5. Street Art – Page 168 – Natural adventures

5994. St Werburghs tunnel (421)

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2024

Ooh, I like this rhapsody in pink and yellow from Mr Klue very much. There is a wonderful balance in the piece, which can’t necessarily be said of all his work, but here he has absolutely nailed it. Mr Klue’s abstract style is best described as being ephemeral, like a wisp of smoke that might disappear at any moment.

After the winter slumber, Mr Klue is once again dominating in the tunnel, which is no mean feat, as there are still many very strong pieces there from Ryder’s paint jam at the end of March. I would normally expect the letters here to spell out KLUE, but if I am really honest I cannot pick them out, and wonder if it might read something else. Whatever the letters, this is yet another wonderful piece from the quiet and modest Mr Klue.

5993. Hammersmith Road

Sophie Mess, Hammersmith Road, Bristol, April 2024

Straying from the beaten track pretty much always yields surprises, whether they are related to street art and graffiti or some other discovery. Curiosity about and observation of the world around us is what keeps us stimulated and alive, without which we become drones or zombies. This beautiful mural by Sophie Mess was my reward for doing things a little differently recently walking the dog in the St George area.

The tragedy of this piece is that it is not only difficult to photograph but also difficult to see, the best view being from the garden of the house opposite. I have done my best to capture what I can, but short of asking the house owner or neighbours if I could take pictures, I don’t think there is any other way of getting a good shot. A drone perhaps would be one way, but I don’t have one.

Sophie Mess, whose work has appeared a couple of times in Natural Adventures, creates the most wonderful floral murals painted in rich, seductive colours that draw you in. It is a pity that I couldn’t get a full picture of the hummingbird, because it looks sensational. Although this was most likely a commission piece I think that the piece not only works for the householders, but will have a positive benefit for the whole community. Art like this can inspire whole communities. Such a wonderful and unexpected surprise.

5992. Brunel Way (271)

Pura Decadencia, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2024

Although she doesn’t paint walls all that often, Pura Decadencia nearly always makes an impact when she does. Her unique bubble writing style combined with vampire teeth sinking into letters and long tongues makes her work instantly easy to spot.

Pura Decadencia’s work is most endearing; despite the potentially gruesome theme and blood drops, there is something that is gently and warming about her work. Perhaps it is the bubble letters, or the bubbly background, I don’t know, but the bitter-sweet presentation works very well indeed. Nice work.

5991. Cumberland Basin

Ejits, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2024

The tragedy of Bristol Mural Collective paint jams is that all too often the pieces go unsigned and so many of them fail to make it into the pages of Natural Adventures. Fortunately, this piece by Ejits was signed, but she is also an established street artist, and I recognised her work in any case.

This cheeky little character piece is cleanly painted onto a graffiti wall, with part of a Klashwhensober piece behind it. Technically, it might have been polite to paint out Klashwhensober’s piece rather than leave half of it, but I don’t think he is the kind of writer who minds all that much. The adorable character has, it would seem, dropped a fart of toxic gas as described by the skull and crossbones in the ‘speech’ bubble.

5990. Sevier Street (3)

3Dom, Sevier Street, Bristol, April 2024

It would appear that 3Dom ‘owns’ this spot in Sevier Street, opposite the Better Food supermarket, as there has been one of his pieces here for a very long time and which has been left untagged and respected. The refresh is a showcase of just how skilled and creative 3Dom is.

It is difficult to be sure what the story to this magnificent piece is, but you can be sure there is a story. Often 3Dom’s work conveys a deep sense of loss for the natural world and I get that kind of vibe here. The character, a surreal portrayal with a large green head and single eye, is gently holding a fragile planet Earth on the end of a stick, while sitting on the folds of a hole in the universal vista. The paintwork and finishing is utterly awesome, although the unfolding story leaves me with a rather sad and wistful feeling.

5989. Cumberland Basin

Minto, Cumberlan Basin, Bristol, April 2024

The return of Minto to Bristol has, without doubt, been a highlight of the last six months as his unique graffiti writing style has significantly impacted on the already wide spectrum of styles on offer. Although Minto doesn’t follow a fixed formula, there is a lot that is distinctive about his work, in particular, it is often vertically quite compressed.

