3819. Cumberland Basin

One of many great things about summer is that is gets people outdoors more often and in particular, artists who might be more familiar with their studios get a chance to express themselves by painting a few walls. This piece by Yoliws was created during a paint jam organised by the Bristol Womxn Mural Collective a few weeks back.

Yoliws, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2021
Yoliws, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2021

Although Yoliws doesn’t paint walls too often, her style is highly memorable and always rather fun and joyful. The figures she paints are wobbly and stylised, the sorts of things that would work really well on cards or illustrating the pages of children’s books. Simple and beautiful.

Removals

.

Too many wardrobes

moving them around the house

it is a mug’s game

.

by Scooj

3818. Upfest 2021 75×75 (19)

This enormous mural was one of the first to be completed for the Upfest 75×75 event and is by Emotional Waterfall Art. The piece is a colourful abstract explosion of shapes on a white background – a confetti mural, which is an absolute bugger to photograph and can’t have been all that easy to paint.

Emotional Waterfall Art, Smyth Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Emotional Waterfall Art, Smyth Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

Emotional Waterfall Art is a Bristol-based outfit run an artist who plays hard to get on her website and doesn’t disclose her name, simply that she is the creator of Emotional Waterfall Art. I’m not sure how many murals she has painted before, and I am not familiar with her work, but this is a very impressive introduction.

3817. Frome side (12)

I don’t know if there is an awful lot more I can say about the kawaii cuteness of Maesyhook’s work, other than to say that here is another fine piece hot off the production line, this time underneath the M32.

Maesyhook, Frome side, Bristol, June 2-021
Maesyhook, Frome side, Bristol, June 2-021

I think that this a rather sweet little creature emerging from a banana – how do you think of such a thing? Usually we associate large spiders with bananas, having hitched a ride from their native countries. This is a very nicely finished piece, painted with her soft pastel colours that lend themselves so well to these (edgy) cute characters.

Stormlet

.

Thor’s hammer restrained

a few rumbles at seven

now we breathe easy

.

by Scooj

3816. Greenbank (11)

One of the things that regular readers of Natural Adventures might have noticed is the high proportion of female street artists that are featured. This is not me being selective, but an honest reflection of just how many female artists are regularly painting these days. I am saying this as a brilliant thing, not as a surprising thing, which I think might shatter a few people’s preconceptions about street art and graffiti. There are few artists, male or female, who appear as regularly as Pekoe.

Pekoe, Greenbank, Bristol, June 2021
Pekoe, Greenbank, Bristol, June 2021

This wonderful portrait piece is on the (very) long wall at Greenbank. The face, in yellow, has features that are really clear and sharp, and the blue lips are particularly eye-catching. The big hair, a Pekoe trademark, is beautifully decorated with all sorts of squiggles and symbols. Another triumph from the lovely Pekoe.

3815. Upfest 2021 75×75 (18)

This mural by Carla James is utterly, utterly stunning and a serious contender for my favourite piece of Upfest 21 so far. It saddens me to report that this was one of the dozen or so pieces that was vandalised recently, which is a dreadful shame, and makes my blood boil. However, I was lucky to see it in its original condition. Carla James lives just outside Bristol, so she might be able to salvage it, depending on her work I guess.

Carla James, Exeter Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Carla James, Exeter Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

This wall is so difficult to photograph, like so many in Bedminster – I recommend that more double yellow lines are introduced, which is what we should be doing in the name of reducing car use and mitigating for climate change. The artwork and general feel of this piece is extraordinary, and I simply cannot praise it enough. Carla James has mastered the technique of painting helium balloons (a Fanakapan speciality) but it is the exquisite beauty and colours of the hummingbird that really stand out.

Carla James, Exeter Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Carla James, Exeter Road, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

I think that if I could take a piece of art home with me from Upfest 75×75, it would be this one (so far). I am blown away.

3814. Muriel Alleyway (5)

Hurrah! For Yoliws ( Yoli Ward-Streeter) a Bristol artist and member of the fabulous Bristol Womxn Mural Collective, hurrah! I say again for this delightful mural in one of Bristol’s less visited street art spots. This mural is bright and full of joy.

Yoliws, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, July 2021
Yoliws, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, July 2021

I managed to take these pictures on a bright day and without the trees casting a shadow, which is something of a feat in this particular spot. The character has been painted with Yoliws’ characteristic wobbly lines and the orange body filled with beautiful stars and squiggles. The piece has loads of movement to it and an underlying happiness, which is so great to see. A truly uplifting mural.

3813. Gerrish Avenue

Three dancing octopus girls seems to be what is going on in this superb mural from Sussanah Polley who appears to have moved from Western Australia to the fine city of Bristol, and that is great news for us. This mural, ‘naked octopus party’ is one of a few adorning pubs around Bristol, and I need to seek out some of the others.

Susannah Pooley, Gerrish Avenue, Bristol, July 2021
Susannah Pooley, Gerrish Avenue, Bristol, July 2021

Sussanah Pooley’s pop surrealism art is a perfect fit for Bristol’s street art scene, combining originality and creativity with perfect execution. Any piece of art with naked ladies and octopi gets my vote for sure. I found this piece by accident, which was very lucky, but will try to be a little more deliberate in future. A truly wonderful piece and I look forward to finding more.