Enn Kay is an artist who appeared on the scene about a year ago and has been very busy ever since. His characters can be found all over Bristol, and his artwork improves with each one.
Enn Kay, New Stadium Road, Bristol, November 2022
Enn Kay’s latest favourite character appears to be this dragon/crocodile figure, which seems to have superseded his octopus character. It is always good to see artists move on and develop ideas, especially character artists who can at times be seduced or locked into producing a single character and adapting it with decoration or colour or details. A nice piece painted during a paint jam in the grubby underpass.
y pressed for time this morning, as I am attending a two-day conference, one day online and the other in-person, but it means my whole day is pretty compressed.
I said I would share more work by Solar, and true to my word, here is a recent one from the M32 roundabout.
Solar, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2022
Solar has a fairly organic approach to his writing, pushing the boundary beyond conventional lettering, fills and borders. The overall effect is tidier and more considered than it might be at first inspection. Nice work from Solar.
Mote is on fire at the moment. Barely a day goes by without another new piece appearing on the streets of Bristol, and I am having great trouble keeping up. Mote’s monsters are becoming larger and more sophisticated with each new piece, and it is a joy to witness his development.
Mote, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2022
I particularly like this character, there is something very endearing about it. In a departure from his recent approach, Mote hasn’t buffed the wall before painting this one, but it is strong enough to compete with the surrounding graffiti without being compromised. Another great piece from Mote
The RBF crew are very popular among other artists in Bristol, and birthdays are often an excuse for a whole group of artists to come together for a paint jam. Recently it was the turn of Bnie to celebrate, and there was a great turnout of artists in St Werburghs tunnel to join in the festivities.
Bnie, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2022
Bnie, certainly pushed the boat out with this design, which incorporates her customary beautiful letters, slightly jazzed up, and with a beautiful five colour horizontal fade across the letters. The letters (as if they weren’t already great) are brought to life under a white zig-zag line across the piece, where the colours appear where the white is, and outside the line, the letters are simply black with white outlines. A complex and beautiful piece of writing. Belated Happy Birthday Bnie.
This piece, by Lazo, is one of the most arresting portraits I have seen in quite a while. It was painted during a Paint jam between some artists I know and some I have never heard of, including Lazo.
Lazo, New Stadium Road, Bristol, November 2022
There is some good shading work in tones of blue, green and yellow which provide plenty of depth to the face. Although this is not the best portrait piece I have seen, and there are some things that don’t quite work for me, I think it is very good and there is something about it that compels me to look at it. Perhaps it is the expressionless face, or the hanging hair, or the colours. Whatever it is, it fascinates me. I hope to see more from Lazo.
I was lucky enough to meet Cobo recently while he was spraying another piece of graffiti writing on the other side of this wall under Brunel Way. It turns out that he is a lovely bloke who has come to Bristol from New Zealand very recently and is looking for walls to paint. I hope I was able to help him with that in a small way. I’m not sure how long he will be staying, but expect to see more from Cobo in the coming weeks.
Cobo, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022
Cobo is clearly an accomplished writer, using the letters ‘COBER’ in this piece, although I know he likes to switch things up a little bit. These solid, strong letters, looking like a rocky outcrop, are beautifully laid out in two shades of blue, the darker shade with additional decoration. The dark green background sets the letters up really nicely, providing a buffer between them and the overpainted works beneath. A nice introduction to another talent to hit Bristol.
It is too easy in life to take things for granted, and sometimes we need something to remind us that special places, people and events are happening all around us all the time, if only we woke up and appreciated them. I had such an awakening yesterday, when photographing this Halloween paint jam from the RBF crew on the wall of the Coach and Horses. This spot is easy to drive past, but very difficult to stop and park near, but thankfully I found some obliging double yellow lines that I occupied for five minutes.
Hazard, Coach and Horses, Bristol, November 2022
Hazard is a phenomenon. Her work goes from strength to strength and this recent Halloween portrait is absolutely exceptional. The detail, the shading which provides depth, and the expression are flawless. I love this piece and Hazard’s work, and I do not take it for granted, rather I see it as a privilege that I get to see her work on a regular basis. Brilliant.
Natural adventures 