This dazzlingly colourful piece seems to have a trainer theme going on, with at least three trainers depicted in the MINTO lettering. There are also a couple of characters peering over the top of the letters, something that Minto builds into much of his work. This is a fine example of his work and an outstanding piece.

5988. Dean Lane skate park (712)

Fade, Dibz and Noise, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2024

Fade and Dibz have found themselves a new painting partner, whether by design or by accident, I am not sure, but Noise has joined the duo for this colourful wall in Dean Lane. I like it when collaborative walls carry a theme, and in this one the theme is the colour scheme, shared in different styles and proportions by the three artists.

First up is a wonderful piece of writing from Fade, which I think spells out PERKS, which is an amazing shout-out to DJ Perks, one of Bristol’s great writers. The clean letters are nestling on top of a yellow bubbly base.

The middle of the triptych, is a shout-out to Reks by Dibz, and not something I know to much about. The orange and gold letters are so sharp you could cut yourself, and the dark purple drop shadow is the perfect accompaniment.

Noise has been making a lot of noise recently, and he doesn’t seem to show any signs of slowing down. The writing is not quite so crisp as his collaborators, but the letters are characteristically chunky and follow the red and gold convention for the whole wall. It is great to see an artist clearly enjoying his craft. A fine collaborative wall.

5987. M32 roundabout (569)

Saor and Andy Council, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2024

Sometimes you see a piece, and it takes your breath away… this was one such piece. Absolutely everything about it is perfect, and it is, by some margin, my favourite piece of the year so far. In case it wasn’t obvious, it is a collaboration between Saor and Andy Council – not something I saw coming, but their styles very well together.

Starting with the buffed wall – If you’re going to do a serious statement piece it is always worth buffing the wall with an appropriate colour and the grey in this instance works well with the overall colour palette. The subtle soft pinks, maroons and greys are bought to life with some bright and vibrant greens, classy stuff indeed.

The writing is by Saor and is as ever so crisp and tight – no thick borders, only sharp edges. The character, a Vaughn Bode lizard, is by Andy Council and true to his composite style, is made up of pipes, vents and architecture, including the Clifton Suspension bridge all stitched together. This is a masterpiece collaboration by two brilliant artists.

5986. Brunel Way (270)

The wonderful thing about art is that you can create situations or landscapes or portraits and so on that are utterly fictional, unlikely, impossible, weird and that you are in control of this creative universe. Alternatively, some artists try to capture real life either through accurate representations or abstract interpretations. Bean has painted something verging on the weird side with this piece.

The character, who is wearing a rather curious hat, is holding his, or somebody else’s severed legs from which blue gloop is gushing. I’ll not attempt to interpret the piece, which is exceptionally painted in Bean’s trademark two-tone colour cartoon style. An entertaining and curious piece.

5985. M32 Cycle path (263)

Biers, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2024

Biers has been rolling out a good deal of wonderful writing/character combination pieces over the last year or so, and is deeply embedded in a rich vein of form. This piece is painted along the narrowest stretch of cycle path and getting pictures, even with wide angle capability, is tricky at best.

The WD40 letters are filled with a magnificent blue patterning, with some awesome designs floating on rippled blues. The character is Courage the Cowardly Dog, from a cartoon series screened in the late ’90s early ’00s, which passed me by completely – I was too busy trying to be a grown up. Set on a deep red background, this is a classy piece of work from Biers.

	equinoxio21 on 1752. Newfoundland Road
	equinoxio21 on 7613. David Street
	M. on 7612. M32 roundabout J2 (…
	Sheree on 7613. David Street
	paulh121 on 7611. St Werburghs tunnel…

	equinoxio21 on 1752. Newfoundland Road
	equinoxio21 on 7613. David Street
	M. on 7612. M32 roundabout J2 (…
	Sheree on 7613. David Street
	paulh121 on 7611. St Werburghs tunnel…

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