I am writing this late last night, because my son and I are taking a trip to Perugia tomorrow morning and want to leave before it gets too hot. Klashwhensober is no stranger to these pages, but doesn’t appear as much as he should, I hope this post addresses this somewhat.
Sober, River Avon, Bristol, June 2023
His letters spelling ‘Sober’ are written in the most beautiful colours transitioning from green to blue. The letters are nicely defined, and towards the middle of the piece, there is a little face in a bubble. This is a nice tidy piece from Klashwhensober.
This is the second piece I have posted by Noise, and I suspect I have some others in my archive somewhere. Noise is a graffiti writer, whose writing I really like, it is chunky, confident, assured and nicely crafted.in this piece Noise has also included a character, which is seen quite commonly in graffiti art, but I can’t remember the name or context of the character. A quick Google search tells me it is Orko from He Man.
Noise, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2023
The letters spell out noise and are filled beautifully and finished off with a splendid white border. I can’t put my finger on it, but I really like Noise’s writing style and look forward to posting more over the coming months.
A brief one this morning, there is just too much beauty and history around me. I sit in an ancient medieval library, part of a monastery that has been converted into a holiday let in Umbria. It is difficult not to become entirely enveloped in the culture of the place. Also I need breakfast, I am hungry. This piece is something rather different, and a first on Natural Adventures from Dai_luk_tattoo.
Dai_luk_tattoo, Brunel Way, Bristol June 2023
I can’t tell you much about the artist, but this is a beautifully designed work of a woman arched backwards in a graceful pose and with plentiful hair. I am not sure what the orange shapes by her feet are, but they look like teeth. Surely not. Based on this I would dearly love to see more street art from this tattooist.
Is sitting in an ancient medieval monastery in Umbria, Italy, desperate to get out and join the others in the pool, so this will be a short one. #DFTE, continues to delight with his short phrases, written in his distinctive style which he is starting to adapt a little with some extras, in this case some monster drip work.
#DFTE, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
He asserts,’happiness is being confidently weird’. That might be a #DFTE philosophy, which would fit him perfectly. Sometimes it might be equally appropriate to consider being spontaneously weird or not weird at all to be happy. I do, however like his sentiment and it makes for a good wall message. Ta ta for now, off to the pool. Splash!
The first time I saw this piece from Acer One, I was puzzled by it, because it was a simple black piece of writing, and if I am perfectly honest I was slightly underwhelmed. I was also being incredibly thick, because it was a work in progress, and a few days later he returned to complete it. It turns out that the black was the shadow, and I should have known that. It also provides a little insight into how Acer One layers his work.
Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023
The writing says ‘it’s all love’, which I think most people could probably rally behind. The letters adopt Acer One’s favoured colour palettes of the moment, showing the light spectrum sequence of colours. Appropriate too, perhaps, as we mark Pride Month, which I am guessing this piece might have been a precursor to.
Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023
It is always great to see Acer One’s work, and he has made this particular spot his own. I thought I’d include this shot of my dog’s rear end for good measure.
When I first encountered Daz Cat’s pieces, they were pretty much always portraits of cats, sometimes dogs, and reasonably basic, but with that Daz Cat style. Over time his work has become more sophisticated, and about 18 months ago reached a new level, each piece telling stories, rather than just a portrait.
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2023
This one on the St Werburghs entrance to the roundabout, is a piece that uses the square space supremely well, and the illustrative rabbit (or cat with very long ears) curled up in a tight ball appears to be spinning. There is lots of movement here and even though it is painted in greyscale, it makes a strong impression. Who’d have thought he’d be producing stuff like this a few years ago. Great to see.
One of the refreshing things about the Bristol Mural Collective paint jams is that most of the pieces created are murals predominantly painted with materials other than spray cans, which brings a whole other dimension to the spectrum of styles and techniques used to paint our walls. This is a moody mother earth piece from Urban Fay.
Urban Fay, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023
I am always likely to enjoy environmental pieces, and this one hits the spot. A reclining figure melds into the hillside while a red sun sets on the horizon with telegraph poles hugging the crest of the hill. There are some words to the right of the piece which say. “Suffering a sea change, we rearrange into entirely new shapes”. The female figure’s tears join the river that meanders down the contours of her face to the sea.
Urban Fay, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023
Zooming in, there is detail so small on the figure’s face in the form of tiny little fir trees. This is an unusual piece, which we would be unlikely to see without the great organising skills of Nina Raines and the Bristol Mural Collective.
More from Mote, who isn’t showing any signs of slowing down at the moment. This piece is another in his series of bird monsters and fits the square concrete slab perfectly. One of the aspects of Mote’s work that I really like is the clarity and crispness. The fills are solid, with nice patterns, and his black borders and details are always sharp. I imagine that there is a perfectionist in there somewhere.
Mote, Purdown, Bristol, June 2023
This bird monster has a green bill and pink eyelids, which stand out against the blues and purples of the rest of the bird. Even though it is not so long ago that I published a gallery of his work, I have to keep on my toes with updating it. The production line of pieces continues.
Natural adventures 