This is a very welcome piece from Mr Underbite, who has managed to get under my skin completely, with his character pieces. This is the second time he has painted this spot, on the pathway alongside the Bristol Avon, and in doing so has made a bit of a claim on this little wall.
Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2022
The view referred to by the character is of the Avon Gorge and Clifton suspension bridge, which is just to the right and beyond this wall. The character has paint brushes sticking out of the top of his head, and he seems to be in the mood for painting. I am so enjoying the journey with Mr Underbite.
One of the highlights of the last few weeks has been the appearance of a couple of Cheo pieces, something there has been a distinct lack of over the last two years. Here he has combined with Kopsky, an artist I am not familiar with.
Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022
The central character is classic Cheo. A caricature in a cartoon style with all the trappings of hip-hop culture. Beautifully painted and finished. It really has been way too long without his quality on the streets. I hope that this pieces is something of a renaissance.
Cheo and Kopsky, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022
The letters Arne by Kopsky and are obviously the work of a very accomplished writer. I’m not too sure what the letters spell out, but the greyscale tones are a perfect foil for Cheo’s colours. I love the tape and plasters ‘attaching’ the piece to the wall. Fine work indeed in this collaboration.
This is the first Petro piece I have seen for a little while, but like all his pieces it is most welcome. Spelling out the word PETRO, the letters have a rather organic feel to them not really conforming to any specific convention, but immediately identifiable as a Petro piece. I love the “age 49 3/4” which made me laugh. A fine piece.
Petro, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2022
Having returned from Porto in the small hours of this morning, I have had time to reflect on the comparative street art scenes in Porto and in Bristol. My conclusion is that the two cities have very different styles, Porto’s seemingly in its infancy and Bristol’s, a mature and extraordinarily diverse and accomplished scene. Both are exciting and vibrant but in different ways.
Shortly after painting this vibrant piece for Upfest, Rtiiika had a leaving paint jam on Cattle Market Road with her Bristol Womxn Mural Collective friends. I am not too sure where she is leaving to or how long for, but I am certain she will be back.
Rtiiika, Upfest22, Bristol, May 2022
This is a beautifully designed piece with Rtiiika’s classic stylised figures all jumbled up together. A mash up of shoes, hats, legs, boobs and willies, some in outline and some in solid fill make this a dynamic and fun piece. Even though Rtiiika has left Bristol, I have several more of her pieces in my archive which I hope to find time to post. One of my favourite Rtiiika pieces.
One of the most pleasurable parts of the new format for Upfest, was the opportunity to meet artists in the weeks before the festival weekend while they were completing their allocated walls, and none more so than Ant Carver who I also met last year. The technique and painting methods he uses means that he paints over several days, and I think I caught up with him on three separate occasions while he painted this extraordinary portrait piece.
Ant Carver, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
The first stage to his work is creating a matrix on the wall which he photographs and then superimposes his draft onto on his mobile phone. The lines act as a grid which he uses to map out a sketch on the wall, and he can create his outlines with pin-point accuracy. I believe that the piece is one he had painted on canvass for an exhibition.
Ant Carver, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Ant Carver, I think, uses spray cans for some of the work, but much of it is painted with brushes. The fine detail in the piece is achieved with the brushes, something that would be difficult to achieve using spray paint alone.
Ant Carver, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
I have a feeling that This piece, and indeed last year’s 75 x 75 piece are about aspects of mental health. I am not too certain that Ant Carver completed the piece, because the candle doesn’t look finished to me. I’ll need to check up on that.
Ant Carver, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
All in all another very pleasing and special piece from Ant Carver, on a new wall for Upfest, which is in a really great spot for maximum exposure. Great work from this modest and really likeable artist.
It is difficult to know where to begin with this outstanding street scene by Dan Kitchener, whose work just seems to get better and better. Painted on one of the larger Upfest walls, the typical street scene features tons of smaller screens displaying Japanese advertising and anime figures cheek by jowl.
Dan Kitchener, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
The wall is not easy to photograph, so I have broken the piece down into sections or chunks to give a taste of the intricacy of each section. At the base of the piece, a wet street scene with a car and pedestrians holding umbrellas, is reminiscent (as I have said many times before) of the dystopian scenes from Blade Runner, a theme present in so much of Dan Kitchener’s work.
Dan Kitchener, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Above the street level, a bank of advertising screens and hoardings illuminate the dark street. It would be interesting to have a translations of all the writing, to understand better what is happening here.
Dan Kitchener, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
It is amazing to see this all as one piece by one artist, because it comes across as if each section is by a different artist, if you see what I mean. I don’t know how long it took Dan Kitchener to paint the piece, but I know he works fast, and I imagine this represents 2-3 days of painting. An utterly outstanding piece that transports you halfway across the world, if even for a short while.
What a striking piece, one that really grabs the eye, and then when you look deeper, there is so much detail around the portraits with the superb calligraphy built into every aspect of the piece. I don’t know too much about the artist, Davide, and this is the first time he has featured on Natural Adventures. I believe he is from Italy, and his Facebook page is well worth a look.
Davide, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
I am not sure if the calligraphy is made up or if it actually means anything, but it is certainly an original and unique style. It really is quite incredible that Upfest manage to draw artists from around the world, and I wonder if the people of Bristol really appreciate how lucky we are.
Natural adventures 