Maesyhook, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022
I like surprises, especially ones that involve street art, and boy was this a surprise. Maesyhook is known for her Kawaii cute animal pieces, so this abstract piece in Cumberland Basin is a massive departure from what we expect to see. She has also signed it @m.a.e.s.y_ which is a bit of a change in her personal branding.
Maesyhook, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022
I think the piece was inspired by Autumn, or Otoño as she states on her Instagram, and by a friend who painted an abstract piece adjacent to this one. There is a sense of freedom in this piece that breaks away from the formality of a character or writing, and I guess it for the viewer to make of it what they will. I would certainly welcome more of this from Maesyhook, or more of her Kawaii work.
Some readers of this blog may not know that it is called Natural Adventures because it was started as a digitisation of a journal I kept during an adventure I had in the Falkland Islands in 1988 when I was a young man. I was a fisheries scientist working for the Falkland Islands Government, and at this point in the Journal had spent several weeks at sea on a Japanese squid jigger called the Koei Maru 30, and very much looking forward to some shore leave.
For context, it might be worth reading chapter 1, ‘An ill wind‘.
The full series of posts are in the ‘Falkland Journal, 1988′ category of the Natural Adventures blog, to be read in reverse order (from the bottom up).
Sunday 10 July 1988, Koei Maru 30
Today is full of promise. The sun is shining after a glorious sunrise which began with a deep blue-purple and a sliver of a crescent moon in a cloudless starry sky. The orange glows in the East then began and heralded this lovely crisp day.
Sunrise, South Atlantic, Koei Maru 30, July 1988
Another great bit of news is that I am to return to Port Stanley on the 14th, this coming Thursday. The Fishing Master also said that they would still be fishing when I returned from the UK and that they would have a party before returning to Japan, He is a real Jekyll and Hyde – I never quite know which mood I catch him in.
Today has fulfilled its promise, mainly in that it is nearly over. It has been sunny and clear, which lifts the depression which sets in during the gloom and overcast days. A few more Barry please. (an in joke with myself)
Now watching a Japanese war film – a little tactless I think, considering I’m English, but not to worry.
Japanese war film, doodle. Koei Maru 30, July 1988
Monday 11 July 1988. Koei Maru 30
Having looked forward so much to today’s radio session, I actually forgot it in my forgetfulness… eh?
I was instead having lots of fun in the factory deck. Abe is a great bloke – always poking fun, always playing the monkey. Very funny. I’m glad that people aged 28 or so can still be complete fools, it is refreshing.
Wrote possibly my last letter for a while to Mum and Ad. Talked about Abe and Mr Chiba.
Couldn’t get to sleep at all, I’m so excited about getting back to Port Stanley.
Tuesday 12 July 1988. Koei Mau 30
After three and a half hours sleep, I went to hold 4 and took loads of ‘crew at work’ piccies. I also took some photographs of one of the loveliest sunrises I’ve ever witnessed. The wispy clouds touched with pink. I wish it was a slide not a print!
Crew preparing baskets for the day’s fishing, Koei Maru 30, July 1988Abe and Abe the Bosun, Koei Maru 30, July 1988Crew on deck 4, Koei Maru 30, July 1988Young crew member with squid-baited long-line baskets ready for deployment, Koei Maru 30, July 1988
Wrote a letter to D, telling her that I’m going completely bonkers. I am.
I am very tired, but have enjoyed today very much. The more I do this work, the more I enjoy it. Abe got me to top and tail and gut my hake today, which was a good compromise because it meant they readily gave them to me, and it also kept me busy.
I am mortified – I am devastated.
My final link with childhood – the bracelet I have worn every day since my A-levels has just broken – I feel torn and weak like Samson without hair. A great sadness for me. In tatters, I feel like crying but am too tired.
Bead bracelet broken, doodle, Koei Maru 30, July 1988
Actually, I don’t think I will ever sleep again. Or will I? 18:00hrs 12.7.88 – Bracelet RIP
At risk of repeating myself, I love seeing new Desi pieces, because with each one there is a subtle but definite improvement. Confidence brings with it the opportunity to push boundaries and have new ideas, and this is something that Desi has done very well.
Desi, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, November 2022
Although this looks like a quick one, the fills look a bit rushed, the borders and neat and the 3D drop shadow nicely done. Judging by the patchy fills, I wonder whether this was a bit of a ‘dregs’ piece, using up remnants of paint in used cans. Always great to see Desi’s work.
I would guess that I only manage to photograph about one in three of Mote’s pieces, which might give you an indication of how prolific he has been over the last few months. This piece under Brunel Way is a bit of a departure from his regular fare.
Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022
The stylised face is not a monster, but a human portrait, although it has all the characteristics of Mote’s work. Strong lines, solid fills and fine details created with black lines. The danger of painting the familiar, as opposed to wacky monsters, is that the piece will immediately be compared to a human face, there is a benchmark that we all have and recognise, and it is easier to criticise. Stylised works like this one work well, because they are self-knowing that they are representative of a face, but not an actual face. Great experimentation from Mote.
Every now and then you get lucky, being in the right place at the right time. This is particularly true of finding street art on vehicles, and I was fortunate enough to see this Stinkfish piece on the side of a van parked up outside St Werburghs City Farm around a week ago.
Stinkfish, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2022
Some readers might remember that Stinkfuish visited Bristol in October 2021 to tidy up a couple of his long-standing pieces in the City, and while he was here he left a few other little ‘surprises’ about the place. I imagine he painted this small portrait piece at around the same time, as it is still in great condition.
Stinkfish, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2022
If you look carefully, you can just see a black line on the left where paint spilled over from the stencil used to create the black and yellow elements of the portrait. The decorative aspect I think light have been painted on with a brush, although it might be a stencil too, I am not sure. Finding pieces like this is so rewarding, and gives me the same tingle of excitement I get when I find a large shark tooth fossil on Bracklesham Bay beach, on my occasional trips to West Sussex.
Face 1st, Zake and Soap, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022
One of the great pleasures in life is coming across a PWA collaboration, and this little beauty painted under Brunel Way recently was a real treat. It is a well-balanced triptych, with Face 1st on the left, Zake in the middle and Soap on the right. It is an interesting observation that most of the time when Face 1st and Soap get together, they nearly always paint this way round – it must simply feel comfortable that way.
Face 1st, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022
Face 1st’s piece in chrome is a nice simple girl’s face with the letters FACE neatly spaced around the edge, with a deep black 3D drop shadow and neatly bounded with a thin green line. Basic stuff done really well.
Zake, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022
The middle section, or ‘filling of the sandwich’, is this unusual portrait piece by Zake. I am not too sure what is going on here, but it looks like the brain of the blue character is being expelled through his mouth, and that the brain appears to have a character all of its own. Quite bizarre, but beautifully painted with all the fine shading attributes associated with Zake’s work.
Soap, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022
The symmetry is completed with another chrome piece, this one by Soap, to the right, reflecting the basic design of Face 1st’s on the other side. The central element is Soap’s characteristic mouth/skull ‘super tag’ with the letters SOAP encircling it. All in all, a wonderful piece from the PWA boys to brighten up our dull existence.
Haka and Cats and That, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022
I felt that this collaborative piece by Haka and Cats and That merited its own post rather than potentially being overshadowed by the adjacent Bob the Builder piece by Haka. In this collaboration, the bicycle is by Haka, and the cats, unsurprisingly, by Cats and That.
Haka and Cats and That, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022
The collaboration is a charming and endearing scene with a couple of cats lounging on the bicycle. The cats are simply painted, without bells and whistles, but this subtle approach is really effective, and anyway who doesn’t love cat street art? Cats and That has burst onto the Bristol scene in recent months and is already making a mark all over town. The column cats next to this wall are an example of this.
Cats and That, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022
Cats and That, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022
Finally, I would just like to say that writing this blog is a genuine pleasure. Sometimes it can be a bit of a slog, especially when the trials of work and home life catch up with me. At times it might seem a little esoteric, but I stick by the guiding principle that I started writing street art posts to help others understand, appreciate and love the street/graffiti art scene in Bristol.
This comment from a visitor, Artemis BJJ, to Natural Adventures was left on my ‘About’ section, and it absolutely made my day and reinforced my resolve to continue doing what I do, because even if it makes one person happy, I have done my job.
“What an awesome blog! Randomly bumped across it while googling “j3 roundabout bristol”. A considerably more engaging and aesthetically interesting result than I was expecting. Keep up the great work! 😁🖖”
Frog and Nugmoose, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2022
This is not the first time I have seen this pairing on a collaborative wall, and I am sure it won’t be the last. I met them both while painting underneath Brunel Way. I already knew Nugmoose, but it was the first time I met the lady who paints frogs. I asked her what her ‘street art name’ was, but she said she was still working on it, so until I know more, I will call her Frog (see what I did there?).
Frog, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2022
To the left, Frog has painted a few frogs about the place, and they make a fine addition to the diversity of pieces in Bristol. I believe that she is quite early on in here street art presence and am really looking forward to watching her technique and compositions develop. This is a beauty, and the flowers and hat bring a narrative to the piece, which is a whole lot more than just a frog.
Nugmoose, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2022
To the right is another weird and mysterious piece from Nugmoose. It must be fun writing alien letters and confusing anyone trying to read them. The alien is proper alien, with no recognisable anthropomorphic features to identify with. These two demonstrate just what a fabulously varied offering we get in Bristol, and how blessed we are to see it all for free.
Natural adventures 