The day I met Bloem was a red letter day for me, as I have been hoping to bump into her for quite a while, and this was the piece she was painting at the time. Formerly signing her work as Hiccup, Bloem emerged onto the scene during 2023, with a wonderfully original creative approach, treating us to some pieces the likes of which we haven’t really seen in Bristol before.
Bloem, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2024
Carrying the motif ACAB, the piece features a hand with long nails holding a small vase with flowers poking out of the top and a little creature peering over the lip of the vase. There is a little story going on here, I’m sure. To add a bit more interest, Bloem has created a patterned cloud background in pinks and greys. A lovely piece painted in her inimitable style.
Kid Krishna, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2024
After quite a long hiatus, it appears that Kid Krishna has returned with some gusto and inspiration, which is always great to see. Kid Krishna has a writing style unlike any other artist I know of, but what is fascinating about that is that he has several alternative styles that sit within his style, if that makes any sense at all.
Kid Krishna, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2024
This is a colourful piece an a nicely buffed wall, that I have to take on trust spells out CRIE, which is what the artist usually writes. I can never be too sure with his work whether it is planned or spontaneous, and this uncertainty persists even though I have watched him a work several times. Looking at this piece, it certainly looks like it has evolved around a letter framework, but I doubt there was a black book rendition of it. This was painted alongside his painting partner Markinetic earlier this month.
Mr Crawls, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2024
One of the nicest surprises of 2023 has been the rise and rise of Mr Crawls, whose bird pieces have become a familiar sight all around the city. More recently, he has teamed up with Mote to produce some great fun pieces that work so well, each painting in their own style, which somehow come together seamlessly.
Mr Crawls, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2024
At first, I thought that Mr Crawls might be a bit of a one-trick-pony, but far from it, he has been modifying his characters and switching them up as he goes along. This solo bird has a comical cartoon expression, that Mr Crawls manages to paint so well. I predict another bumper year from this irrepressible artist.
This sumptuous red and gold piece of graffiti writing is one half of a collaboration with Noise, which I posted a few days ago. The pieces were painted as a contribution to the World Wall Stylers theme for December. On reflection I perhaps should have posted the pieces together, but firstly I couldn’t capture both pieces in one photograph and secondly felt they both deserved to have a post of their own.
Werm, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2023
I met Werm a week or so back for the first time in a while and it was great to catch up. I like this piece a lot. Werm has started to simplify his work a little, and in my view that is a good thing, concentrating on the impact of the piece rather than its technical complexity. Sometimes less is more, and definitely it works in this instance. The colours go a long way to enhancing the quality of this one. Great stuff from Werm.
I have seen a few pieces by Mysto about the place recently, and feel like I might have seen work by the artist before in Bristol, but I’d have to go back through my archives (an impossible job) to be certain. There is something very captivating about these large letters and how they are presented.
Mysto, Greenbank, Bristol, December 2023
The most striking thing about this piece, on first inspection, is the overall diamond shape within which the letters ‘MYSTO’ sit. The 3D ‘barcode’ shadow is consistent and lifts the letters very neatly. The highlight is the beautiful fill work which seamlessly blends three tones of green in horizontal layers across the piece. This is a nice accomplished piece of graffiti writing from Mysto.
Sake is an old school graffiti artist who only paints occasionally these days, but who has been painting for a long time. It has been great to see this wall, one of my favourites, getting quite a lot of attention recently, but having said that, nothing seems to last very long, and I think this piece disappeared quite quickly.
Sake, Dean Lane, Bristol, Dacember 2023
The writing, and fill in particular, are reminiscent of early New York graffiti writers, something that Sake carries off with authenticity and style. The letters are nicely presented and the driop shadow really good, but it is the pink stars running through the letters that win me over in this cracking piece.
Today I mark my 250th Thursday doors post with the third and final part of photographs of doors from a wonderful National Trust property in East Cornwall, called Cotehele. Incidentally my first Thursday doors post (12 October 2017) was short and sweet – perhaps I need to ‘talk less, smile more’.
This last collection of doors from Cotehele is as eclectic as the last set, with the common thread being that all the doors are reasonably old, some very old, and all of unpainted wood. I think that the house has evolved over centuries, and so the doors and doorways are scattered around the property without any real sense of planning, which adds to the character of this rambling eccentric property. I recommend a trip very highly if you should ever find yourself in the area.
Here we go:
Main hall door adorned with a whalebone? arch, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023Fabulous glass panelled door, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023Stunning writing desk with multiple drawers and doors, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023Door into a very narrow bedroom, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023Panelled door into a bedroom, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023Well worn panelled door, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023Ornate wooden door, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023Landing door with curious frame and well worn keyhole and handle, Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023Cotehele, Cornwall, August 2023
That’s it from East Cornwall for now. I will not be posting Thursday doors next week, instead I will be enjoying the slopes of the SW Alps. See you in a couple of weeks.
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.
Although I have seen several pieces by Sub dotted about the place, this is the first time I have posted one on Natural Adventures. I met him for the first time when he was painting this piece alongside Bloem, who I also met for the first time – it appears that they often paint together, which I kind of already knew, but the penny only fully dropped properly when I saw them together.
Sub, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2024
This is a very nicely worked piece with large bold letters and a solid blue fill flooding across the whole thing. The letters are nicely formed, and apart from the green smudges, the piece is simple, with only some feature lines on the drop shadow, providing a sense of perspective. I have a feeling that there is a lot more to come from Sub, and I will watch his development with interest.
Claro_que_sssnoh, Frome Side, Bristol, January 2024
I only venture down under the M32 alongside the canalised River Frome when I don’t have the dog with me, so it doesn’t happen very often, more is the pity, because there are often some cracking works to be found, such as this lovely large piece of graffiti writing from Claro_que_sssnoh.
Claro_que_sssnoh, Frome Side, Bristol, January 2024
This wall is large, and there is a steep ledge just in front of it, so the best way to take pictures is from the opposite bank. The writing is instantly recognisable as Claro_que_ssnoh’s work, and spells out HONS in his unusual angular/curvy script. Great colours and a decent background help to make this one stand out a bit. Another one for the gallery.
Natural adventures 