6160. Dean Lane skate park (728)

Fade, Andy Council and Acer One, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024
Fade, Andy Council and Acer One, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024

What I love about recording and writing about street/graffiti in Bristol is the enormous array of quality, experience and styles that I get to see – it is never boring, and I love to try and represent it all here. This is an extraordinary ‘high-end’ production from Fade, Andy Council and Acer One. I get the feeling from the balance of the piece that Fade may have been an opportunistic addition to this piece, but has integrated perfectly with the colour scheme and tone,

Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024
Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024

Fade, using all his experience, manages to create such a tight finish to all of his work, and it feels like there is never any part of it that is untidy or out of place. His letters spell FADE, and are filled beautifully in black fading to brown. The writing is set on a stunning grey/brown cloud that runs through the whole collaboration.

Andy Council and Acer One, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024
Andy Council and Acer One, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024

The balanced symmetry of the Acer One and Andy Council element of the collaboration is what makes me think that Fade was an add-on. It comprises one of Acer One’s designs that he is currently favouring, which is accompanied by two of Andy Council’s famous Ammonites.

Acer One, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024
Acer One, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024

Acer One has come up with this incredibly clever and intricate concept, where two words are incorporated into one design – something he has done before, but is now more refined. Some of the words are easier than others to see. The upper chrome lettering spells ACERONE and the lower black letters spell COUNCIL. If you block off the upper or lower part, it is easier to read the names.

Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2024

I love it that Andy Council will often return to his ammonites in his mural work. They obviously hold an important part in his work because his signature incorporates one. These creatures are ‘composites’ made up of elements ‘stitched’ together in Andy Council’s unique and inimitable style. This is overall a brilliant production, and a precursor to a larger one including Dibz and Jody… watch this space.

6159. Greenbank (124)

Esme Lower, Greenbank, Bristol, May 2024
Esme Lower, Greenbank, Bristol, May 2024

I think that we are approaching the last few months of this wonderful spot with its long hoarding, because the housing development is nearing completion, and when finished the boards will come down and the graffiti spot will become a thing of the past. That is part of my motivation to capture these spots and the art, because it is all so ephemeral. I was lucky enough to meet Esme Lower while she was painting this piece, and she said at the time that she was looking forward to doing more artwork on the streets, because she really enjoys it.

Esme Lower, Greenbank, Bristol, May 2024
Esme Lower, Greenbank, Bristol, May 2024

I love this representation of a fight or scrap, because it is representative of so many conflict situations, and painted in a humorous style. It reminds me of the fights that Asterix and Obelix would have with the Romans in the comic book series. There is plenty of action and movement in this fun piece, and I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for more from Esme Lower.

6158. Cumberland Basin

Abbie Laura Smith, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
Abbie Laura Smith, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024

There are two important elements to a great wheatpaste, which are; the quality of the artwork and the location. Abbie Laura Smith has nailed it on both counts with the Swiss cheese plant cut out portrait pasted onto one of the old bollards alongside the river – an immediate impact piece for those with their eyes open.

Abbie Laura Smith, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
Abbie Laura Smith, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024

The black and white portrait drawing, makes great use of two-tone light and dark and is superimposed onto the leaf, before being cut out. It was so much to find this piece and some of the others she has pasted up in the area, and I hope that it encourages her and others to do more of this kind of stuff.

6157. Cumberland Basin

Mr Tanner, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
Mr Tanner, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024

I have mentioned before on Natural Adventures, how much visiting artists contribute to the spectrum of street and graffiti art that we see in the city, constantly adding to the diversity and culture of the scene. All visiting artists are welcome, and none more so than Mr Tanner, whose one-off unique pieces have brought some imagination and and sparkle to this wall in Cumberland Basin on several occasions.

Mr Tanner, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
Mr Tanner, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024

I am not too sure where Mr Tanner is based, but he does appear to visit Bristol occasionally. The horse in this piece is a reverse silhouette on a black background, within which its skeleton appears, almost X-ray-like. There are two vertical lines of writing that accompany the piece, on the left, something in Japanese, and on the right the letters TOPIA constructed out of bones. Altogether this is an unusual and striking piece.

6156. Upfest 2024 (35)

Jagung, Upfest 24, West Street, Bristol, May 2024
Jagung, Upfest 24, West Street, Bristol, May 2024

Lots going on this morning getting in the way of writing posts. The General Election results are in and we will have a labour Government, having seen off the Conservatives… at last. In my constituency a Green candidate won, which is great news, bringing the total of Green MPs up to 4 from 1 before – the start of something exciting perhaps. I am also not feeling too bright – I have tested negative for Covid, so it must be some other stoopid summer bug that I have.

Jagung, Upfest 24, West Street, Bristol, May 2024
Jagung, Upfest 24, West Street, Bristol, May 2024

There were so many outstanding Upfest murals this year, but this was one of the most eye-catching. Painted by Jagung, a young Malaysian artist, who loves to use colour, talking in his profile about playing with colour inversion, although I don’t see any evidence of it here.

Jagung, Upfest 24, West Street, Bristol, May 2024
Jagung, Upfest 24, West Street, Bristol, May 2024

The day I photographed this piece, it was surprisingly busy, and I had to wait a while before I could hog the space. The portrait piece is notable for the large amount of the wall taken up by the orange yellow and red figurative flames, and relatively small portrait – a clever device to create tons of movement and energy.

