In spite of it being one of my favourite spots, I still haven’t marked up the half-century of posts from Leonard Lane, but not far off now. Risky is a writer who I have been aware of for a few years and although I haven’t yet posted any of his pieces, I have been meaning to forever.
Risky, Leonard Lane, Bristol, June 2024
This by far the most impressive piece from Risky that I have seen so far, and I have to say that I really love it, and it is a perfect piece of graffiti writing for the location. Each of the letters RISKY are afforded a completely unique colour/pattern regime, and the whole thing comes across as an energetic and happy piece. Perhaps it is not the tidiest piece ever, but I don’t think that matters at all. Look out for more from Risky, now that I have started the ball rolling.
I am taking a bit of a risk with posting this piece, because I am not 100% certain that it is by who I think it is. My guess would be that the artist is Nice One, as it certainly has the same style as other signed portraits about the place. The piece has been lurking in my archive since June, because I wasn’t too sure who to attribute it to.
Nice One, Montpelier Park, Bristol, June 2024
I like the portrait very much, and would guess that the artist (if it is Nice One) might have had some art schooling of some kind… since, although it is rather stylised, the proportions are nicely worked. The piece was modestly ticked away in the far corner of the wall in one of the quieter graffiti spots in Bristol. Nice one is building a more than respectable portfolio and I would expect and hope to see a whole lot more coming from the artist over the next few weeks and months.
Ryder and Inkie, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
I am rather tired this morning. I got back late last night from Copenhagen, after a wonderful long weekend there with my 89 year old mother. We packed a lot in to the three full days, and I am still processing much of the trip. I have managed to keep my posts going on Natural Adventures through this period, but might need to slow down a little as I ease myself back into work after two weeks off.
This wonderful collaboration between Ryder and Inkie was actually painted way back in May and for some inexplicable reason never got posted at the time… it happens.
Ryder, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
To the left, and slightly impacted by the shadow cast across the top, is some superb writing by Ryder, which is accompanied by Evil Edna, the television character from the cartoon series Willo the Wisp. There are some great fill colours, oozing confidence, without overcomplicating things. Great to see Ryder managing to paint a little.
Inkie, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
Inkie is arguably the best know Bristol artist still regularly painting in the city, and this is a sumptuous example of his stylised lettering. The piece is pretty much perfect in every way and like Ryder’s piece is confident and uncomplicated. Both are writers at the top of their games, with nothing to prove, and it comes across in their work.
I was lucky enough to meet Mr Tanner a couple of weeks back under the Brunel Way flyover, and following our chat I was mindful that there was a piece of his lurking in my archive, and so prompted by the encounter, I decided to dig it out and post it. Here it is.
Mr Tanner, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
Mr Tanner writes TOPIA, and each of his pieces seems to be quite unique, with originality appearing to be his USP. This is a rather organic looking, but tight piece of graffiti writing painted back in May this year. Although he lives in London, Mr Tanner appears to be a reasonably regular visitor to Bristol. I dearly hope that the piece he was painting when I met him will still be there on my return from Copenhagen.
I photographed this piece a little while back, in May this year actually, and was lucky enough to meet Pura Decadencia while she was painting. There is something very fulfilling about meeting artists while they are at work, and gaining little insights into their world and inspirations.
Pura Decadencia, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2024
Although this is a classic piece of writing complete with vampire mouth and teeth, I believe it to be the tightest piece I have seen from her yet, with beautifully sharp borders and lines and strong, tidy fills and patterns. I absolutely love it, and can’t understand for the life of me why it has taken me so long to post it.
Alas, today is my last day in Copenhagen, and I have to say I have been having a truly wonderful time in a city that feels very content with itself, without being conceited. I would willingly come back again, and the trip from Bristol is incredibly quick and easy. There is only one downside, and that is Copenhagen is a very expensive city, so it is just as well my visit was confined to a long weekend.
Another city visit I made in May this year was to Leicester (I went again in July), and was fortunate enough to snap up a few pieces from a Bring the Paint festival a couple of years ago, at the start of the week when one or two of them were painted over for the 2024 festival. These are four very different pieces collected together to save valuable time and space on Natural Adventures.
Aches, Leicester, May 2024
This is an incredible piece by Aches, an artist who visited Bristol for Upfest in 2022. I haven’t yet posted that piece… must try harder.
Homboog, Leicester, May 2024
I know nothing about the artist Homboog, but I can definitely say that I love this stunning character/writing combination piece.
Philth, Leicester, May 2024
Unfortunately this outstanding Philth piece is painted in a busy yard, and there was no way I was going to be able to get round those palettes, so you’ll just have to imagine how good the whole thing must have looked when it was first painted.
Voyder and Aches, Leicester, May 2024
Damn the car! This is a magnificent collaboration from Aches and Voyder. The latter was an artist who used to paint a lot in Bristol before being seduced by London, our loss was their gain. He was the last artist I was expecting to find in Leicester, but that is what makes hunting for street art so much fun. More from Leicester soon.
I have a feeling that the very first Solar piece I became aware of was in this spot a few years ago, and this recent piece shows how the artist has improved enormously in a really rather short space of time. This one was painted alongside PLB stablemate Whysayit.
Solar, New Stadium Road, Bristol, August 2024
something went a little wrong with my processing of the photographs, but the first one is a much truer representation of the colours of the piece in the underpass. The letters spell out SUNSHINE in gorgeous shades of orange, and has a very deep 3D drop shadow, characteristic of Solar’s work. This is a bold and cheerful piece, perfect for the summer vibes.
It is becoming a most welcome and wonderful thing, finding new pieces by Grimes, and this recent wildstyle writing on the M32 roundabout is an absolute belter. His bright and vibrant style is becoming established as a regular sight in the Bristol scene.
Grimes, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2024
In this piece Grimes has written his letters and filled them with kind of fruits of the forest colours, bordered with yellow, and featuring an electric blue plasma spark running through the whole piece. There is a rather curious and slightly off-topic background of blue spheres, which, if I am honest, I am not sure add anything extra to the piece. More to come from this rising star.
Well, well, well, you don’t go to a spot for a while, and what happens when you do finally pay a visit? Of course, you find something new. This wall on the rear of the Bell Pub in Stokes Croft, used to host a rather fine piece by Sepr, but the whole thing has been replaced by this b boy scene painted by Krome, an artist I know nothing about.
Krome, Dalton Square, Bristol, August 2024
A quick internet search tells me that Krome is a tattooist and graffiti artist from Bristol, however, he is not one I have come across before. Although there is a lot of ‘white space’ (blue) in the piece, the key elements of a graffiti artist, a sound system, a break-dancer, some writing and a DJ at his deck, do enough to keep the piece interesting. It will be fascinating to see whether we see more from Krome, or whether this large piece was a one-off. Time will tell I guess.
Natural adventures 