Kid Krishna, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023
Earlier on this year, perhaps the most productive and creative street artist in Bristol for a while was arguably Kid Krishna. He was smashing it all over the place with his writing/character mash-ups and then, all of a sudden, nothing until about three weeks ago. I know that he had some other projects on the go and perhaps he was working on those.
Kid Krishna, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023
This piece, on his return, is much softer and rounded than what I am used to seeing, but still characteristically a Kid Krishna piece. The letters spell CRIE, not that you’d be able to guess just by looking at it. I would describe this piece as more ‘mainstream’ than some of his work, but he has since painted something a little bit more ‘scratchy’ in St Werburghs. I hope that we will be seeing more of his street work over the remainder of the year.
This lovely script writing piece by Logoe was one of nine painted during a frenzied 24 hour period of activity when he visited Bristol a few weeks back. I think I only managed to find five of them, and often these blitz pieces get painted over quite quickly, depending on where they are.
Logoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023
It would be inconsistent of me to say I like the colours used in this piece, because I have said repeatedly on Natural Adventures that brown colour palettes are probably my least favourite. What he has done here is great to see… just a shame it is brown.
This is not the easiest canvass on which to paint, but Mudra has more than coped, in fact he has excelled, with this piece, painted during a bit of a paint jam alongside Kosc, Nugmoose, Momma Nature and Peggy. I get the feeling that Mudra drew the short straw regarding wall space. What you can’t really tell from the pictures is that Mudra has painted on a low slope of about 20 degrees – back breaking stuff… even the dog thinks so.
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
The writing itself is another masterclass from Mudra, devoting a different design to each of the letters but somehow combining them seamlessly. In the middle is a little vehicle that looks a little bit like a Sinclair C5, but might be something else entirely. I like this piece a lot and have great admiration for the end result on a very tricky bit of concrete.
When I first saw this piece I wasn’t immediately sure who it was by, and the penny didn’t drop for several days, mainly because the central elements used by Morag are there, but the fruit somehow completely threw me off the scent.
Morag, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023
Most of the Morag pieces I have seen to date have been individual faces, usually painted on columns. This piece is telling a bit of a story, and from a fruit perspective, perhaps a rather sinister story, the suggestion being that the large bully orange is extracting juice from a grape much to the consternation of the apple. The face drawing using a single line technique is the trademark style that gives the artist away. It has been a while so it was great to find this piece a few weeks back.
An important element of photographing and writing about street/graffiti art is keeping your eyes open at all times and noticing little differences or flashes of colour that might not have been there before. Having a keen eye and observing everything, which spills over into an appreciation for the built environment and architecture. This piece by The Last One, is a little tucked away and above the normal field of view, sitting on the roof of the swimming pool next to the skate park. It is also very difficult to photograph, unless you are strong and brave enough to climb up on to the flat roof.
The Last One, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
This is the third piece I have posted by The Last One, and each of them has been an absolute beauty. His writing/character combinations are perfectly balanced and show off his skills with both. The chrome letters spell LAST, in his distinctive style and the cat character, which at first I thought was the Looney Tunes Sylvester Cat but actually isn’t, is well presented. A little research tells me the cat is actually Penelope Pussycat. Looking forward to more visits from the incredibly talented The Last One.
As a rule, Mudra usually paints alongside other artists and it has been a long time since I found a piece that he painted alone… until I came across this one last month. The piece is carefully placed around the southern tunnel entrance on the M32 roundabout, where the River Frome emerges from its culvert.
Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023
In painting around this corner, Mudra has had to remove the posters that blight this area, doing us all a favour in the process (although a quick trip to the bin might have been in order). Mudra has painted his letters in a subtle blend of colours from bronze to rose to grey/white, an unusual combination that looks quite spectacular. The centrepiece is the skull, taking the place of the letter ‘D’, which has been really well observed and recreated. Sometimes skulls just don’t look like skulls, but this one looks pretty anatomically correct from what I can see. A smoking cigar has been added for additional effect. This is an unusual and unexpected piece from the brilliantly creative Mudra.
Silent Hobo and Inkie, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, September 2023
The huge wall on the side of the Tobacco Factory, opposite Aldi, is arguably the premium wall in Bristol, curated by Upfest for some of the best artists to decorate. The last piece painted here was from Upfest 2022, and was probably reaching the end of its sell-by date. It is one of so many Upfest pieces I haven’t got round to sharing on Natural Adventures… yet.
Silent Hobo and Inkie, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, September 2023
Two of Bristol’s finest and most established artists have combined to paint this incredible tribute to the city and more specifically Bedminster, Silent Hobo and Inkie. The mural is in two distinct sections, the top half writing and frame by Inkie, and the busy scene by Silent Hobo.
Silent Hobo and Inkie, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, September 2023
Inkie painted a few pieces while he was in Bristol, which tends to happen, because he is a very busy artist, taking commissions all over the globe, and seemingly forever on the move. The words ‘Planet Local’ are beautifully painted in his characteristic style, and nicely decorated with stars, creating a perfect backdrop for Silent Hobo’s storytelling below.
Silent Hobo and Inkie, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, September 2023
There is always so much going on in Silent Hobo’s work and the way he presents the ordinary Bristol scenes is quite unique. There is an authenticity and warmth in this piece that captures relatable goings on; a boy playing with his toys, a sleeping cat, a young couple, a chef making a delivery and a young singer all occupy the left hand side of the piece.
Silent Hobo and Inkie, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, September 2023
To the right, there is more bustle and deliveries and a rather strange walking house. A hen and bee get in on the action too, and everything is overlaid on a background of classic Bristolian architecture. There is an honesty and lightness in this piece which is a perfect antidote to our everyday preoccupations and concerns, reminding us that life is beautiful and good.
When Ceus moved to Bristol, sometime in 2021, it was a day to celebrate. His fresh and invigorating pieces have brightened up Dean Lane no end, and his unique style has now become part of the furniture, particularly in this spot.
Ceus, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
Ceus tends to use a full colour palette, mixing and blending the colours he selects with great skill , such that they bleed from letter to letter, and by using some contrasting black and white edging creates fabulous depth. This particular piece is beautifully framed in two corners with a cloudy, white straight edge. This is an altogether outstanding piece from Ceus.
Mote is another artist who appears to have taken his foot off the pedal a little bit of late, after a very busy summer indeed. Having said that, he has simply returned to a more steady flow, rather than standstill. I am not sure that this piece survived for very long, as both sides of this wall have encountered very high turnovers recently.
Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Another in the bird monster series of pieces, Mote has managed to create a humorous creation composed of five or six discrete components. The highlight of the piece for me is the decorative fill in the pink section on the bird’s back, Mote is beginning to make these patterns something of a trademark in his work. A very nice piece.
Embarrassingly, it took quite a while for the penny to drop with this piece by Nugmoose. I haven’t seen much of his work this summer, and this piece wasn’t immediately as ‘alieny’ as most of his pieces… it had me baffled for an hour or two, and then the light bulb moment.
Nugmoose, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
There are three basic elements to this piece, which come together very nicely. The white face in the centre of the piece and the cream/pink letters spelling out something in an alien language, both of which are quite flat and have solid fills. The third element, the green blobby organic matter, has both depth and movement and appears to be attracted to the writing/portrait, to embrace or consume it. Great to see Nugmoose decorating a wall after a bit of an absence.
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