I am Stephen. I live in Bristol, UK. I decided to shorten my profile...to this: Wildlife, haiku, travel, streetart, psychogeography and my family. Not necessarily in that order.
Dott Rotten, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2017
Every once in a while, I take a quick canter through my archives, just to see if there is something significant that got left behind. This is most definitely a piece that I should have posted back in September 2017, but like so many pieces before it, missed out. I am sharing it now.
Dott Rotten, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2017
The writing is by Dott Rotten and spells out SPOILT, which he most commonly writes. What is interesting about this piece is that it is quite unlike much of his other work, and could easily be by half a dozen other artists about the place. Everything about the piece is good, the background and the design of the letters and fills. It is the execution though that stands out; this is a perfectly finished piece, crisp and clean, from a master.
No surprises this week as I continue to share more lovely doors from Porto, Portugal. There is a little bit of a theme this week along the lines of pairs or trios of doors. I very much hope you enjoy them.
Three green doors, Porto, Portugal, June 2022Three red doors, Porto, Portugal, June 2022Two fancy doors, Porto, Portugal, June 2022Two beautifully colourful doors, Porto, Portugal, June 2022One red and two green doors, Porto, Portugal, June 2022A pair of doors, Foz do Douro, Portugal, June 2022Two red balcony doors, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
There is little doubt that I will look back on my trip to Porto, with my daughter in June 2022 as one of the highlights of the year, and I might even go as far to say of the decade. It is a visually rich city and culturally fascinating, divided up into distinct areas for shopping, port manufacture, residential, administrative etc.
I still have a few remaining doors to share from this trip… I do hope you don’t get too bored.
I hope you have a fabulous week ahead, and if you are in the UK, enjoy the extra Bank Holiday on Monday, taking time to reflect.
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.
Often associated with Face 1st, Moon Street has a new kid on the block in the shape of Kid Krishna, whose work has been appearing all over Bristol over recent months. This is the first of his pieces to appear on Natural Adventures and highly unlikely to be his last.
Kid Krishna, Moon Street, Bristol, August 2022
Kid Krishna’s writing is very distinctive, with long thin letters, looking like planks of wood stacked in a pile. I believe the letters spell out KRISHNA, but I could be mistaken, such is the disguise. Expect to see a whole lot. Ore from the artist in this blog, I already have a considerable back-catalogue of his work in my archive. Definitely something creative and different.
Desi continues to grow and develop, and I think that this piece in Sparke Evans Park might be one her best to date. It is great to see her painting more frequently, and with each new piece she will gain more confidence and skill.
Desi, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, August 2022
This is a really neat and tidy piece with the letters DESI beautifully filled with four horizontal colours with nice transitions. One of the additional things that works really well is the white accent dots that give the writing a bit of sparkle and depth. A Very nice addition to Desi’s portfolio.
This piece is a classic, classy and colourful piece of wildstyle graffiti writing from Dibz, on the end wall, home to countless brilliant pieces in the past. In my mind’s eye, this piece feels a bit like an ‘audition’ piece, technically brilliant and beautifully designed, but without a theme or backstory.
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2022
Dibz has set the bar so high for writers in Bristol, and would suggest that it has had a knock-on effect, where it seems that the vast majority of writers strive to improve and perfect their letters and styles. With inspiration like this to draw on, who wouldn’t want to aspire to it?
Laic217, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2022
This piece from Laic217 was painted while I was away on my family summer holiday, but I was more than aware of its existence due to the fact that it was all over the Bristol Instagram feeds that I follow. Of course, on my return home, I made a beeline for the spot in Cumberland Basin.
Laic217, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2022
There is something rather striking about the portrait piece, and I have a feeling the background pattern has a lot to do with it. The portrait itself is a classic piece of Laic217 art, disturbing and menacing, with the figure clan in a full mask and goggles. It has a dystopian future feel about it.
Tom Miller, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022
Tom Miller is no stranger to these pages and remains one of the most wildly creative and surreal forces in the Bristol fine art and street art scene. There is so much going on in this colourful explosion of thoughts and ideas, but it looks like a conflation of a motorcyclist with a bird with a lamb?
Tom Miller, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022
There is so much movement in the piece and a blurring of the real with the abstract that confuses our senses a little. You could study the piece for hours and still wonder at the end what on earth it is all about. The best way to find these things out is to ask the artist, but unfortunately I didn’t get to meet him this time… perhaps when I next see him.
Creative Ginger, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022
The Honeybourne tunnel is one of the key venues for the Cheltenham Paint Festival, but it is also one which is at risk of being painted over once or even twice before the end of the festival and almost certainly shortly after the festival as it is one of Cheltenham’s most popular graff/street art spots.
Creative Ginger, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022
This is a gorgeous piece ‘the power of a hug’ by Creative Ginger, an artist who I have never heard of before but who seems to be based in the North East of England and paints for festivals, commissions and also runs a graphic design wing too. The artist ran the risk of being a bit schmaltzy with this piece, but just about manages to get away with it, and there is no doubt that it is eye-catching. Very pleased to have been able to see it.
Paul Monsters, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022
The thing about Paul Monsters’ work is that it is consistently outstanding. His geometric designs and colour schemes couldn’t possibly be by anyone else, and this one for the Cheltenham Paint Festival is a real beauty.
Paul Monsters, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022
One of the really noticeable things about Upfest and the Cheltenham Paint Festival is that a large proportion of the artists are from Bristol and it makes me realise just how blessed we are, and how much a part of the culture street/graffiti art is. Paul Monsters is at the heart of that culture and his work emblematic of it.
