Abstract – Natural adventures

4868. St Werburghs tunnel (326)

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2022

Artists like Mr Klue are the bedrock upon which this blog is built. I have been writing about his wonderful abstract work for several years, and over that time he has gone through productive periods and quiet periods, and right now he is out there painting pretty regularly.

This mesmerising abstract writing piece contains several of the characteristics we would expect from Mr Klue. The wispy and smokey letters, some floating steps on the left and a coil to the right of the piece. You might need to use your imagination a little, but the letters most likely spell out KLUE. This is a pleasing piece with a great colour palette that combines really well in this fine piece from Mr Klue.

4853. Porto (11)

Although I have more than enough Bristol pieces I want to share on Natural Adventures, I feel it would be wrong not to also feature a few more pieces from my trip to Porto in June this year. It is remarkable how different these pieces are from the kind of thing we see back home, and it illustrates how each country/city has its own distinct style and culture.

This small selection is from Hazul, who would appear to be the most prolific artist in Porto, alongside Costah. Judging from the aged look of some of Hazul’s pieces, I would guess that the artist has been painting the city walls for quite some time.

Hazul specialises in beautiful abstract designs, normally painted in soft muted colours, and quite often incorporates a crystal, acting like a signature. I think that I have enough photographs of Hazul’s work to do a little gallery, which demonstrates both the endurance and proliferation of the artist’s work.

4844. Cumberland Basin

Maesyhook, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022

I like surprises, especially ones that involve street art, and boy was this a surprise. Maesyhook is known for her Kawaii cute animal pieces, so this abstract piece in Cumberland Basin is a massive departure from what we expect to see. She has also signed it @m.a.e.s.y_ which is a bit of a change in her personal branding.

I think the piece was inspired by Autumn, or Otoño as she states on her Instagram, and by a friend who painted an abstract piece adjacent to this one. There is a sense of freedom in this piece that breaks away from the formality of a character or writing, and I guess it for the viewer to make of it what they will. I would certainly welcome more of this from Maesyhook, or more of her Kawaii work.

4755. Upfest 2022 (52)

At last year’s Upfest, Cuicasolo was given a lovely wall in the Hen and Chicken café garden, this year she had to make do with one of the square boards, which she has painted expertly.

Cuicasolo’s designs are nicely thought out and have a mixture of geometric discipline and abstract freedom, creating work that dances in front of your eyes. The colour selections work well together and the overall piece is pleasing, it is a pity she wasn’t allocated a wall to paint this year, but with so many artists, a large proportion of them end up painting boards,

4672. The Paintworks (3)

Billy, The Paintworks, Bristol, August 2022

I have not posted many pieces from The Paintworks wall, which is a bit of a shame really, so I will try to change that if I can. This is a very nice abstract piece from Billy, full of colour and character, as you would expect from the artist. The wall is a little bit grubby, which suggests that the piece has been here for some while.

Billy always manages to create uplifting work, and the combinations of shapes and colours carefully slung together in this piece work well for me. The other thing I like about this piece is that it is nicely framed with a black border that helps us to focus on the art within it.

4654. Upfest 2022 (41)

Rosie Woods, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

This stunning piece, by Rosie Woods, is a little bit tucked away and perhaps overlooked by many, but in my view is one of the finest abstract pieces in Bristol at the moment. We were honoured to have Rosie Woods at Upfest, because although she grew up in London, she now lives in Australia, and that is one hell of a trip… perhaps she was over in Europe visiting relatives and painting at a variety of festivals/commissions.

The colours, depth and textures in this piece are seductive and compelling… it is really sumptuous. I have looked at a lot of Rosie Woods’ work on the Interweb, and am definitely a big fan. I very much hope that she will pay us a visit again, if ever she makes it over to the UK again.

4587. Greenbank (49)

Well, I rather set this piece up yesterday, when I said that I would be posting another piece by Marckinetic today, and here it is, a magnificent and unusual looking piece from the Bristol to Bath cycle path at Greenbank.

Marckinetic, Greenbank, Bristol, May 2022

As with yesterday’s piece, I struggle to find any recognisable letters, although I can kind of see MORFO, which I am sure is wrong, maybe it is MARC. Perhaps the most eye-catching element to this abstract piece is the fill on the lower half of the ‘letters’. The cosmic scene, complete with clouds and stars, is quite magnificent and leaves a strong impression. The nicely buffed wall and blue cloudy, spotty background contrasts well with the main piece. More in the can from Marckinetic.

4585. M32 Cycle path (182).

I have only recently become aware of Marckinetic and his unique pieces, but now I seem to be seeing them everywhere. I am having to conclude that he is an established artist who has only recently moved to Bristol. How else could I have not had his work on my radar?

Marckinetic, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, July 2022

I haven’t seen enough of his work to know whether his pieces are some kind of cryptic writing or simply interesting abstract studies in landscape format. Give me a little time and I will find out. This piece is made up of two colour elements: some yellow/orange and pink/purple blocks, and a network of thinner blue arrows running through them. The whole object is given a solid black 3D shadow that very effectively lifts the piece from the wall. Black and blue dots fill the available background space. This is a really nicely constructed piece from Marckinetic that has been expertly finished. Watch this space for more from the artists… maybe tomorrow.

4556. Porto (8)

A prolific, and it would seem well respected, artist in Porto is Hazul. Over the three days that we were there exploring the city we encountered a hatful of abstract murals by the artist, some new, some old and some that looked like commissions. These are the first three…

The first is a beautiful piece in black, white and red (the colours of early Decay pieces), with nice curvy lines and patterns. The crystal shape is almost like a signature and appears on a lot of Hazul’s work.

The next piece looks more like a commission, and is nicely placed on the side of a building. The abstract shapes seem to have a consistent form and the colour selections work wonderfully well. This is a really carefully thought out and skilfully executed piece.

The last of this mini-gallery is likely to make it into a Thursday doors compilation at some time in the future. The shapes in this piece are not unlike those in the piece above. Once again some great colours have been used. Hazul seems to be an artist who really knows and understands their craft. More from Hazul to come.

4514. Nelson Street (15)

Felix Braun (FLX), Nelson Street, Bristol, June 2022

Anyone who visits the centre of Bristol can’t have missed that there has been a lot of redevelopment work going on in Nelson Street, Broad Street and the surrounding area. This rather seedy backwater has, over the last two years undergone a bit of a face lift and is being opened soon as a huge, 250 bedroom, hotel owned by the Clayton chain. Let’s hope they can find enough workers to staff it! Unlike many developments, this one has retained some significant existing murals and commissioned a new one by the old master, Felix Braun.

Felix Braun or FLX is one of the godfathers of Bristol street art and author of the book ‘Children of the Can’ a ‘must-have’ for enthusiasts of the Bristol scene. His artwork has taken on a highly designed stylised look in recent years, and this huge mural is a gorgeous reminder of his talent. Abstract figures at the base of the piece draw your eyes in before sending them upwards towards the giant figure and it’s shadow. There is something very pleasing about the piece overall, and it is great to see FLX’s work in the heart of the city.

	paulh121 on 5000. Greenbank (69)
	scooj on 5001. Cumberland Basin
	scooj on 5000. Greenbank (69)
	scooj on 5000. Greenbank (69)
	slideyfoot on 5000. Greenbank (69)

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