There is rarely a time when I don’t enjoy seeing work by Mr Draws. His DRAW moniker will be a familiar site to any observant Bristolian in recent years, even if they haven’t considered the name any further.
Mr Draws. M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2020
In this fun piece, Mr Draws has added interest to his writing with a little spaceship sending light beams down onto his work. Although not an original concept, it is a fun idea that brought a smile to my face. Mr drwas continues to show great stamina, painting walls come rain or shine and keeping Bristol’s USP ticking over nicely.
It is not too often that you get to see a piece by Gage Graphics that is not a commission or a festival work, so this recent stunner in St Werburghs tunnel is something of a rarity. Featuring writing and a character, it is a real beauty and was a nice surprise when I came across it last week.
Gage Graphics, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
The writing says serif (I wonder if it is in anyway related to the typeface) and is expertly painted, with some nice arrows incorporated too. I suspect that Biers (who has other names) would definitely approve of the horse/donkey braying ‘ooohhhyyyeeeaaahhh’. A real treat.
Gage Graphics, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
Walking the dog one lunchtime a few weeks ago I was lucky enough to meet two lovely artists busy at work at the farm end of St Werburghs tunnel. I recognised the work of Morny instantly, his naive style is both eye-catching and compelling, so I went and introduced myself. I was touched that he seemed to know about my Instagram/Twitter accounts, but I don’t know if he has ventured as far as Natural Adventures just yet. He introduced me to his painting partner Billy, who was painting a bright and colourful mural to his right.
Morny and Billy, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020
I’m glad I took these WIP (Work in Progress) shots because when I returned a couple of days later to take pictures of the finished wall, it had been painted over. I cringed a little, because I told them that turnover on this particular wall was quite slow and that their work would be there for a while. Just shows what I know huh? Billy’s work reminds me a little of Zoe Power’s, because of its simple form and colourful fills. I do hope she isn’t put off by the rapidity of the disappearance of her piece and that she paints more walls this year.
Morny, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020
There was one remaining part of Morny’s piece that survived for my return, but it only really hints at what had been there. Such a pity. I guess it is impossible to be everywhere all the time.
When Inkie comes back to Bristol, he usually marks his return with a little gift or two, and this one from a recent visit home is an absolute corker. Deliciously clean and sharp, this vibrant INKIE is a classy piece.
Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
It is incredible how the colours leap out and slap you in the face, an effect probably exaggerated by the gray day and flat light. It is great to see a little shout out to The Agent, who is one of the longer established street artists in Bristol. Altogether a superb piece. Thank you Inkie.
I don’t need to write too much about this – regular readers will know the form. It is a rabbit by Nevergiveup or #followmyrabbits. This one is on the roof of the Bedminster swimming baths which is on Dean Lane, a popular graffiti spot but it has to be said that this rabbit stands out from all the graffiti writing around it.
Nevergiveup, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2019
I’m not too sure how old this rabbit is – it looks quite fresh, and I have a feeling that there might have been a different one here before it, but then again I might be imagining things. So, so many more rabbits to share…
I was wandering around Montpelier (Bristol) recently hunting down a specific piece of street art that I wanted to photograph (it’s actually on the right hand end wall of this building). My eye was drawn to this rather lovely door and then to the plaque above it. The cell behind the door is known as Charley’s box.
Charley Box plaque, Montpelier, Bristol, February 2020
Before 1836 there was no police force in Bristol, so until some kind of law and order was formally established Montpelier employed its own nightwatchman called Charley (I’m not sure I believe this). Charley had the powers of arrest and would grab unruly citizens and chuck them into this cell overnight until a sobering trip to the magistrates the following morning. I believe the building is now privately owned but the original door appears to still be there, which is lucky for this post.
Charley Box door, Montpelier, Bristol, February 2020
So only the one door this week – I have been rather busy I’m afraid.
If you like doors, you ought to take a look at the Norm 2.0 blog – the originator of Thursday Doors where there are links to yet more doors in the comments section at the end.
Forgive the rain spot on the feature image, it was a very wet day when I took these pictures, and no matter how hard I tried to protect the lens from the rain, I just didn’t meet with much success. Sometimes though you simply have to venture out in all kinds of weather to capture incredible pieces like this one by Decay for fear that they could be tagged or painted over at any time, especially in Dean Lane.
Decay, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
I am loving the new direction that Decay is taking with his writing this year, with the inclusion of an additional set of letters behind his familiar ‘DECAY’. In this piece on the famous curved wall, he has written the letters HTM, which I believe is a crew name, possibly his partnership with Rezwonk, which stands for Hold the Mustard (thank you Paul). I look forward to January when it comes to Decay, because he seems to reinvent himself, not too much, and then kicks off for the rest of the year with the new idea. This particular idea has a lot of mileage in it and I can’t wait to see more.
L Dub is a really great spot to refine your skills. It is out of the way and undisturbed, so there is no sense of being rushed. The walls there are for all artists, there doesn’t seem to be too much built-in hierarchy. DFC is a street art photographer/hunter who has been turning his skills to spraying walls, and he has been really busy over the last six months or so.
DFC, L Dub, Bristol, January 2020
I am more used to seeing his DFC ‘bear’ type character so I was pleased to see this spray can with wings, which is another of his favourites. It is clear to see from his work that the more you practice, the better you get. It is what every artist has told me and I guess should come as no surprise. Plenty more in my archive to share from this emerging artist.
It is such an obvious thing to say, but I can’t stop myself… this is a two for the price of one wall from Slim Pickings (TES). It is not often that you get to see two pieces by the same artist side-by-side, especially painted around the same time. What is nice about these it that you can compare the subtle differences between the two designs, both of which are beautifully clean by the way.
Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
I don’t know the derivation of his TES pieces, but I suspect they began as a tag and have evolved over time into these elaborate and aesthetically pleasing works. The one on the left has some excellent colour choices with a wavy separation and some nice drips on the T. Woz Yer = was here, possibly one of the oldest mottos used in graffiti.
Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
On the right is a slightly older form of his TES with little accent marks to the bottom left and right of the letter sequence. There is a single solid fill, but in this one the whole thing is finished off with a red boundary line. Spotting the difference between the two is rather fun, perhaps he should do this more often.
Natural adventures 