Natural adventures

6041. M32 roundabout J3 (577)

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2024

Regular visitors to Natural Adventures might have noticed that I am posting three street art pieces a day more frequently than I used to, as if I were a man in a hurry. The truth is, I am. The sheer intake of new artists in the city, and the large number of established ones, means that there has never been such a high turnover of art in Bristol before, and I have never had more wonderful pieces to share. An added complication is that we are in the midst of the Upfest 2024 paint festival, and there is a huge influx of international artists whose pieces I’d like to share. This is a great first-world problem for me to have, but also means I have to post more often, and leave more pieces languishing in my archives.

This outstanding piece is from one of the best graffiti writers around, Hemper, and quite frankly is pretty much perfect in every way. Spelling out HEMS, the multicoloured fills are utterly sensational, blending and bleeding through the piece with consummate ease. Hemper is a master of his craft, and I can only stand back and admire the rich depth of this masterpiece.

6040. Peel Street Green (30)

Grimes, Peel Street Green, Bristol, May 2024

It feels a little odd that this is only the 30th piece that I have posted from Peel Street Green. Admittedly, I arrived at the show very late with this spot, and have only been swinging by the place since November 2021. What I particularly like about the long wall here is that it has delineated large sections which tend to be occupied by one artist in each, creating an informal outdoor gallery atmosphere. The artwork here can be very hit-and-miss, but this one from Grimes is most certainly a hit.

The letters in this busy work spell out the artist’s name in lime green and khaki colours, augmented with some wonderful black accents, and a cheeky grin in the ‘G’. The drop shadow is expertly done, helping the piece to pop from the wall. The graffiti writing is set on a swirly patterned red backdrop, contrasting nicely with the greens. I like the little shout-out to Cort whose piece Grimes painted over. Respect.

6039. Cumberland Basin

j9449j, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024

The Bristol street art and graffiti scene is so broad that it welcomes all styles and all levels of talent. We get to see it all here. Some towns and cities in the UK embrace street art through holding festivals, but have no underlying culture 365 days of the year. While there is nothing wrong with that at all, what remains is a sanitised selection of high-end art, keeping the place pretty. Upfest provides us with a microclimate of high-end art in the Bedminster area, but the rest of the city is up for grabs, and I like it that way.

A great example of Bristol’s artistic diversity comes in the form of artists like j9449j, whose abstract fills are really quite unique. There is a wonderful organic feel to his work, with plant-like forms cropping up through the lettering. j9449j’s work feels quite ‘designed’, if you know what I mean, and although some of the borders could be a little cleaner, there is an element of anti-style that works well. This is a bright and colourful calming piece.

Stay of execution

Last minute reprieve

released from obligation

fancy dress party

by Scooj

I have a near pathological fear/dislike of fancy dress parties, and if I am honest of parties in general, so to discover that I had been let off this evening’s arrangement due to the ‘no show’ of other husbands, offered unimaginable relief. 😅

6038. St Werburghs tunnel (426)

So here we have, in this piece from Stivs, the coming together of outstanding writing style with subversion. Every time I look at this piece, which is kind of two pieces joined together, I begin to wonder whether Stivs has issues… he certainly seems to be letting it all out in his work at the moment, and there is an almost obsessive trait appearing on this wall.

As well as his customary calligraffiti, beautifully produced here, Stivs reminds us that he is a very talented character artist as well. The demonic character is depicted in shades of purple, and contains a lot of detailing. Of course, the elephant in the room is the outrageously sweary backdrops. I would suggest that we could name this as Stivs’ ‘blue period’.

6037. Cumberland Basin

Daz Cat, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024

From what I can gather, Daz Cat has been away for a little while travelling in Southeast Asia, and has recently returned to Bristol not only with some vigour but also with a newfound inspiration that is coming across very clearly in his new pieces, like this one in Cumberland Basin.

I can’t say I have really seen anything like this from Daz Cat before, it is like his work has taken a significant step change. There is more sophistication and depth to his character portrait, who appears to be a hybrid between a human and a cat. There are some great colours used in this piece, and the hair is just something else. Daz Cat has come a long way, and his journey is getting really interesting.

Niche

Oak tree, Bradgate Park and Swithland Wood National Nature Reserve, Leicestershire, May 2024

Where an acorn lands

is in the lap of the gods

make the most of it

by Scooj

6036. Dean Lane skate park (717)

I think that it is fairly common knowledge that ACAB is a subversive acronym derived from the phrase ‘all cops are bastards’. I am guessing that it was coined in North America, because we don’t generally use the word cop in the UK, preferring the terms Police, bobby, old Bill, ‘pigs’ or even ‘copper’ but rarely cop. ACAB is used liberally in street/graffiti art, and this piece on the curved wall by Mr Draws, has a humorous take on the letters.

Firstly, I would say that this is a really attractive piece by Mr Draws, who continues to gently push his boundaries all the time whilst retaining his style and identity. The design is great, the letters are nice and tidy and the fill colours work surprisingly well. Mr Draws has softened the tone of the acronym so that it reads ‘all cats are beautiful’, and has added in a cat character for good measure. Perhaps one could term this piece ‘fluffy subversion’.

6035. Lawrence Hill roundabout (19)

Slakarts, Lawrence Hill, Bristol, April 2024

In amongst the dross in the tunnels of the Lawrence Hill roundabout, there are some real gems, but you need to hunt them down. This beauty by Slakarts stands out from the crowd, conspicuous on account of its superior quality in terms of both design and execution.

Although the character piece is on the small side, Slakarts has worked it into the location perfectly, following the contour of the handrail, rather than fighting against it. The winning combination of pink and blue colours is easy on the eye, but it is the crispness and clean lines that really grab me. I guess the piece is ll the more enjoyable for being in this location, where I wouldn’t ordinarily expect to find a Slakarts piece. Worth the trip alone.

6034. St Werburghs tunnel (425)

Laic217, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2024

Ha ha! This outrageous portrait piece by Laic217 at the entrance to the tunnel just makes me laugh. It has all the hallmarks of his work, that takes the grotesque to a new level, softened by some superb paint craft (by which I mean tone and depth) and a brilliant background.

I wouldn’t ordinarily associate Laic217 with St Werburghs tunnel, but it is great to see him painting here. The distorted face features an enormous toothy mouth and protruding chin, but the character seems happy enough with it. Street artists often add an edge to portraits by omitting to include pupils in the eyes, which gives a bit of a sinister appearance, unsettling for the viewer. The material of the character’s clothes is as you’d expect perfectly painted, and the backdrop of blue smiley faces on a pick background, is suitably trippy. This is a great piece from Laic217.

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