Category: 5. Street Art

4125. Upfest 2021 75×75 (73)

I had kind of given up on the final three Upfest 75 walls in 75 days pieces, especially as the 75 days was up some time ago, but hope and excitement were restored when Sled One painted this beautiful piece for the event a couple of weeks ago.

Sled One, North Street, Bristol, December 2021, Upfest 21,
Sled One, North Street, Bristol, December 2021, Upfest 21,

Above the General Store in North Street, the intricate mural features a snakes and ladders theme, with a medieval twist hinted at by the hand-held daggers and ornate sleeves. I did not notice the Advance Pest Control van in the photograph until posting this piece, but I think it adds a little something to the scene.

As we would expect from Sled One, the mural is executed with class and precision and is a fine contribution to Upfest’s summer event. So now there are only two pieces left for me to find. One, I know where it is, the other is a mystery.

4124. North Street

Paste ups tend to be few and far between in Bristol, and there is nothing like the culture of wheatpastes here as there is in Shoreditch, for example. I suppose that their rarity makes them extra special, and when qWeRT visits the city, it is always refreshing to see his goggle-eyed characters.

qWeRT, North Street, Bristol, December 2021
qWeRT, North Street, Bristol, December 2021

This one in North Street is immediately above a Stewy stencil of a sheep, and is perfectly positioned under the coping stone of the wall. Although looking a little worse for wear, this piece isn’t actually all that old and is one of several that appeared in the North Street area a couple of months back. Creative and fun, qWeRT will always be welcome in  Bristol (as far as I am concerned).

4123. M32 roundabout J3 (369)

It is always great to stumble across a new artist, and especially one with a really unique style. This is one of two new pieces from debutant Klub2020, who I believe is another tattoo artist turning his skills to wall art, along with others like Sepr, 3Dom and Chill.

Klub2020, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021
Klub2020, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021

This piece hidden away on the M32 roundabout reminds me a little of the Pink Floyd ‘Relics’ album cover. There are sort of human figures running towards a scroll emblazoned with the name Klub all over it. Full of detail and interest, I am a little puzzled by the method he has used to get this quite unique finish to the piece.

Very welcome and very interesting.

4122. Mina Road (7)

Most street artists have a background in art, illustration or design, and many have jobs related to their craft and skills. Some supplement their income with commissions and some (the really lucky ones) derive a comfortable income from their street art and spin-offs from it, for example, Banksy, Inkie and Nick Walker. Hazard, I think, falls into the category of supplementing her income, and you will find a lot of her work around the city, on commercial or private walls that have earned her a little money.

Hazard, Mina Road, Bristol, December 2021
Hazard, Mina Road, Bristol, December 2021

This is one of Hazard’s mos recent commissions in Mina Road, and although not bold or brash, the plant piece oozes class. The mural is painted above the Haus of Hair hairdressers and looks to be a sumptuous collection of houseplant leaves (of the rainforest ilk), providing texture and depth to an otherwise ordinary wall. This is a beautiful commission and a great advert for Hazard’s work.

4121. M32 Cycle path (151)

It feels to me like Slakarts is taking his art to a new level and his recent pieces have shown real dynamism and creativity. This recent piece from the M32 cycle path, works on his stylised character portrait, but presents it in an entirely new way.

Slakarts, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2021
Slakarts, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2021

The piece is made up of two portraits facing one another in subdues grey colours, with some lighter highlights that express freedom and confidence in his work. Contrast this with one of his recent colourful pieces and you see an artist whose range is wide and skills are of the highest order. A lovely ephemeral piece.

Slakarts, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, November 2021
Slakarts, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, November 2021

4120. Cumberland Basin

I haven’t really left myself enough time to write very much about today’s wonderful piece by Smak. For some this might be a blessing… consider it an early Christmas present.

Smak, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2021
Smak, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2021

I have neglected Smak for far too long, and haven’t posted anything by him for months. The reason is simple, there is so much great and new stuff being created out there that the competition for space o Natural Adventures is as high as it has ever been. This is classic Smak wildstyle graffiti writing. Subtle colours, great design and lovely tight artwork. Standards are still high in the Smak camp.

4119. M32 roundabout J3 (368)

I am definitely struggling to keep up with the volume of work that Stivs is producing these days, and I still have some real corkers in my archive that are under serious threat of not making it onto Natural Adventures at all. I need a quiet period when I can dig out some of these nuggets and publish them.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021

This recent piece is one of two, side-by-side in one of Stivs’ favourite spots, and as he is inclined to do these days, he has gone ‘big’ with both. His calligraffiti style has gone quite Gothic on us with this piece, but the letters are clean and clear, spelling out STIVS, where the ‘S’s have reclined slightly. Yet another tight piece of graffiti writing from this tireless creative talent.

4118. M32 roundabout J3 (367)

I would think it would be safe to say that Laic217’s status as a character artist in Bristol is at the highest level, and what is so gratifying about this has been watching his consistent progress over the years. His pieces are so self-assured, and have an ease about them, although the content is sometimes not quite so easy. This is one of at least three recent pieces by Laic217 in Bristol.

Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021
Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021

The subtle use of colour in the background is just enough to provide some contrast with the greyscale character, helping to lift it from the wall. The theme is a common one for Laic217, with a skeleton, clad in dark robe material, is busy spraying the wall with cloudy grey paint. The whole thing appears effortless, although that is only because the artist’s expertise has made it do. This is a great and typical example of Laic217’s work.

4117. Dean Lane skate park (446)

Painted alongside Rozalita and 3F fino on the Sally Army wall at Dean Lane skate park, this striking portrait is by Tao.create. I have only seen a handful of pieces by the artist and I have liked what I have seen so far, but this is the best yet and introduces her work to a larger and more engaged audience.

Tao.create, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Tao.create, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

The bright portraits demands to be looked at and is big, bold and colourful. Some elements are better painted than others, the hair is very nicely done, and some of the features more developed than others (for example the nose has more work and detail than the mouth). I would like to think that Tao.create will continue to develop her obvious skills and follow in the footsteps of other Bristol portrait artists such as Pekoe and Hazard. Definitely one to look out for.

4116. Catherine Mead Street (3)

This is the third piece I have posted from this favourite wall of mine in Bedminster. It is also another example of the great work from Tack Jucker, who has embedded himself quickly into the Bristol graffiti art scene with relative ease.

Tack Jucker, Catherine Mead Street, Bristol, November 2021
Tack Jucker, Catherine Mead Street, Bristol, November 2021

Tack Jucker is an artist who seems to enjoy painting wildlife, and in particular monkeys and apes, and in this respect he shares an interest with Nightwayss. Now I’d love to see a collaboration of monkeys from these two.

This piece from Tack looks a lot like a chimpanzee, with a rather aggressive expression, and sharper than normal teeth. The absence of pupils in the eyes, gives the character a bit of a distant and ghostly look. This is a lovely piece painted in pink and rose shades and is as good as anything else I have seen from the artist.