Looking for the sun
where there is none to be found
a winter beauty
by Scooj
2674. M32 roundabout J3 (188)
There is something rather thrilling about coming across a new piece from a new artist and this is the perfect example. The wonderful bold wobbly woman, painted with a creative confidence that I just love is by Yoli Ward-Streeter (Yoliws) who is one third of an all female creative community in Bristol called glu (art).
It is high-time that we had an injection of new street art in Bristol and especially from female painters, you can never have enough. The thing I love most about this piece is the sense of freedom and fun that it exudes, there is nothing pretentious or arrogant about it and the naive style, simple outline and solid fill added together create something really rather different and special.
I look forward to seeing more from Yoli and her partners at Glu and am already aware of some small pieces down at Cumberland Basin that have been painted by this collective. All good.
2673. M32 roundabout J3 (187)
Face 1st has been at it again with this beautiful piece down on the north side of the M32 roundabout. I think this must have been his last piece of 2019 and it features both a happy and a sad face which might be a reflection of the year gone by. Let’s hope that next year’s equivalent piece has two happy faces.
The writing in this piece is so very easy on the eye with big fat letters and subtle shading and highlights that give it a nice 3D effect. The two things that stand out for me though are the little red heart and the tears of the crying girl. Thank you Face 1st for an incredible year of art, and a lovely t-shirt to boot.
Fixer
Shower door, loo seat
mirror, mirror on the wall
deserved cup of tea
by Scooj
2672. St Werburghs tunnel (128)
I have a feeling that although Kleiner Shames now lives and works in London, he must have friends or family in Bristol who he visits from time to time, and when he does, he takes a little time out to paint, which is lucky for us really.
This piece is one of a couple that he painted over the Christmas break in the St Werburghs tunnel. Spelling out FOIS, this is typical of the wonderful designed style that Kleiner Shames uses. The colours and solid fills are trademarks that identify his work, but it is the hint of art influences from the 1920s that I love to see. He is an artist that will always be welcome in Bristol.
2671. M32 roundabout J3 (186)
Ooh, there is so much to like about this gorgeous piece of graffiti writing from Rusk down at the M32 roundabout. The colour choices are magnificent and it is clever how the chrome/gray at the bottom of the piece matches the buffed background. The transitions between the the green/white/chrome are masterfully done, with an intermediate green to gently soften the blend.
As always it would appear that Rusk has taken time and care to produce this tight and very clean piece. Even the attention to detail on the smaller yellow RAW and RUSK is of the highest level. This is a classic Rusk piece and showcases really well his skills. Surely it must be time for a gallery of Rusk’s work – I’ll get to it.
Hopeful
Metal detectors
and their expectant owners
hidden artefacts
by Scooj
2670. Stokes Croft
I think that this is the last qWeRT pasteup of our googly-eyed friend that I managed to find after a visit to Bristol by the artist a few weeks ago. This yellow love-heart character was pasted on a wall that sees quite a lot of tagging action, and not long after I took this picture the wheatpase became quite badly tagged, which is a pity.
There is something rather special about qWeRT’s wheatpastes, and it seems that all of them carry messages of love and hope and who can complain about that? Unlike spray paint, paste ups eventually get wet and peel away, a process that can take a few weeks in exposed places to a few years if they are more sheltered. This one I fear may not last too long.
2669. Newfoundland Road (5)
I caught sight of this amazing new mural by Conrico from the M32 and I was driving past a week or two back. I had to go back and take another look and found that it is a large commission piece for the ‘Jerusalem Falafel’ shop in Newfoundland Road.
Conrico is an artist who I have only really known about for the last year or so but his work has certainly made an impact on me and he has featured in Natural Adventures rather a lot, which is a good thing. This bright and colourful mural features a young man in a red shirt and baseball cap grasping a wrap framed in a wall of fruit and vegetables. It is all very Conrico. It would be interesting to see how other Bristol artists might have played out this brief… now there’s an idea.
2668. M32 roundabout J3 (185)
Daz Cat has been relatively quiet over the last couple of months, so it was good to find this cat piece which has been sprayed over a chrome cat he painted in the same spot a few months back.
Many of his pieces tend to be pretty quick and dirty, that is to say they are really good, but are not as crisp as some of the more designed pieces about the place. I am guessing that his cat began life as an elaborate tag that has become something of a trademark for the artist. Maybe it is because I like cats, but I really enjoy finding work from Daz Cat when I’m out and about.
Natural adventures 