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.
The Bearpit is probably the most productive street art spot in Bristol. It has four subways and stairways so there is a great deal of wall space in this central location. In any week there could be as many as twenty new pieces, but typically it might be five or six. This piece from Jee See appeared after a weekend when quite a few artists descended into the pit for a bit of a session.
Jee See, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
This is something rather different from Jee See. I am used to seeing his ‘seismic’ burners and his stencils of girls with ‘castro’ hats, but I’ve not seen piece like this before. I rather like it, even if the subject matter has a rather dark undertone to it.
This nice piece by SPZero76 was painted a few weeks back in the company of Cheba (the galactic bits to the left of the piece) and Kid Crayon whose pieces I have very recently posted.
SPZero76, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017
I am beginning to think the animal I keep calling a raccoon might actually be a dog. I say this because Raccoons aren’t really a part of our British wildlife assemblage, so why would he feature one in his works? Yup it is a dog. As an aside, it makes me laugh when Hollywood movies, purporting to be set in England, make the terrible mistake of featuring raccoons (identifiable to an American audience, but a complete mystery to us Brits). One such movie was the recent 101 Dalmations live remake. Look out for it.
SPZero76, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017
I’m not too sure who the ‘space lady’ is in this piece, but I like it that she has a spray can, just like so many of his characters do.
No prizes at all for guessing who this is by. Hardly a week goes by without posting something by Laic217. This piece is a bit of a throwback to his format of spelling his name and incorporating a feature piece into it. Most of his recent works have been distorted portraits.
Laic217, M32 junction, Bristol, February 2017
Looking back at some of his similar pieces from about a year back, it is easy to see how his work is constantly and consistently improving. The fiery flame work is nicely done in this piece, and he really does seem to enjoy his skulls.
Back to my roots for a moment. This whole blogging experience began in February 2015, when I was taken ill with ‘flu and had to spend several days in bed. For a long time I had wanted to digitise a journal I wrote in 1988 but simply hadn’t had the time. Being Ill afforded me the chance to get started.
Since then I have been increasingly distracted by haiku and street art and feel bad that I have for so long neglected the original purpose of ‘Natural Adventures’.
The full journal can be accesses by clicking on the homepage of Natural Adventures under the heading on the left ‘Falkland Journal, 1988’. For context it is worth reading the first entry ‘An Ill Wind’. Enjoy.
Saturday 18 June 1988. Koei Maru 30
I woke at 06:05 with a start and a half – I couldn’t believe that I had overslept by four hours. Panic! Perhaps it was the double mattress.
Sleeping on a double mattress
But there was no standby bell. There was no fishing today. I don’t understand why because the weather has been good, despite a gentle swell of about 15 feet or so. Possibly just to give the crew a rest
The reason I was given was “the parameter” ?? eh? I thought, then I realised they were saying “barometer”.
I watched Mosquito Coast – a good film, but inclined to depress me.
Now King Kong Lives has just begun. I never knew such a film existed – looks like it could be good.
King Kong
I quite enjoyed King Kong, the remake, but this film looks slightly laughable.
Today I have spoken no more than fifteen words. This makes me sad.
Sunday 19 June 1988. Koei Maru 30
Another long hard day. This is more like it! I think that this is ten times better than squid fishing. I’m sure my enthusiasm will fade before long, but the fact that there are only twenty or so bottom long-liners in Japan and this is the only Jigger-long-liner makes me feel quite lucky. This is my baby and I am going to do a good job!
Today some grenadiers, and at last some Patagonian Toothfish. I think the Fishing Master was pleased, hence the saki at supper – it is potent stuff – yummie.
Crew on the Koie Maru 30 processing long-line caught fish, Falkland Islands 1988
Last night I had a very vivid dream about Mr Baker (my housemaster at school) as he was when I first met him twelve years ago. I think he is ill or dying or dead, I don’t know why, but I just get that feeling. He was so friendly (in the dream) and knew who I was – he came over to me and started chatting – I felt close to him, like I did in my final year at school. Odd.
