Category: 5. Street Art

4439. Dean Lane skate Park (492)

One of the best things about looking for and photographing street art is the surprises. Sometimes, everything can get a bit predictable, with the same artists spraying the same kinds of things in their usual spots, and then a piece like this appears shaking everything up.

Sepr and Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristtol, April 2022
Sepr and Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristtol, April 2022

Sepr and Sled One have collaborated before, and in this piece, a true collaboration has emerged with the two styles blending into the same subject. I am guessing the piece is called ‘dancing with the devil’ if one says what one sees.

The lady to the left is by Sepr, and the greyscale figure is full of movement and concentration, dancing with her much larger partner. The devil character is by Sled One and is delicately, touchingly, holding his partner. One can only guess at his intentions, but in this moment the dance appears to be both intense and tender. Incredible storytelling from the pair of artists. The devil’s shoes are a hoot. This is one of the best character pieces in Bristol so far this year.

4438. M32 roundabout J3 (409)

Oof! Mest can really dial it up when he feels like it, and with this birthday celebration piece for Stivs, he has absolutely smashed it. I am guessing that during this birthday paint jam, Mest took his time to create this really tight piece.

Mest, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2022
Mest, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2022

The first thing to note is the unusual colour combination of cream pink and blue, which might not be an obvious alliance, but somehow he has carried it off. His letter shapes are a little more dynamic than usual and all the additional little details pick our different aspects of the writing. A very nice piece indeed, lifting Mest up into the next level. Also a fabulous tribute to Stivs on his birthday.

4437. Elton Street (7)

I would say that Emily Joy Rich is a fabulous designer and sign writing artist, and although she isn’t a regular painter of ‘non-legal’ walls, she does create som wonderful works on legal walls, blending ‘corporate’ art with street art.

Emily Joy Rich, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2022
Emily Joy Rich, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2022

In this piece in the Elton Street gallery, Emily Joy Rich has created some gorgeous script writing, so clean and crisp, on a moody cloud background. As is often the case with wordy street art, I am left with an ear worm that I simply can’t shake off and will be with me for the rest of the day. Rhythm is a Dancer by Snap! Is one of those tunes with a strong beat that stays with you. This is a fine piece from Emily Joy Rich.

4436. Brunel Way (157)

To reach this wonderful piece by Mr Underbite, you need to trample through some dense spring vegetation, but it is utterly worth the effort. I find it impossible not to love this character, and the way he is presented. The shared name of the artist and character is a clever piece of branding/presentation, but might also become a constraint if the artist decides to develop or create new characters or styles. For the moment though, that doesn’t matter, because the concept is a good one, and it is lovingly created.

Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2022
Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2022

Mr Underbite definitely operates in this area, I haven’t seen anything further afield yet, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be too long before he spreads his wings. In green tones with yellow borders, Mr Underbite is looking as forlorn as ever, but his ‘Yo!’ exclamation would seem to indicate that all is well. Another fine and touching piece from Mr Underbite.

4435. Dean Lane skate park (491)

What a lovely thing to find on the long wall in Dean Lane skate park. Fresh, clean and definitely a collaboration to bring a smile to your face. The RBF crew have been particularly busy of late in various spots around the city, but you don’t often see their work in Dean Lane.

Evey, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Evey, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022

It looks to me like Evey has been having some coaching from Bnie with her 3D shadow, as I’ve never seen her paint these patterns before. This is what I love about street art; all the artists seem to be continuously developing and improving their work, moving from idea to idea and pushing themselves. The fills in her letters are rather fun too, and the colours definitely complement each other.

Bnie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Bnie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022

The other half of the collaborative wall is by Bnie in which she has absolutely smashed it in my opinion. The piece has everything you would expect from Bnie but elevated to the next level. This might even be her finest piece yet. The letter fills are beautifully blended and the white highlights lift them out a bit. The 3D fill is to die for, with a clever and rather unique patterning, which is a sure trademark of hers. The double border is nice and neat and provides the distinction between the letters and background. I love this piece, and I am enjoying these recent RBF collaborations.

Evey and Bnie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Evey and Bnie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022

4434. L Dub (37)

At the edge of the tunnel at L Dub, we can see from this tidy piece, just what an accomplished artist DJ Perks is becoming. DJ Perks is never one to shy away from pushing the envelope and in this piece he has created a superb writing/character combination that is unlike other pieces he has created. He really is a talent.

