Category: 5. Street Art

3925. M32 roundabout J3 (346)

This is a curious collaboration from painting pals CD.TC and Daz Cat. I don’t know why, but the whole thing doesn’t quite work for me. I love the work of both of these artists, so it is surprising to me when I see something that looks a little bit clunky.

CDTC, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2021
CDTC, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2021

The piece on the left is by CD.TC in which he combines his letters, in full caps, with one of his trademark monster faces breaking the letters up in thee middle. The monster is nicely done and the letter details and decorations well thought out.

Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2021
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2021

To the right is the Daz Cat contribution, and I think that this is where I have a bit of an issue. I don’t like the letters in the mouth, and I’m not too sure the paw clutching an arrow adds much to the piece. Also, the way that the two pieces join I feel is a bit average really. I can only put this down to Daz Cat having a bit of a bad hair day when he painted this, because it bucks the trend of some truly outstanding pieces he has painted recently.

3924. M32 Cycle path (139)

There is nothing like a bit of old school graffiti work to remind us where all of this started. This is a lovely collaboration from Veks and Turoe on the M32 cycle path on a wall that has a pretty slow turnover, so I would expect it to be hanging around for quite a while.

Veks, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, August 2021
Veks, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, August 2021

On the left is a classic character by Veks, holding a cigarette in his clenched fist and wearing a variation on a flat cap. This is a classy character piece and amply demonstrates Veks’ experience and skill.

Veks and Turoe, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, August 2021
Veks and Turoe, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, August 2021

The writing is by Turoe and is finished off with nice deep 3D work on the letters. Both elements are nicely bordered with a lime green and white line, cleanly applied. I managed to get these pictures on about my fourth visit – this particular wall usually has a shadow cast across it during the day, which makes photography rather challenging.

3923. Picton Mews (3)

Back in February 2020 I published a post for Thursday doors that featured the Charley Box in Montpelier. Kosc has gone one step further and produced this extraordinary piece on the side of the Charley Box depicting a miscreant who would have been caught while up to no good by the local nightwatchman and locked up in the little jail for the night to cool down.

Kosc, Picton Mews, Bristol, August 2021
Kosc, Picton Mews, Bristol, August 2021

Kosc has been producing some of the best portrait pieces in Bristol lately, with his greyscale faces and bright, vibrant backgrounds. In this piece, Kosc is playing with us duplicating the face of the character in a double exposure manner that we used to see a lot of in the days when we used little Kodak Instamatics to take pictures of our families or pets. He has also created a scene so totally relevant for the place and is helping to bring local history to life. An outstanding artwork.

3922. Cumberland Basin

I have a lot of attachment to this wonderful piece by Jelly, her second at this spot this year, because of the conversations we shared before she visited Bristol. There is something comforting and confidence-building when an artist makes contact with me to talk about meeting up during a painting visit. I must say that I was touched that Jelly made contact before her recent trip, and I only wish that I had been able to catch up with her while she was painting this piece, but unfortunately I had a full-on work day and wasn’t able to escape.

Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021

Jelly has painted another of her beautiful portrait pieces, complete with her trademark exaggerated eyelashes on this high-turnover wall in Cumberland Basin. The piece, presumably entitled ‘open your eye’, is a portrait of a woman with a third eye, a common theme in street art, and suggests using perception beyond ordinary sight.

Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021

The shading on the face and hand with red tints helps to provide a deep perspective, and the eyes and nose are particularly beautifully painted. I love the Henna tattoo on the back of the hand and fingers, and the jewellery too is a lovely detail that lifts the piece way above the ordinary.

Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021

Another nice touch are the little white streaks of light on the woman’s hair that allude to the strands of hair so effectively. This is a lovely piece from a lovely artist who is thoughtful and inclusive. I do so hope that next time she is in Bristol I will  be able to accompany her, at least for a little while, as she creates another of her fabulous portraits.

3921. Upfest 2021 75×75 (56)

On a wall that is rather difficult to photograph, because of its proximity to an adjacent building, is this beautiful mural by Venessa Scott painted as part of Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days celebration. I hadn’t heard of Venessa Scott before I saw this piece, but it would appear that she is well known in the North of England for her creative arts and large murals.

Vanessa Scott, Lime Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Venessa Scott, Lime Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

This mural looks like a piece of colourful patterned material has been draped over the house, or at least that is what it looks like to me. Look a little closer and you can see that the patterns are in  the form of human figures dancing and leaping. This is a truly energetic, creative and unique piece.

Vanessa Scott, Lime Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Vanessa Scott, Lime Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

This is one of those walls where you need the courage to ask the neighbours if you can go into their house to photograph the mural, and I just don’t have that courage – my English reserve kicking into the max. It is so good to see so many new walls appearing for Upfest this year, but it has to be said that quite a few of them are a bit awkward to view and photograph. I guess you just can’t have everything on a plate. It is so good to welcome Vanessa Scott to Bristol and I hope it is the first of many visits.

