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.
This is one of two Daz Cat pieces I found on a recent lunchtime walk to the Cumberland Basin. It was good to find this, as I haven’t seen one of his pieces for a little while. This particular spot does seem to be a favourite haunt for the artist.
Daz Cat, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2018
This cat is so full of expression, I like the little black line across the teeth which ‘suggests’ individual teeth without actually picking them out. A neat trick. The absence of one eye might lead the viewer to conclude that this cat is a bit of a bruiser. Nice work.
In spite of the Council’s determination to eradicate street art from The Bearpit, there seems to have been a recent resurgence in visits from artists. Nothing like the turnover of a couple of years ago, but any new pieces are welcome. This is a lovely new piece by Nightways featuring a monkey sporting spectacles and a turtle on his hat. An interesting study and something refreshingly different from much of what we are used to seeing in The Bearpit.
Nightways, The Bearpit, Bristol, December 2018
This piece though brings me to something of a dilemma I have. I posted a piece by the artist back in August this year – it was a rather nice green monkey piece at Dean Lane. Recently, the artist contacted me through Natural Adventures and thanked me for posting it, but asked me to take the image down because he didn’t like it and he didn’t want people to see it (on a digital platform I guess) as a first introduction to his work.
His exact words are:
Hi, I love that you have made this post about me but I just really don’t like this piece of art that I made. It came out abit of a flop. Can you please take this post down as I don’t want it to be the first thing people see of my work when they type my name into google. Many thanks, nightways
Now, Natural Adventures is a ‘warts and all’ kind of blog. It is also an archive of street art and graffiti in Bristol, some of it good and some of it not so good, but it is an honest record of what is out there. I take pictures of art that I find and write about it, simple as that.
I hold all of the artists in great respect and am in awe of their talent, but as I see it, once they have committed a piece to a wall it is out there to be judged, enjoyed, tagged, photographed, whatever. The question I ask is whether I should respect the polite request of Nightways to take down my post of his work or whether I should politely decline. There is a risk that I might piss him off or a risk that other artists start asking for their posts to be taken down. I’m not sure what to do. Any thoughts?
This ‘wonder wall’ in Wilder Street is curated by Where the Wall, a Bristol street art tour business and as such it is rarely if ever tagged. It is almost like a showcase wall which guarantees high-quality artwork. The only downside is that the turnover here is glacially slow, maybe every six months or so.
Ments, Wilder Street, Bristol, December 2018
This piece by Ments is one part of a three-piece collaborative wall which includes Sled One and Smak (to follow). Ments has appeared in Natural Adventures many times, but he seems recently to have had an epiphany and he is really branching out from his trademark ‘organic’ work. The writing spells out MENTS and is beautifully worked. The thing with Ments is that he often deviated from any kind of symmetry in his work and does not confine himself to exacting letter shapes or heights etc, which sometimes makes his work look a little out of proportion. I suspect this is deliberate. Lovely piece.
You can’t hold him back. Mr Draws was planning to go and live in Germany at the end of the summer, but for whatever reason his plans fell through. His loss is surely Bristol’s gain as he continues to brighten up the place with his burners.
Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2018
This one has a rather wintry feel about it, the colours and icy drips definitely feel a bit frosty. I love the way that Mr Draws just keeps on going – no matter what life throws at him, he just seems to pick himself up and carry on. It has been a while since I last chatted with him, which is a pity, because he is a really lovely bloke.
There has been something of a population explosion of bunnies in Bristol recently…it would seem that Nevergiveup Familia has balls of steel and will spray just about any inanimate object in the city.
Nevergiveup, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2018
These are two of his more recent additions from the Cumberland Basin, one on either side of the floating harbour. These two are slightly smaller than his usual door-sized bunnies and are sprayed on utility boxes.
Nevergiveup, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2018
I am definitely a fan and will post rabbits as I find them, but probably bunch them together as there are just so many.
