6118. St Werburghs tunnel (428)

A quick couple of posts today, because I am writing this in advance of my niece’s wedding party today, and have a rather squeezed timetable. There is something rather special happening with Benjimagnetic’s work at the moment, and I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what it is, but he seems to have stepped up a level recently, with some great designs and a cleaner look to his pieces.

Benjimagnetic, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2024
Benjimagnetic, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2024

This one in the tunnel is an absolute belter and the colour selection is sublime and may, in part, be what is contributing to his new level. Ordinary Benjimagnetic writes BEN, but I am struggling a little to read this piece. I am very much enjoying this strong surge of pieces from Benjimagnetic.

Froglet – 30 Days Wild (21/30)

Froglet, Redland, Bristol, June 2024

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House side passageway

fringed with dampened greenery

where little frogs hide

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by Scooj

* 30 Days Wild is an initiative organised by the Wildlife Trusts. It is an annual challenge event, for those who choose to participate, to do one ‘wild’ thing a day throughout the month of June. I will try to write a nature haiku every day if I can, as my contribution to this celebration of wildlife and biodiversity. I did this back in 2015 and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge.

6117. Cumberland Basin

Solar, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2024
Solar, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2024

Although I have been featuring Solar on Natural Adventures since 2021, it wasn’t until May this year that I actually got to meet him while he was painting this piece. As with pretty much all the artists I meet he is a really nice person and managed to instantly dispel some of my imagined preconceptions of members of the PLB crew, which were largely based around not having met any of them.

Solar, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2024
Solar, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2024

I would categorise Solar’s writing style as soft anti-style, meaning that while he bucks the trend of conventional graffiti writing, there is some order and consistency to his letters, nothing too chaotic or anarchic. The letters are nicely done but the star of the show is the ‘implied’ drop shadow in blue and black, which is a very clever mechanism I haven’t seen deployed before. You’d think that the colour scheme wouldn’t work, and at first that was my impression, but actually it seems to work remarkably well.

6116. Leonard Lane (46)

Man-X, Leonard Lane, Bristol, June 2024
Man-X, Leonard Lane, Bristol, June 2024

My sister and brother-in-law had a wonderful West Highland white terrier, or Westie as they are commonly known, called Jessie, who died a little over a year ago at a ripe old age. She was very sweet, and although I didn’t much like dogs when they first got her, I did warm to her over the years. When I saw this beautiful little stencil at the entrance of Leonard Lane by Man-X, my mind immediately turned to Jessie.

Man-X, Leonard Lane, Bristol, June 2024
Man-X, Leonard Lane, Bristol, June 2024

I believe that Man-X AKA Alix Lemetayer is a French stencil artist, but I can find little more information about him. This is a lovely stencil, so full of personality, and captures the animal perfectly. I believe that he may have placed another stencil in the Lane during his visit to Bristol, which I think I missed when I found this Westie, so I rather need to go back. Dogs and stencils, what’s not to love?

Common green capsid – 30 Days Wild (20/30)

Common Green Capsid, Lygocoris pabulinus, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2024
Common Green Capsid, Lygocoris pabulinus, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2024

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An oxeye daisy

hosts a tiny speck of green

common green capsid

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by Scooj

  • 30 Days Wild is an initiative organised by the Wildlife Trusts. It is an annual challenge event, for those who choose to participate, to do one ‘wild’ thing a day throughout the month of June. I will try to write a nature haiku every day if I can, as my contribution to this celebration of wildlife and biodiversity. I did this back in 2015 and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge

6115. Moon Street (106)

Goin, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2024
Goin, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2024

Ooh! This is a superb ‘extra’ stencil piece painted by Goin while he was in Bristol for Upfest. It is pieces like this that separate out the ‘circuit muralists’ from the everyday street artists. Although Goin is often a featured artist at paint festivals, he likes to paint on the streets too, which is something I like and appreciate.

Goin, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2024
Goin, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2024

This is a telling stencil piece, and I don’t think that you need to be a genius to work out what is going on. A soldier is pointing his rifle at a tiny ladybird, and the latter obviously doesn’t stand a chance in this contest. There are many ways of protesting against war, and this piece from Goin is a very powerful image making the point. The red colour of the ladybird in a strange way offers some hope and beauty to this horrific scene. Thank you Goin for this wonderful gift to Bristol.

6114. M32 roundabout J3 (583)

Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2024
Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2024

This is an absolutely classic example of Laic217’s work. Technically and stylistically superb, the piece features two skeletons, one of which is DJing with a twin turntable and the other apparently having a great time.

Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2024
Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2024

The artistry in the greyscale piece is outstanding, with the story playing out really clearly. The decorative shapes bursting around the piece add a sense of movement and energy coming from the music, and the two gold touches, on the DJ’s hand and a tooth, are classy additions. I love the additional touch of LAIC217 appearing on the record label, rounding the whole thing off nicely. This is a truly fabulous and energetic piece from Laic217.

6113. Sparke Evans Park (98)

Stivs, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, May 2024
Stivs, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, May 2024

Stivs has utterly smashed it with this outstanding writing/character combination piece, which was painted alongside a Kosc piece (featured a few days ago) on the long wall at Sparke Evans Park. Stivs is an artist of many talents, and although he in well known predominantly for his calligraffiti, he isn’t half bad at painting characters, as this piece demonstrates.

Stivs, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, May 2024
Stivs, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, May 2024

Although he is a bit of a ‘potty-mouth’, this piece reads ‘FUK PIG’, he dresses the letters up so beautifully, that it kind of creates a profanity filter of sorts. The cartoon-style character, probably lifted from a film or cartoon series, is beautifully presented and makes you wonder why he doesn’t paint characters more often. Together with the Kosc piece, this is one half of a very fine collaboration.

Kosc, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, May 2024
Kosc, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, May 2024

Sea Bindweed – 30 Days Wild (19/30)

Sea bindweed, Calystegia soldanella, West Wittering, West Sussex, June 2024
Sea bindweed, Calystegia soldanella, West Wittering, West Sussex, June 2024

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Prettiest cousin

of the scourge of gardeners

pink and white trumpets

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by Scooj

  • 30 Days Wild is an initiative organised by the Wildlife Trusts. It is an annual challenge event, for those who choose to participate, to do one ‘wild’ thing a day throughout the month of June. I will try to write a nature haiku every day if I can, as my contribution to this celebration of wildlife and biodiversity. I did this back in 2015 and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge

6112. Devon Road (21)

Zubieta, Devon Road, Bristol, June 2024
Zubieta, Devon Road, Bristol, June 2024

There are some spots in Bristol where the turnover tends to be slow that I don’t visit all that often, and Devon Road is one of these. I was pleased, however, on a recent visit to find this joyful mural by Zubieta, which looking at her Instagram feed looks like it was painted in early June, so I did indeed strike lucky.

Zubieta, Devon Road, Bristol, June 2024
Zubieta, Devon Road, Bristol, June 2024

Zubieta’s citrus fruit themed piece is not only beautiful to look at, but was actually painted over a couple of throw ups which had messed this wall up a bit, and I guess the owners may have asked for or commissioned the mural. You can see a short video of the painting of the piece on Zubieta’s Instagram. A really lovely mural.