Tomorrow I talk to Fishops via KSJ (the fishing agent) – why is it always like this? Fishops radio, like everything else is so bloody inefficient!
Monday 20 June 1988. Koei Maru 30
Today is colder and the catch is very poor – no doubt the Fishing Master will be in a rather bad mood today.
I am sure that before long, there will be an accident in the factory deck. Already the Ice Master has gaffed his own leg. Next it will be a finger in the circular saw or a hook in the face. It is bound to happen sooner or later.
‘Don’t give up ’cause you have friends
Don’t give up you’re not the only one
Don’t give up no reason to be ashamed
Don’t give up you still have us
Don’t give up now we’re proud of who you are
Don’t give up you know its never been easy
Don’t give up ’cause I believe there’s a place there’s a place where we belong’
This could keep me going for a while.
Everyone has gone to bed sharpish (it is now 7pm). After some 17 hours work I don’t yet know if we work tomorrow. I fear so, because we are steaming now to a new fishing ground.
There is a…what? I’ve forgotten – oh yes, a patrol ship the Falkland Desire on its way to deliver some letters for me. So I am writing a whole bunch of pre-paid airmail letters.
Tuesday 21 June 1988. Koei Maru 30
Oops – I overslept this morning, thinking that after such a tough day yesterday they would have a day off – no such luck.
Luckily the Fishing Master writes down times, temperatures etc. for the set and deployment, so it isn’t so bad missing the start.
Saw some penguins in a school, leaping like dolphins out of the water – and a seal, playing with a dead Salilota (red cod).
Peterels and Black browed albatross feed on discarded fish waste, Falkland Islands 1988.
I’ve taken some otoliths for myself to try to help explain the work I do.
Perhaps tomorrow I’ll take some photographs of such things (for my lectures!)
Some funny dreams last night about getting caught sleeping with Emma W by my dad – very odd – try to interpret that. All in all very confusing.
It is now about 5.30pm and I am ready for a good night’s sleep. I’ll continue to read One Hundred Years of Solitude, and then I’ll dream of Deb and home.
This was a quick one by Mr Draws in The Bearpit. Mr Draws is another Bristol street artist who is hitting something of a purple patch in terms of productivity. I had always assumed that the Winter and early Spring were not particularly busy times for street/graffiti artists, but that has not been the case this year. I wonder if some of that is attributable to the relatively dry winter period we have had this year.
Mr Draws, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017
So we come back to mountains by Mr Draws, although these are a little more stylised than some of his previous peaks. If I were to be critical I would say that this looks like it was done really quickly. I remain, however very fond of his pieces…they are so different from the norm, and easily identifiable.
Following on then from the previous post, this is the piece that Kid Crayon created to cover up the one he had been unhappy with just a few days before. This is something more familiar altogether from the Bristol regular.
Kid Crayon, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017
The piece that this replaced was had been sprayed at the same time as a piece on the adjacent wall by SPZero76, and it really does seem that these two do like painting together. I also note that he references the ‘EAT crew’. I am guessing that this is what these two artists call themselves when they spray together, and would explain a recent collaboration posted here a few days ago.
Kid Crayon, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017
This is back to the familiar style of Kid Crayon, but it seems as though he has abandoned the floating crayon, which I think is a pity as it was part of his USP. I like this piece though.
When I first found this piece in The Bearpit, it felt somehow familiar, but it was unsigned and I wasn’t sure who the artist was. A bit of a google search threw up nothing. It wasn’t until another piece went up over it a few days later that I found out who it was by.
Kid Crayon, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017
It is quite an unusual piece by Kid Crayon, but contains none of his tell-tale features – no crayon, no blue faces, no signature. It turns out that he didn’t like it much and went over it with another piece a few days later, and my next post is about that newer work.
Kid Crayon, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2017
I am a big fan of Kid Crayon, and have to say that I quite like this enigmatic piece, and in one small way I am disappointed that I discovered the mystery behind it. I thought we were witnessing the emergence of a new artist on the streets of Bristol.
Natural adventures 