I managed to take the dog for a very muddy walk last week up at Purdown. It is the first time I have been there for a while and there were quite a few nice pieces up there. It would appear that Zace has made himself at home up there and this is the first of several pieces by him I will be posting.
Zace, Purdown Battery, Bristol, February 2021
There is a simplicity about Zace’s work that keeps it real and unpretentious. Clean lines and single colour shading keeps a focus on the alien character set in a starry sky. A fun modest piece from Zace.
Many street artists and graffiti writers have dual or multiple personas when they throw paint at a wall. There are many reasons for this, for example sometimes it is to obfuscate their identity as most of this activity isn’t strictly legal, other times it is to separate out professional from personal identities. Here we have an artist who I have met before under a different name, but here he is with his new moniker ‘SERM’.
Serm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2021
I was fortunate enough to bump into SERM when he was half way through painting this piece and we chatted for a little while. It is interesting to see how he works and that the little smoke wisps along the top of the piece are one of the first bits he paints, which is counterintuitive for a non-artist like me.
Serm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2021
This is a very nice piece of writing with some great colour selections and the yellow 3D shadow works particularly well. I hope this is the first SERM of many.
Nina Raines dropped me a message on 17 January to say that she and some friends were going to be repainting the North Street dental surgery, just in case I was able to come along. Unfortunately work is so busy at the moment, it is impossible for me to choose the moments I get to visit spots around Bristol, and the two days this was being painted were chockablock, which was very disappointing. Far from disappointing though was the outstanding piece that Nina Raines, Phoebe Tonks and Ana Cruz painted along the practice wall.
Nina Raines, Phoebe Tonks and Ana Cruz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021
This is one of those collaborations where all three artists have combined their talents in the one piece and it is impossible for me to know who painted which bit, so this is a true fully-integrated collaboration. The 1950s look and feel of the lady with her toothbrush and toothpaste at the ready is inspired and adds a superb splash of colour in this corner between North Street and Dean Lane.
Nina Raines, Phoebe Tonks and Ana Cruz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021
While the lady character is the focal point of the piece, there is so much other interest on this busy wall with the decorative patterns and outlines of children and a tooth fairy. In my view this piece is brilliantly designed and brilliantly executed, and I sincerely hope that the dental surgery are pleased with it. This is a fine landmark in this part of Bedminster.
Nina Raines, Phoebe Tonks and Ana Cruz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2021
Ali Hamish Campbel and Nina Raines, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019
At times photographing and writing about street art requires some detective work, tracking down who might have painted a particular piece. This is especially true when new artists burst onto the scene. I shan’t go into the detail of how I found Tao.create, suffice it to say that it wasn’t easy.
Tao.create, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021
I believe that this might be her first wall in Bristol, although I might be wrong there, but if it is, what a fabulous debut. The trapeze artist has a lovely feel about her and a grace and poise that comes across really well. The colours and shadings are very nicely done and the framing of the subject works very well on a column – it would look rather awkward on a landscape wall. Let’s hope this is the first of many.
This is a really nice example of two artists who like to paint together switching things up a little. Kool Hand and Daz Cat have painted a lot together, but not so much over the last six months or so. When they collaborate, Daz Cat normally paints a character and Kool Hand provides the writing.
Kool Hand and Daz Cat, St Werburghs, Bristol January 2021
In this recent piece in the tunnel, the leopard on the left is by Kool Hand and is superbly done, I think it might be one of his best characters yet and Daz Cat has thrown up the letters DKAT. It must be fun painting with friends and playing with styles and methods and it certainly keeps things interesting for the likes of me.
This is the latest in a sequence of new Laic217 pieces, but one that alas only lasted a few days before being over-painted. Set on a nicely prepped black background, this piece has a skeleton (of course) and some throw up writing about the place. This is quite clever, because it looks like the tagging looks like it was already there and Laic217 has planted his piece over the top of it, but it is all his work.
Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2021
At risk of repeating myself, something I do a lot of on Natural Adventures, it is the textures in the clothes and materials that Laic217 carries off so well. On this particular piece, the zip is the star of the show. If you like street art with clothed skeletons, then Laic217 is yer man.
This wall used to have a wonderful tribute piece on it to honour DJ Derek by Deamze and Sepr. From speaking to a local, I understand that the owners of the wall loved it, but they had to have some damp treatment work done on the house and the mural had to go as part of that. The result is a vast wall that is crying out for decoration
Deamze and Sepr, Richmond Road, Bristol, February 2017
Who should come along, but Stewy, who has some other pieces nearby, to place a stencil of a duck, high up on the wall perching on a pipe. Although a small piece, it commands the wall and adds interest for passers by who manage to extract themselves from their mobile technology and look at the world around them.
Stewy, Richmond Road, Bristol, Jnuary 2021
This is a fun stencil, and I can imagine a wry smile on the artist’s face when he painted this. This is all part of the circle of life of a Bristol wall.
Natural adventures 