Gatoloco (Kasoe), M32 cycle path, Bristol, July 2023
Visiting artists are always welcome in Bristol, and there is something comforting about artists who return, having painted some time in the past. Gatoloco has painted in the city before, but recently he left this lovely piece alongside the M32.
Gatoloco (Kasoe), M32 cycle path, Bristol, July 2023
Gatoloco has a very distinct style of chunky letters (KASOE) which in this piece sit over the top of what looks like some other letters, possibly ESK? Or perhaps I am over-thinking the whole thing. I am not usually a fan of browns in graffiti writing, but I think that Gatoloco has done a great job, and there is enough of the blood-red fill to lift the piece from its browniness. Great to see Gatoloco back in town.
Gatoloco (Kasoe), Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2019Gatoloco (Kasoe), Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2019
I bumped into Klashwhensober yesterday, the first time for a couple of months, and talked to him about these recent pieces from Dean Lane, and he told me that all three had been tagged, which is a bit disappointing, but at least I managed to get clean shots of them.
Klashwhensober, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2023
The blue and red split piece is another example of how Klashwhensober’s work has gone up a level recently. The two colours contrast really well, and the fill patterns reflect one another perfectly. Klashwhensober has also put in some shading on the letters to add a bit of depth. Where the colours meet, the letters appear to crumble into fragments. This is a fun and accomplished piece, and alongside his other two works demonstrates his versatility.
Klashwhensober, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2023
Although I am not certain, I think that all three pieces were painted in a very short space of time, perhaps in the same day. This second piece, in chrome, again spelling SOBER, is much flatter than the first one. Without the decoration the piece would be in danger of being a bit plain, but Klahwhensober doesn’t do plain, so he has added some purple cloudy frills and a wispy red ribbon running through the letters.
Klashwhensober, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2023
Finally, an orangee throw up completes the set, and although obviously a quick one, it is still finished nicely. I imagine that he was running low on orange paint, as it is fairly transparent in places. Altogether, a good display of the talent on offer from the always prolific Klahwhensober.
Cumberland Basin is a bit of a generic area name that I use to describe quite a large space north of the bridge over the River Avon. This particular piece from Mote is on the Eastern edge of the Cumberland Basin area, adjacent to one of the very large warehouses that fringe this part of the river.
Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2023
The large piece is another bird-monster character, this time double-ended and with a fluffy thing in the middle. I am not too sure the middle section works too well, as it interrupts the flow through the creature. Mote might have added it in to fill the space, but more conventional patterns and colours might have done the job. It is clear that the middle section is by Mote, but it looks like it could have been a creative addition by a different artist altogether. Still an immensely enjoyable piece though.
Fade, Dibz and Rusk, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2023
2023 has been the year of epic collaborations, under Brunel Way, at Dean Lane and at other spots in Bristol as well. Quite why there have been so many collaborations and paint jams this year is not clear, but perhaps it has something to do with being in a post-Covid era where friendships have been refreshed and cemented. Friendships and relationships have perhaps never been so important as we navigate our way through a period of political and social instability with the terrifying backdrop of war, and the biodiversity and climate crises.
Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2023
Fade, Dibz and Rusk have joined up to paint this Pink Panther themed wall. Fade has hit the ground running since arriving in Bristol a few months ago, and is fast becoming a regular presence on the walls of south Bristol. Equally at home painting letters or characters, Fade has created a fabulous Blue Aardvark accompanied by some superb pink writing spelling out FADE, all finished immaculately.
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2023
In the middle of the collaboration is some outstanding writing from Dibz flanked on the left with a beautifully depicted Pink Panther and on the right by Rusk’s Inspector. The blue and pink colour combination once again proving to be an absolute winner.
Rusk, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2023
Finally, to the right, is the Rusk piece painted in a typically classy style from one of my favourite writers in the city. Rusk’s continuous, joined-up letters are filled with pink and tan colours that fade beautifully, the bottom half of which has a kind of metallic bronze appearance. This is a highly accomplished and enjoyable collaboration from some of Bristol’s very best. We are truly blessed.
I am celebrating 500 posts from the M32 roundabout J3 with this magnificent graffiti writing piece by PWA’s Soap. My eye was drawn to it immediately, and for a fraction of a second I thought that Liverpool artist Lost Hills might have been in town for a visit. I thought this because Lost Hills Features Jake the Dog from the animation series Adventure Time in all of his work. But no, this was a Soap piece for sure.
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2023
Soap has been developing his writing considerably over the last three or four years, and incorporating cartoon characters into his letters has been central to his look. The letters are usually fairly flexible, adding to the overall artwork of the piece, rather than being the central focus. Plenty going on here, lots of fill patterns and a general feel-good factor. Great colours too.
Looking good in blue and yellow is this great piece of graffiti writing from Pekoe. As noted in a few recent posts of her work, she is making a bit of a change in direction at the moment, moving away from her portraits and concentrating on her writing, perhaps encouraged by RBF friends, Bnie, Vozie, Evie etc. You can see the recent shift by looking at this gallery of her work.
Pekoe, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, July 2023
Pekoe has decided to use the ‘O’ in her letters to paint a mini-portrait, which I think works very well. The letters in this piece feel a little more assured than in other recent pieces. As ever, the more practice an artist puts in, the better they will get. I will be honest and say that I do miss her portrait pieces, but I am sure she’ll surprise us with another one before too long.
Although he doesn’t paint as often as he used to or as often as I’d like, Laic217 has managed to get into a steady rhythm this year, painting about once a month or so. This archetypal piece appeared on the long wall of hoardings at Greenbank earlier on in July.
Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2023
Set on a large orange ‘L’, which I assume stands for Laic217, the skull character comes complete with a bucket hat and large chain around the neck. These are stock items for a Laic217 piece, but it is his trademark skill at painting fabric that really stands out. The folds created with shadows and highlights give the material an almost velvet appearance. A nice tidy piece from a firm favourite on Natural Adventures.
Lee Roy was just finishing off this piece when I turned up on my ’rounds’ and he made plenty of time to chat with me before packing up, which was kind of him. On the two occasions I have been lucky enough to meet him, I can honestly say he is one of the most gentle and likeable characters on the street art circuit (although to be honest, nearly every artist I have spoken to over the years have been thoroughly decent and generous with their time).
Lee Roy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2023
There is so much to like about this one. The blood-red background is the perfect backdrop to contrast with the lighter greeny blue letters. Lee Roy’s letters are that strange combination of being quite regimented in his own style, while at the same time being disorderly and anti-style in nature… he carries off this effect perfectly. There are plenty of fills to enhance the letters, and a fabulous selection of drops in greens and orange. I like this one a lot.
This is the first piece I have posted by Yield, but I am certain it will not be the last. I have plenty of photographs, mostly from the River Avon pathway area, of the artist’s writing, but this one in Peel Street Green appears to be on a slightly different level.
Yield, Peel Street Green, Bristol, June 2023
There is a nice flow to the letters, almost a ribbon effect, an the blur and black fill patterns work nicely through the writing. Some classic features, such as arrows and dots provide interest and the pink background contrasts well with the blues. This is a decent piece of writing, and I will definitely feature more of Yield’s work in future posts.
Natural adventures 