5719. M32 cycle path (242)

Biers, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023
Biers, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023

Biers has had a very busy couple of months, producing some rally nice work along the war. This is a fabulous WD40 piece on the M32 Cycle path, following his usual formula of his letters accompanied by a character, although this time the character is at the right-hand end, rather than peering through the hole of the ‘0’.

Biers, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023
Biers, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023

The chrome writing is very nicely presented, although unless you knew it said WD40 is, in my view, very difficult to read. The character has defeated me, except I wonder if he is one of those little characters from Star Wars – Jawas I think they are called. Probably not, but my knowledge of popular culture is limited. May I wish you a very pleasant and restful Christmas Eve.

5718. Dean Lane skate park (671)

Dibz, Fade and Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Dibz, Fade and Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023

Good morning and happy Christmas Eve. A busy day for most, I expect, and definitely for me. One of my tasks today is to make a ‘Sussex Pond’ pudding, which is our alternative to Christmas pudding, which the kids and I don’t much care for. I’ll keep this short.

Dibz, Fade and Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Dibz, Fade and Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023

Wonderful work from Dibz, Fade and Jody, who have teamed up several times this year to produce some outstanding collaborations. This is a true collaboration where all the contributions are in the one piece. Jody painted the wolf, and Dibz the letters, so I expect that Fade painted the wonderful background.

Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023

Jody steals thee show a little with his magnificent wolf portrait in the centre of the piece. It is so good to see so many street pieces from him this year, and I hope he continues into next year.

Emperor

.

Two hours thirty eight

Napoleon Bonaparte

a work of fiction?

.

by Scooj

5717. M32 roundabout J3 (535)

Wispa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Wispa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

This year, as in most recent years, Pekoe really celebrated her birthday in style with the RBF crew and associates. Wispa came along for the ride and painted this fabulous writing/character combination piece.

Wispa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Wispa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

Unfortunately I don’t know who the rather cute character with attitude is, but she is painted as beautifully as you’d expect from Wispa, who always finished her work so well, with crispness and sharpness. All aspects of this piece come together really well. Bravo Wispa!

5716. M32 Cycle path (241)

Zake, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023
Zake, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023

Well, this doesn’t happen very often. I completely forgot to write my blog posts this morning, and am now in a bit of a panic. I think it must be the disruption to my normal routine, and that feeling that I have an awful lot to do before Christmas. Perhaps the character piece by Zake adequately describes my state of mind today.

Zake, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023
Zake, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023

This piece was part of a PWA paint jam, but alas, by the time I got there this was the only bit of it left. The laughing face full of depth and texture, has a fractured skull through which his brain appears to have turned to jelly. I suspect that there is some Face 1st influencing going on with this fun piece.

5715. North Street

Cheo, North Street, Bristol, December 2023
Cheo, North Street, Bristol, December 2023

One of the most pleasurable things about going on my rounds to photograph street/graffiti art in Bristol is that I am frequently surprised by pieces that I didn’t know about and that stand out from the crowd. Frankly, pretty much anything that Cheo paints stands out, and due to a significant drop-off in his street activity in recent years, their rarity makes them even more exciting.

Cheo, North Street, Bristol, December 2023
Cheo, North Street, Bristol, December 2023

Painted on 1 December, this piece almost feels like the opening window of an advent calendar (which has just given me a brilliant idea to pitch with Upfest). The rather likeable mischievous character is peering through a wall, and an arrow points off to the right. This might have been some kind of promotional commission, but I prefer to think of it as a joyful artwork. Only three more sleeps until Christmas.

5714. Brunel Way (250)

Sako, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2023
Sako, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2023

Although Sako has only painted a handful of pieces in Bristol, they have not gone unnoticed. His colour selection alone gives his work away, often opting for a magenta character, with blues and greens augmenting his work.

Sako, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2023
Sako, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2023

Originally from the Basque Country, it would seem that Sako has settled in Bristol for the last year or so. His mystical work seems to be centred around storytelling and mythology. In this piece, his female character appears to be bridging the space between the land and the sky. The urban landscape is represented with the blue circle, with a green mountain backdrop completing the scene. Although he painted this piece alone, Sako often paints alongside Zake and other PWA crew members. Great stuff, rather understated and modest. Time to hit a more prominent wall, I think.

Glide path to Christmas

.

In-box reducing

meetings eliminated

the Mary Celeste

.

by Scooj

5713. Elton Street (27)

Prefab77, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023
Prefab77, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023

I am not sure that I have come across Prefab77 before, but as a massive fan of the North East band Prefab Sprout, I can’t help liking this artist simply because of his name. In addition to this large piece in Elton Street, Prefab77 also left a smaller one in Leonard Lane, perhaps during a single visit to Bristol.

Prefab77, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023
Prefab77, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023

The black and white piece is really clever, looking like a collage of words and images stuck to the wall. It is actually a composite of stencils to create this ‘scrapbook’ appearance. A busy piece with lots to look at, Prerfab77 has brought us something rather special.

5712. M32 roundabout J3 (534)

Alex Arnell, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2023
Alex Arnell, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2023

It is a funny thing, but when you have been observing and documenting street art as long as I have, you get to notice things that many others simply wouldn’t, and you can pretty much always spot talent and promise from the vast spectrum of artwork and graffiti appearing on our walls daily.

Alex Arnell, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2023
Alex Arnell, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2023

To Many, this piece by Alex Arnell wouldn’t elicit a second glance, but the child-like scribble is a deliberate style that challenges the status quo. One of the indications that this piece is by a capable artist is the shading on the character’s nose, giving it depth, something a child would not do. The grotesque and alarming face is surrounded with slogans and words, and there is even another head that mimics the central character. I couldn’t end this post without mentioning the butterflies that are associated with some of Alex Arnell’s work, and the little Banksy rat that has been given the Arnell treatment.