Month: November 2021

4083. North Street

This old piece by John D’oh has been sitting in my ‘departure lounge’ for several years, and at last I have found the space to publish it. I am going to show my ignorance by not having any idea who the character portrayed in the piece is… a bit of popular culture that has passed me by, and maybe this is why I never posted it when I had prepared it way back.

John D'oh, North Street, Bristol, April 2016
John D’oh, North Street, Bristol, April 2016

Placed on a shopfront that I think has changed since April 2016 when the picture was taken, the text states ‘ life is sometimes just torture. As I said earlier I am not sure what the reference is, but I still like it, and the whole rather run-down scene nonetheless. As you might have spotted, I am going through a bit of a John D’oh purple patch and it has no signs of abating.

4082. Brunel Way (134)

The Maybe (or MaybePaints) factory continues to churn out more high quality and charming face pieces under Brunel Way. Maybe has definitely carved out a niche for himself in Bristol’s street art scene and is becoming established for what he does, and all of this in under a year.

Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021

Due to his prolific painting I have to group his pieces. If I didn’t ether wouldn’t be enough room on Natural Adventures for anyone else. This first column piece combines ideas that the artist has had, with a series of three interlocking faces, the central orange one being sandwiched by two planetary space scenes.

Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021

Another theme running through Maybe’s work is aggregating profile faces into geometric shapes, and in this piece he has three kissing pairs on three sides of a cube, which is very nicely done, adding perspective to his work.

Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021

The third piece in this group is probably my favourite and is a little less structured. It is more of a story-telling piece with one of his face characters communicating or taking a selfie on his cell phone across an oceanic sunset. Beautiful and tranquil, it should perhaps be entitled ‘face time’. All great stuff from an artist I have yet to meet.

Arrest

.

Ruiner of dreams

it’s catching up with you now

the end of the road

.

by Scooj

4081. Cumbrland Basin

Ooh! Creative, imaginative and lots of fun, this wonderful piece from Slakarts down in Cumberland Basin is an elaborate expansion on his regular face template. In this piece, Slakarts is telling much more of a story than simply painting up his mega-tag that we see quite a lot of in the city.

Slakarts, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2021
Slakarts, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2021

A man, a flower and a dog are the subjects of this lovely piece, and the confidence and boldness ooze out of the wall. Slakarts’ work is typified by the thick outlines and solid fills that present as clean and tidy work. There are some similarities in this work and that of Roo, which is a compliment indeed. More sophisticated stuff from Slakarts to come.

4080. M32 roundabout J3 (362)

Another Bristol artist who has been very busy over the last eighteen months or so is Acer. Whether collaborating or painting alone, his productivity has been on the up, and that is definitely a good thing.

Acer, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September2021
Acer, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September2021

This quick piece was painted alongside Benjimagnetic, way back in August this year, but inexplicably ended up in my archive. I have picked it up and posted it as part of my constant review of photographs languishing in archive folders. Here Acer is keeping it simple, spelling out his name with his familiar geometric design and technique.

Fracas

.

Magpies, crows and jays

aerial battle royale

garden hooligans

.

by Scooj

4079. Alexandra Parade (2), Weston-super-Mare

I have never made any secret of the fact that I love the work of JPS and that he is without question in my top five favourite street artists, although I don’t know who the other four would be. For this reason, it is always a pleasure to visit Weston-super-Mare, his original hometown, where so many of his stencil pieces adorn the town’s walls.

JPS, Alexandra Parade, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021
JPS, Alexandra Parade, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021

This is quite an old piece, but one that I have always admired. I took this picture on my recent visit, but I think I have a pictures from some time ago that just never got published on this blog. Shame on me, although my heightened sense of self-doubt wonders whether this might be a repeat of a stencil he painted elsewhere.

JPS, Alexandra Parade, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021
JPS, Alexandra Parade, Weston-super-Mare, September 2021

This innocent-looking piece is a potent reminder of the fragility of planet Earth, but one that also transports us back to both our own childhoods but also to an era of innocence that is now long since gone. These retro scenes are always beautifully presented and executed and demonstrate why JPS is held in such high regard.

4078. M32 roundabout J3 (361)

Another absolute belter from the unstoppable Stivs on the M32 roundabout. He really is going through an incredibly productive and inspired period… long may it last. I often wonder, when artists are so prolific, how they afford the paint, because it is not cheap to paint a wall this big.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2021
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2021

This calligraffiti piece is notable for the exceptionally brilliant fill that is not only beautiful, but also has the appearance of being a piece that has been painted over… clever stuff from Stivs. As with so many artists in Bristol at the moment, Stivs seems to be hitting a new level, and shows no signs of letting up. A masterful piece.

Thursday doors – 25 November 2021

Doors 170 – Street art/graffiti doors – Bristol

Really short on time today, but a Thursday doesn’t quite feel right without a Thursday doors post. This is a quick ramble through some already posted doors from Natural Adventures earlier this year in May and June.

Hope you enjoy them:

Ejits, North Street, Bristol, April 2021
Ejits, North Street, Bristol, April 2021

Kid Crayon and Zubieta, North Street, Bristol, May 2021
Kid Crayon and Zubieta, North Street, Bristol, May 2021

Paul Monsters, Bedminster Parade, Bristol, April 2021
Paul Monsters, Bedminster Parade, Bristol, April 2021

3F Fino, Leonard Lane, Bristol, May 2021
3F Fino, Leonard Lane, Bristol, May 2021

The 'six sisters' - Bex Glover, Alex Lucas, Zoe Power, Gemma Compton, Sophie Long and Ejits, North Street, Bristol, May 2021
The ‘six sisters’ – Bex Glover, Alex Lucas, Zoe Power, Gemma Compton, Sophie Long and Ejits, North Street, Bristol, May 2021

Mr Penfold, Church Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 2021
Mr Penfold, Church Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 2021

Kleiner Shames, Argus Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Kleiner Shames, Argus Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

Hannah Edwards, North Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Hannah Edwards, North Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

Peter Sheridan, North Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Peter Sheridan, North Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

Gage Graphics, West Street, Bristol, June 2021
Gage Graphics, West Street, Bristol, June 2021

So as another week passes, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy weekend.

If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors  from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.

by Scooj

4077. St Werburghs tunnel (266)

To get the colours right in these pictures, I had to do a bit of manipulation, which if I hadn’t would have left them as yellowy-orange stains on the wall which really wouldn’t do. Instead, you can see the colours, which you can see with the naked eye, but in photographs are negatively impacted by the orange lighting in the tunnel.

Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2021
Corupt, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2021

The letters STICK are by Corupt, who is going through a bit of a purple patch at the moment which means that you should look out for more of his work appearing on these pages soon. Corupt is an artist who keeps himself to himself, and although I have seen him paint, at the top of a ladder, I still haven’t met properly.

From a technical point of view, this piece is on-point and skilfully crafted, but it is also rather beautiful too, with some excellent blended shading in the letters. More outstanding work from Corupt is in the pipeline.