What a superb piece by Alex Lucas in the heart of Alex Lucas land. The artist and illustrator fills a niche in the Bristol commission market and is probably one of the most recognised artists in the city. Because nearly all of her work is commissioned, it tends to remain in situ for a very long while.
Alex Lucas, Ashley Road, Bristol, December 2018
This piece, wonderful as it is..and it really is…leaves me a little conflicted, not because of the artwork, but because before the development work behind the hoarding started, this used to be a regular ‘illegal’ wall for artists to try out their work, much of it outstanding. This is the gentrification process in full swing, the succession being; Illegal (tolerated) wall – permitted/commission wall – no wall (policed).
It is a sad but inevitable journey for most of our inner cities, and these areas are often in need of some TLC. My objection is that what will emerge from behind the hoarding will be unaffordable flats, little in the way of community assets and a sterilisation of a colourful area. The only people to benefit will be the people with money and power.
Mr Klue, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, April 2025Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2025Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2025Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2025Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2025Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2025Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2025Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2024Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2024Mr Klue, Frome Side, Bristol, November 2024Mr Klue, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2024Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2024Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2024Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2024Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2024Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2024Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2024Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2024Mr Klue, Peel Street Green, Bristol, February 2024Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2024Mr Klue, Horfield skate park, Bristol, November 2023Mr Klue, Purdown, Bristol, September 2023Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2023Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2023Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2023Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2023Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2023Mr Klue and Hana, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2022DNT, Tymb and Mr Klue, Gloucester Road, Bristol, December 2022Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2022Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2022Mr Klue, St Werburghs tunnel, Bristol, July 2022Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2022Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2022Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2022Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2022Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2022Mr Klue and Mr Sleven. Brigg’s Lane, Bristol. February 2021Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2021Mr Sleven and Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2020Mr Sleven and Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2020Mr Klue and DNT, Turbo Island, Bristol, February 2020Mr Klue, Paint Festival 2020, Cheltenham, September 2020Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2020Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2020Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020Mr Klue, Turbo Island, Bristol, January 2020Mr Klue, Moon Street, Bristol, January 2020Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2019Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2019Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2019Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2019Mr Klue, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2019Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2019Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2019Mr Klue, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2019Coin-Op Militia, Mr Klue and DNT, Stokes Croft, Bristol, January 2017Mr Klue, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2019Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018Mr Klue, The Bearpit, Bristol, December 2018Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2018Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2018Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2018Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2018Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2018Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2018Mr Klue, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017Mr Klue, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017Mr Klue, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017Mr Klue, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017Mr Klue, Moon Street, Bristol, February 2017Mr Klue, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017Mr Klue and Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017Mr Klue, Moon Street, Bristol, January 2017Mr Klue, Moon Street, Bristol, March 2016Mr Klue and Jee See, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2016Mr Klue, Magdalene Place, Bristol, June 2016Aspire and Mr Klue, City Road, Bristol, March 2016Mr Klue, Wilder Street, Bristol, June 2016Mr Klue, Hepburn Road, Bristol, May 2016DNT, Mr Klue, Akarat, Hepburn Road, Bristol, January 2016Mr Klue, Akarat, Hoax, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 30 April 2016Mr Sle7en and Klue, Stokes Croft, Bristol, March 2016
It is always, always good to see a piece by Hazard, especially when she has only recently returned from a tour of the United States. This is a spot where Jeff Knight, a well-known ‘Big Issue’ seller greets passers-by with a smile and fist pump. Genuinely one of the nicest guys around. I like to stop and chat with him when I get a chance and on this occasion spoke to him about the beautiful piece by Hazard. He told me that she is a friend of his and that he watched her paint this piece. He said, with his Jamaican lilt “I tell Harriet it look just like she.” and he is right, although I have not met her, I have seen pictures of her.
Hazard, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2018
There is so much to like about this piece, particularly the colour shades on each side of the face, but it is not just the artwork, but also the location. This spot has been in need of a decent piece for a while, and with the Carriageworks no longer an option there are fewer and fewer decent pieces going up in the area.
Hazard, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2018
I hope Hazard hangs around long enough to leave us with a few more portraits – she seems to be forever travelling.
Natural adventures 