Ah, this is Mr Draws at his happy creative best. His wonderfully recognisable lettering filled with bright and imaginative colours and spme rather nice spotty patterning. Along the bottom of the writing we have some melty drips. All very neat and tidy.
Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2019
This is unquestionably a feel good piece and with the blue skies behind it reminds us that not every day is dreary and wet, even if it feels like it sometimes. The shadow effect to the bottom and left of the letters is particularly notable. Do you know what, I think Mr Draws is moving up a gear.
This should be fairly quick and simple. Here we have a rather fun column piece by an artist called Zinso. Although I have a few pictures of his work from recent walks, he is a new artist to me and I have not been aware of him before the last couple of months or so.
Zinso, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2019
Zinso seems to have a clear idea of his artwork and executes it cleanly to a rehearsed design (I am guessing), almost like a very fancy tag. Practising the same broad design builds up skills and technique. Zinso already seems well on the way to creating an identity. Look out for more from this artist.
You just know when you are looking at a really special piece, and this chihuahua howling in the moon by Irony is an absolute blinder from this year’s Cheltenham Paint Festival.
Irony, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019
Thankfully I decided to visit the festival on the Friday and the Sunday and so managed to catch Irony while he was putting the finishing touches to the piece. At least this time I knew who he was, having seen him paint his extraordinary ‘self-portrait’ piece in Bristol earlier this year.
Irony, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019
When I first saw the mural I thaought it was a wolf, but it just didn’t look right, and I know that Irony is far too good an artist to have muffed it. I knew it was a dog, but I didn’t know what kind until I saw Irony’s Instagram feed.
Irony, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019
Before enjoting the rest of the pictures of this masterpiece I feel I should explain why the pictures feel so squeezed and the angles are all wrong. Of course, the row end wall faces onto a narrow back lane and so it is virtually impossible to get a long shot of the piece. The best view would be from a garden opposite (on a ladder or something like that).
Irony, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019
The moon is superb and almost feels like it is emmitting light. Without doubt a major triumph of the Cheltenham Paint Festival 2019.
Irony, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019
How lucky we are to have two such magnificent writers collaborating for a November 5th Guy Fawkes piece.
Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder treason and plot. So the nursery rhyme goes and in keeping with tradition, this collaboration reminds us about the near destruction of parliament in 1605 by Guy Fawkes and his associates.
Another thing that rather resonates at the moment is the face mask for Guy Fawkes which has been adopted by protestors, often subversive, who rally against sitting governments or administrations – something we are seeing a lot of in the UK at the moment, but also globally in relation to the climate emergency or, for example, the protests in Hong Kong.
Decay and Ryder, M32 spot, Bristol, November 2019
This piece is full of the fiery flames of bonfires and the two writing styles knit together rather well. It is unusual to see a writing collaboration arranged in this way, as we are more used to seeing the components side by side. I feel I ought to point out how stunning the flame fill in Decay’s letters is, quite awesome really. A nice seasonal collaboration.
Wow, wow, wow. Face 1st is really going for this new look girl’s face with tears flooding from her sad eyes. This is the third crying piece I have posted recently and it is a trend that seems to be a commentary on the state of our nation at present.
Face 1st, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2019
This is a crisp and clean piece down under Brunel Way, next to the Bristol New Cut. Face 1st often paints the columns round here, but less frequently paints the main walls, so this is a bit of a treat. An artist who consistently ticks all my boxes.
It has been a very very long time since I last posted anything by 45 RPM. There was a time, when I first started doing all this malarkey, that 45 RPM seemed to be out on the streets painting an awful lot. I actually have quite a few of his pieces in my archive screaming out to be published. In time I guess.
RPM 45, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2019.
I actually happened to be on the cycle path when 45 RPM was starting this piece. Most unlike me, I didn’t introduce myself because at the time I didn’t know who he was. This is a nice Halloween piece or perhaps more Day of the Dead which he did in collaboration with RichT. More to come from this session.
A Halloween double bill from the fabulous Biers from a week or two back. I got lucky enough to catch Biers while he was still painting the piece on the right featuring a cartoon Jason Voorhees from ‘Friday the 13th’.
Biers, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2019
Biers gave no indication that he was going to paint a second character piece (is it from the ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’?) but paint one he did to create this double set. He seems to be enjoying the letters OYEAH at the moment although he didn’t rule out writing Biers again in the future.
Biers, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2019
Biers did explain to me the colour choices in his letters and that they were very deliberately chosen from the colours used in a game or something. If I am honest he lost me a bit on the story. I knew I should have written it down at the time. my memory is like a sieve at the moment.
Biers, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2019
Anyhow this is a pleasurable Halloween romp and a fine pair from Biers. Hats off!
Sled One is hitting a bit of a purple patch just at the moment, and his Instagram feed is overflowing with recent pieces from all over the country. This is a reasonably recent collaboration with Ments and is located on a wall that both artists are familiar with.
Sled One, Upper York Street, Bristol, October 2019
Whether it is graffiti writing or character pieces, Sled One simply knocks it out of the park every time, and his writing in particular seems to embrace so many different styles and techniques. Although you can pretty much always identify the work as his, he has a very broad range of letter shapes and styles and no two pieces are remotely the same, unlike some artists who use the same essential building blocks for every piece. A master at the top of his game.
Natural adventures 