3920. Greenbank (14)

While the quality of this extraordinary portrait piece by Rosalita (who has changed her Instagram from Rosalita to Rozalita) is unquestionable, the woman’s face disturbs me a little. The exaggerated features have a clown-like quality, and clowns are scary at the best of times.

Rosalita, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2021
Rosalita, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2021

Rosalita has associations with a travelling lifestyle and the circus or performance arts seems to have a profound impact on her paintings, most of which encompass a carnival theme. There are so many good things about the artwork in this piece, but it is the impact it has on me as a viewer that I value the most. I find it completely compelling.

3919. Dean Lane skate park (426)

It is a very good thing indeed that Flava136 has decided to visit Bristol several times recently, and long may it last – perhaps he should move here, that would be nice. His work is some of the cleanest you could hope to see, and by that I mean that everything, from the Emulsion backdrop to all the elements in his work are left with clean lines. There are no border lines tidying up little blemishes. Everything is perfectly painted, and this takes a lot of skill and patience.

Flava136, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2021
Flava136, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2021

The customary monster, with big teeth, is joined by a green smiley and decorated with all sorts of shapes, lines and colour schemes. The truth being tyold, I don’t think I can get enough of his pieces, each one being turned out immaculately. I don’t think I have seen a scrappy piece from the artist, ever. Superb piece, and more to come.

3918. Upfest 2021 75×75 (55)

I think I am right in saying that Paul Monsters is the only artist at Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days event to have painted more than one wall, although I still haven’t posted his first collaboration yet. This is his second collaboration, and this time he has combined delightfully with The Hass.

The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

The collaboration is painted on two sides of a building on Ashton Road, not far away from the Ashton Gate football stadium. The portrait, which looks a little bit like a self-portrait, is by The Hass, but the way it blends into the geometric patterns of Paul Monsters is what makes this a proper collaboration in my eyes.

The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

The Hass is a super-talented artist who writes under another name for his graffiti pieces. The portrait has such amazing depth, with perfect use of different tones and shading to bring out the features and highlight all the wrinkles and contours of the face. A masterful piece of wall art.

The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

It is quite unusual to see this colour combination used in the geometric work of Paul Monsters. More often he works with yellows, greens, browns, oranges and purples, but here he has gone for a rather more subtle colour palette which works really well on this particular space.

The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

I am not too sure about the significance of the owl, but The Hass has absolutely smashed it. The owl appears to be wearing a little red cap, shared by the self-portrait, and I wonder if The Hass is the owl. Who knows? I’ll have to ask him next time I see him.

All in all, another outstanding wall in this summer series. We citizens of Bristol are a lucky bunch really.

The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

3917. Wilder Street (42)

Words cannot really describe how wonderful this enormous mural makes me feel. Hazard, or Harriet Wood to give you her proper name, has produced a landmark piece that launches her onto the world-class stage. It is not only the scale of the piece, but its stature that is so special. Somehow Hazard has found a new level and it is all very exciting.

Hazard, Wilder Street, Bristol, August 2021
Hazard, Wilder Street, Bristol, August 2021

Wilder Street in St Paul’s has been at the heart of the Bristol street/graffiti art scene for many years, although recently, the amount of gentrification of the area has slowed things somewhat. This piece bucks that trend and makes a positive statement for beautiful public art in the area.

Hazard, Wilder Street, Bristol, August 2021
Hazard, Wilder Street, Bristol, August 2021

The piece was supported by The Arts Council through its Developing your Creative Practice (DYPC) fund, and thank goodness for initiatives like this one that bring so much joy to so many people while supporting the work of our most creative people.

Hazard, Wilder Street, Bristol, August 2021
Hazard, Wilder Street, Bristol, August 2021

Hazard, in going big, has not compromised on her ability to compose a piece fit for a particular space, and this colourful portrait, almost cubist in its presentation, has been worked perfectly into the fabric of the 20m high facade. With the magnificent colours bleeding off to the right, Hazard has created a shadow portrait just to the right of the main portrait adding emphasis and interest.

Hazard, Wilder Street, Bristol, August 2021
Hazard, Wilder Street, Bristol, August 2021

There have been so many extraordinary murals painted in Bristol this year, and the bar has been set very high. I feel however that Hazard, with this piece, has surpassed any other I have seen. I genuinely hope that this piece will launch Hazard onto the international stage that she clearly deserves. My favourite of the year so far.

3916. Cumberland Basin

It feels like I took this photograph an age ago, and in fact it was painted at the back end of July and photographed in early August. Where has this year gone? My life seems to have been travelling at light speed this year… probably a feature of getting older and trying to squeeze more into less time.

This wonderful piece by MoS was painted during Eman’s birthday paint jam at which so many good pieces were painted. It was an inspirational day.

MoS, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
MoS, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021

I believe that MoS typically paints hands or portraits, so this ‘weird’ (his own words) piece is rather unusual even for the artist. I’m not entirely sure what it all means, but it is certainly very striking and the light tan glow around the piece gives it an interesting aura. Nice work from yet another new artist to Natural Adventures.