DJ Perks, L Dub, Bristol, April 2022
DJ Perks, L Dub, Bristol, April 2022

I have a feeling that this piece was painted alongside artists from the LRS crew during a bit of a paint jam in April. The letters ‘L Dub’ are beautifully designed and have a strength about them, as well as being superbly filled. The character is something of a classic, but more than that it is painted with wonderful shades and shadows, offering some depth to the character. This is great work from an artist on the up.

4433. Cumberland Basin

I think that I have photographed this column piece by John D’oh pretty much every time I have visited this spot, always with the intention of posting it, but somehow it hasn’t made it onto Natural Adventures. Well it has now, and is a great record of the crazy world we have been living in over the last two years. Capturing pieces like this is to record history as portrayed through the work of some amazing street artists.

John D'oh, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022
John D’oh, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022

John D’oh has sprayed this witty stencil, reminding us to keep our social distancing to 2 metres which roughly translates to Bristol croc’s length. This references many local stories about a Bristol crocodile, thanks in no small part to another fine street artist, Rowdy. The Bristol crocodile story dates back to at least 2014, and relies on repeated sightings of crocodiles in various watercourses. Some are fakes and some are recently ‘dumped’ pet crocodiles that get released irresponsibly. The Bristol crocodile has become quite a thing though.

Mudra

A gallery of outstanding work from Bristol street artist and writer Mudra

Instagram: @mudra_creates

Website: Mudra creates

all photographs by Scooj

Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2023
Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2023

Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023

Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023
Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023

Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023

Mudra, Kosc and Saor, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Mudra, Kosc and Saor, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023

Mudra and Saor, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Mudra and Saor, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023

Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

Mudra, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2023
Mudra, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2023

Mudra and Peggy, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2023
Mudra and Peggy, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2023

Mudra, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2023
Mudra, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2023

Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2023
Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2023

Mudra, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2022
Mudra, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2022

Mudra and Peggy, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2022
Mudra and Peggy, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2022

Mudra, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2022
Mudra, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2022

Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2022
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2022

Decay and Mudra, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Decay and Mudra, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022

Mudra, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2022
Mudra, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2022

Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022

Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2022
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2022

Mudra and Kosc, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2022
Mudra and Kosc, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2022

Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2022
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2022

Flava136 and Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2021
Flava136 and Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2021

Mudra, Cumberland Basin, September 2021
Mudra, Cumberland Basin, September 2021

Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2021
Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2021

Mudra, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2021
Mudra, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2021

Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2021
Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2021

Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2021
Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2021

Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021

Nugmoose, Sage, Slakarts and Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021
Nugmoose, Sage, Slakarts and Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021

Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2021

Nugmoose and Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2021
Nugmoose and Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2021

Mudra, Lawrence Hill Roundabout, Bristol, February 2021
Mudra, Lawrence Hill Roundabout, Bristol, February 2021

Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021
Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021

Mudra, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2020
Mudra, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2020

Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020

Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2020
Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2020

Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2020
Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2020

Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2020
Mudra, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2020

4432. Dean Lane skate park (490)

This is a rather unexpected collaboration for a number of reasons, but is as welcome as it is unexpected. Chill and Smut combining to give us this beautiful piece of writing bookended with cartoon characters.

Smut, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Smut, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this collaboration is the change in style from Smut. His customary script writing has given way to something entirely different. The anamorphic letters are beautifully crafted and as you would expect from Smut painted with precision and a near-perfect orange border, which bleeds across into the two Chill characters.

Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022

To the left, the cartoon character is wearing a floppy hat and looking and pointing towards Smut’s letters. The black and white figure contrasting perfectly with the orange border.

Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022

To the right-hand side, and concluding the collaborative wall, is an almost mirror image of the opposite character, although this one is wearing a hoodie and baseball cap. The whole thing is a rather unlikely collaboration that comes together really nicely. Watch this space for some more experimental styles from Smut.

Chill and Smut, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Chill and Smut, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022

4431. Brunel Way (156)

On a regular basis, Maybe Paints manages to charm us with his imaginative and creative pieces, usually on the columns underneath Brunel Way. This piece, which is larger than many I have seen, was painted a couple of weeks ago at a height that would have required a ladder or platform to stand on – possibly an anti-tagging measure.

Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2022
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2022

There is a tranquillity and serenity to most of Maybe’s work, and in this piece we see one of his stylised faces experiencing the start of the hay fever season, a significant moment in my annual cycle – the tree pollen has already got to me. Maybe’s technique of blending colours works so well, and his style is utterly unique in Bristol. I very much hope to see more from Maybe over the summer.