Jagung, Upfest 24, West Street, Bristol, May 2024
Jagung, Upfest 24, West Street, Bristol, May 2024

A close up of the face and hand of our hero shows that Jagung hasn’t shirked or dodged doing an incredible job with creating the realism of the face within the abstract frame of swirling flames. A hot mural in all senses of the word.

6155. Upfest 2024 (34)

Fesa, Upfest 24, West Street, Bristol, May 2024
Fesa, Upfest 24, West Street, Bristol, May 2024

It looks like Fesa got lucky and managed to paint in two different spots for Upfest this year. I have already posted his Dalmatian dog at the Redpoint Climbing Centre, and this is a four (8) panelled landscape piece that is absolutely wonderful.

Fesa, Upfest 24, West Street, Bristol, May 2024
Fesa, Upfest 24, West Street, Bristol, May 2024

Once again I am reminded of Cezanne-like landscapes of a continental European type, that conjures up a feeling of warmth and vacations. The piece used the window frames really well, reversing our viewpoint, and rather than looking into the building, we are looking out towards this landscape. The gull on the windowsill adds another layer of perspective. I am very drawn to Fesa’s work, and the calmness it gives off – I do hope he returns to Bristol sometime.

Fesa, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
Fesa, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024

6154. Upfest 2024 (33)

Emotional Waterfall Art, Upfest 24, Exeter Road, Bristol, May 2024
Emotional Waterfall Art, Upfest 24, Exeter Road, Bristol, May 2024

If you like bright and colourful abstract designs, then this piece by Emotional Waterfall Art painted at Upfest 2024 will be right up your street. The artist is no stranger to Upfest, and she painted an enormous mural for the 75×75 event in 2021. I am not certain, because her social media accounts are vague, but I think that she is Bristol-based, or at least from the West of England.

Emotional Waterfall Art, Upfest 24, Exeter Road, Bristol, May 2024
Emotional Waterfall Art, Upfest 24, Exeter Road, Bristol, May 2024

This piece is painted on a gate in Exeter Road (one for Thursday Doors in a year or two) adding a vibrant splash of colour. There is a whole ton of positive energy coming at you from the mixture of shapes and patterns in this delightful mural. I believe, from reading her Instagram post about that this piece, that she had a really great day painting it.

6153. Upfest 2024 (32)

Sr. Papa Chango, Upfest 24, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, May 2024
Sr. Papa Chango, Upfest 24, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, May 2024

Where to start with this outstanding and unbelievably cute piece by Sr. Papa Chango? An extraordinary still-life framed composition with a bowl of fruit and a decanter is enhanced with the appearance of two fluffy characters that appear to have artistic ambitions. The piece is so well painted, it almost looks like a poster that has been pasted up on this large wall.

Sr. Papa Chango, Upfest 24, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, May 2024
Sr. Papa Chango, Upfest 24, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, May 2024

I had not heard of Sr. Papa Chango before I saw this piece, and I believe that this might be his first trip to the UK, and definitely his first to Bristol. The Mexican artist now lives and paints out of Berlin, and is the creator of some magnificent murals like this one.

Sr. Papa Chango, Upfest 24, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, May 2024
Sr. Papa Chango, Upfest 24, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, May 2024

The artwork is so good and the creativity almost dreamlike and fantastical. In this piece he has managed to create a contrast between the passivity of the fruit and the activity of the adorable creatures, both of which are spilling out of the frame. This piece on the huge Redpoint Climbing Centre wall is absolutely one of the highlights of Upfest 2024.

6152. Upfest 2024 (31)

Bex Glover, Upfest 24, Stackpool Road, Bristol, May 2024
Bex Glover, Upfest 24, Stackpool Road, Bristol, May 2024

Bex Glover is an outstanding Bristol artist, graphic designer, illustrator and muralist, whose work can be seen on commissioned walls, and in various ‘corporate’ buildings in the city, much of it intact after several years. She is also a regular guest artist at Upfest events, and this is her superb piece for this year’s festival.

Bex Glover, Upfest 24, Stackpool Road, Bristol, May 2024
Bex Glover, Upfest 24, Stackpool Road, Bristol, May 2024

This one is painted on another new wall for Upfest (at this rate the whole of Bedminster and Southville will be one continuous mural) and one that looks so much better for having a splash of paint. There are two animal characters, a crane and a fox, in this piece inspired by Aesop’s fable ‘the fox and the crane’ with a working idea of ‘putting differences aside’. A sentiment that could be adopted before, during and after our divisive General Election

Bex Glover, Upfest 24, Stackpool Road, Bristol, May 2024
Bex Glover, Upfest 24, Stackpool Road, Bristol, May 2024

The distinctive blue background with tree boughs and flowers is the perfect setting for the abstract animals. There is a calm and natural atmosphere that is created by her artwork, which is always such a joy to see. If I had money and a wall, I wouldn’t hesitate to commission work from her, it ticks all of my boxes and some. This is a glorious piece and worth the extra yards to find it.

6151. St Werburghs tunnel (431)

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2024
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2024

Mr Klue has been smashing it, not only recently, but for years with his original abstract ephemeral graffiti writing. He definitely favours painting in St Werburghs tunnel, where virtually all of his pieces have been in recent years. He used to paint in the Bear Pit in the good old days, and a few other spots in north Bristol, but his range appears to have narrowed.

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2024
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2024

The letters, as usual, spell out KLUE, and have a slightly more solid look to them than some of his pieces. His favoured blues and purples are carefully positioned to create light and shade and add perspective to the piece, which the yellow lower edges and white upper edges amplify. A lovely example of this enigmatic artist’s work.