I don’t really need to dwell too much on haw Zake has been smashing it lately, his skill is matched by his creativity, and in this piece he has really gone to town. I also like the fact that Zake has returned us to the wonderful colour combination of pink and blue.
Zake, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2025
Zake has combined three faces into one, to create something that looks like a primitive deity or something like that. The expressions on the faces, running left to right are contentment via uncertainty to some kind of evil rage. An interesting piece with lots to enjoy about it.
When I think about Bristol street art, one of the first images that springs to mind is a Rowdy crocodile. Somehow what he does and how he does it embodies a sense of mischief and humour, edge and naive art, and is at the very heart of the Bristol scene.
Rowdy, St Michael’s Hill, Bristol, June 2025
I love this little spot at the bottom of St Michael’s hill, which has played host to a few different artworks over the years. I love also that is obviously used to be a butcher’s shop and still has the old tiles. Some crocodiles and a radiant cat decorate the walls and window perfectly and ooze everything that Rowdy is all about. I love this.
Serm is an artist who doesn’t paint all that often, but his distinctive pieces are always a welcome addition. This time, he has gone for something a little different and cryptic, hiding his letters in the design.
Serm, Peel Street Green, Bristol, June 2025
The green fills and yellow drop shadows work well together, although I’m not sure about the white background that makes the whole piece look a little washed-out, and doesn’t create enough contrast with the letters. The green fills is a subtle blend of at least three tones which come together perfectly. I hope the wait for the next one isn’t too long.
It speaks volumes to the popularity of Wispa that there was such an enormous turnout for her birthday paint jam in St Werburghs tunnel, especially as she isn’t even a resident of the city. I know that she is admired by her RBF friends and that she is super-talented.
Wispa, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2025
This is a wonderful birthday piece, spelling out her name. The letter fills are spectacular and so full of ideas, neatly enclosed in as light blue border and accompanied by a black and red drop shadow. I believe the clock character is by Wispa too, as it contains the same lilac paint that surrounds her letters. This is yet another very nice piece of work by Wispa.
What a beauty by Daz Cat. My first thought was who has he been collaborating with? – but there was only one signature and I realised pretty quickly that Daz Cat was trying out something a little new. I can confidently say that his portrait/cat character combination is a huge success, and I look forward to seeing more pieces like this from him.
Daz Cat, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2025
There is a lot to talk about in this ‘self-collaboration’ and I’m sure I won’t be able to do it justice. Starting with the portrait, there are some obvious Daz Cat trademarks, particularly in the patterning in the eyebrows and hair. The proportions and perspective are near perfect, and I think that it demonstrates what I already knew, that Daz Cat is a very talented artist.
The cat character is more along the lines of what I’d expect to see. There is a story here. The cat is holding a snail which has a flower growing out of its shell – what it means, who knows? But it looks great. I look forward to more of these self-collaborations in the future.
It looks like wheatpastes are having a mini-surge in popularity in Bristol, and these are a couple of little cut-out sketches in Jamaica Street by Bethcub. What I particularly like about these is that they look like original pencil sketches, which somehow gives them a high One-off value (in my eyes).
Bethcub, Jamaica Street, Bristol, June 2025
Bethcub is an artist who is known for her studies, particularly of the human body, but occasionally ventures out onto the streets to paint, and now, it seems, to leave some wheatpaste gifts for us to enjoy. I am no art critic, so I don’t really know what I am talking about, but these line sketches are so beautiful, and capture the poise of the subject perfectly.
To find these little paste ups absolutely made my day, and I was sorely tempted to try and peel one off to keep as a piece of original artwork, but that would be against everything I stand for – public art for all. I’ll be looking out for more from Bethcub in future, and have at least one other of her recent pieces to share… watch this space.
The Hass, Lower Maudlin Street, Bristol, June 2025
Since the Covid lockdowns, I have worked from home pretty much all the time, apart from occasional visits around the country. Every once in a while I do go to the office and in doing so, walk different routes, in the hope that I will encounter some pieces of street art I’ve not spotted before. I got lucky the last time I made the trip a couple of weeks ago, with this outstanding mural by The Hass.
The Hass, Lower Maudlin Street, Bristol, June 2025
I have a feeling that the mural, which is painted on a hospital building, must be in celebration of 75 years of the National Health Service. The impressive commission is quite different from some of The Hass’ more creative work, and demonstrates that he has a talent not only for his art work but also for sticking to a brief. A wonderful piece that I had been blissfully unaware of. Perhaps I ought to walk into work more often.
Natural adventures 