spirits of a place, create a sense of pride and identity and drive inward investment. A perfect win win situation.
Birthday paint jams are a bit of a thing, and recently there seem to have been a spate of them. They are a great excuse for a bunch of friends to get out and paint together, and for people like me offer another raft of fabulous work all in one location. The perennial difficulty is having the capacity tom post about them all (an impossible task).
Turoe, L Dub, Bristol, September 2021
The birthday in question belonged to DJ Perks and these three pieces are by Turoe, Slim Pickings (TES) and Bags. The old-school character given some contemporary treatment is by Turoe and just in case we were any doubt, DJ Perks was 50.
Slim Pickings, L Dub, Bristol, September 2021
Slim Pickings is metronome-like in his regularity, turning out these TES pieces time and again. Unfortunately these days, more of them end up in my archives than being posted, such is the massive turnover in Bristol at the moment. Bright bold colours and sharp lines, just what you’d expect.
Bags, L Dub, Bristol, September 2021
A rather overlooked writer in Natural Adventures is Bags, probably because he doesn’t paint quite as often as his contemporaries, but that is no excuse really. This is a fine piece of writing, neatly done and kind of fun too with the hand bursting out of the ‘B’. All in all a lovely tribute to DJ Perks, who loves painting in this spot. More from this paint jam to come.
This is a stunning stencil by an artist to whom I owe my interest in street art, alongside Kid Crayon, Face 1st and Mr Draws; it is of course the unmistakable (apart from those that confuse him with Banksy) JPS, who grew up in Weston-super-Mare but now lives on the continent.
JPS, Victoria Square, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021
On the side wall of a café, looking out to sea, is this young girl complete with a camera, snapping up the views of the Pier and Severn Estuary. Her patterned dress is particularly nicely done in this sharp multi-layer stencil.
JPS, Victoria Square, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021
On my walk around the town I met an old lady who lives two doors down from where JPS grew up, and she said what a lovely boy he was and was obviously very proud of his art and talent, she seemed very knowledgeable about the new pieces in town and was utterly engaged with the street art scene, so good to see. JPS has played no small part in influencing these positive attitudes. Lots more from JPS to come.
Brace yourselves for some more wonderful pieces by Maybe, which although this post is titled Cumberland Basin, actually come from three different spots in Bristol. The feature image was the first piece that I found from Maybe that wasn’t under Brunel way, but was posted on a column on the north bank of Cumberland Basin.
Maybe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2021
This first piece has two face balloons whose strings are lovingly intertwined as they drift off into a galactic scene. It is also a dreadful photograph and slightly out of focus. My camera is getting a bit goofed up and I think I will be replacing it fairly soon.
Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2021
The second piece was in Dean Lane skate park on one of the ramps and it is the only one I have seen there to date. Here a face looks on as a hand picks out a star, once again on a galactic background. There is a calmness and serenity about most of Maybe’s pieces that makes them really accessible for all to enjoy.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2021
The final piece from this group was from Brunel Way, where most of his pieces have been painted, and this one features another face and hand combination, where the hand is actually another face. All of this curiousness is set on a stunning Red Sea and red sunset. A true beauty. We have come to a point where expectations of his work are getting higher and higher, because his pieces are getting better and better.
What a genuine pleasure it was to meet Roo for the first time while she was painting this magnificent shopfront piece for Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days event. It would seem that her allocated spot, a pet shop on East Street, was the perfect match for her animal inspired work.
Roo, East Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Roo was able to show off her skills over the entire outside space of the pet shop, which is not inconsiderable, and so we, the viewers, are getting four animal pieces for the price of one, starting with this superb mouse/rat tucking into a fairy cake.
Roo, East Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
On the largest panel of the shop, Roo has painted this sleeping dog which is dreaming about ‘Rrupfest’. In this piece you can see that the clean lines and solid fills are expertly finished and the light brown shading (in cartoon style) gives an additional 3D feel.
Roo, East Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
On the next panel of the shop is a goldfish in a bowl taking a selfie as if it were a holidaymaker on a beach. The piece is full of wit and charm and rather unfortunately obscured by a wheely bin, the scourge of street photography.
Roo, East Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
The final bit of wall to be painted by Roo is a fat cat enjoying some popcorn and taking in a 3D movie with its cardboard lenses. The whole wall is a triumph for Roo whose work is a perfect fit for this kind of spot. It is great to see that since she painted this, Roo has visited Bristol again and left us a gorgeous lion, to follow soon.
Natural adventures 