Tag: Abstract

5676. M32 roundabout J3 (531)

Slakarts, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
Slakarts, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023

A year or two ago, Slakarts was one of the more prolific artists in Bristol. I have a feeling that he is busy with work these days, which is, of course,  good thing, but it means we get to see fewer pieces on the streets. These days, every piece is a very welcome surprise, like this one on the M32 roundabout.

Slakarts, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023
Slakarts, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2023

Slakarts has developed his style considerably, developing his trademark faces into something altogether more sophisticated. This sophisticated abstract piece incorporates his face design into a busy mash up of facial features, letters and symbols to create a bright and exciting experience. I would love to see more of his work, but have to be grateful for small mercies.

5654. Elton Street (26)

Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023
Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023

Mr Penfold’s work seems to be only occasional these days, so it is always a genuine pleasure when I find one. This is a recent piece, painted alongside friends Billy and Merny, making up part of the outdoor gallery on the side of Lost Horizons.

Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023
Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023

Mr Penfold’s highly designed abstract work translates really well from the studio to large outdoor ‘canvasses’, which cannot necessarily be said for many abstract artists. I would say at this point, though, that we probably don’t have our fair share of abstract street artists in Bristol, and it is a genre that could do with a bit of a boost. Slakarts is definitely moving in that direction, but generally abstract artists are few and far between. Mr Penfold has painted his distinctive large, colourful and solid shapes on a black background, making our eyes do the hard work, dancing from one shap or colour to another. A lovely piece from the artist.

5504. White Street (1)

Fink, White Street, Bristol, September 2023
Fink, White Street, Bristol, September 2023

I have been looking for this spot for a long time, my pride getting in the way of asking, but was assisted by Paul H when I asked him where the second Fink piece was. He told me it was just around the corner from Peel Street Green, and the rest as they say is history (sorry about the cliché). If only I had extended my walks by about 200 meters, I would have found the spot before.

Fink, White Street, Bristol, September 2023
Fink, White Street, Bristol, September 2023

Fink visited Bristol while he was over from Dubai painting at the Cheltenham Paint Festival, and left us with two superb portrait pieces in his stunning single continuous line style. This face is painted in beautiful blues, purples and pink, the colour combination of 2023, which work so well together. The central large face is accompanied by several smaller ones in the background fills. This is belter of a modern piece and would look good in any contemporary art gallery. What a treat his visit turned out to be.

5356. Cumberland Basin

Scooj, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023
Scooj, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023

Although this is his debut piece, Scooj needs no introduction on Natural Adventures. He finally got the courage to paint his first wall during a Bristol Mural Collective paint jam a few weeks ago on a warm and very windy afternoon.

Scooj, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023
Scooj, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023

To be brutally honest his work probably doesn’t match up to his ambition, but the abstract piece is certainly a little different from most of the work seen in the city. There might be a very good reason for that. Some bright colours distract a little from the overall untidy finishing, but for a first effort the piece is passable.

Scooj, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023
Scooj, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2023

Scooj is not an artist, and so it will be vital to practice his spray skills and hand control, and come up with designs he can execute. This piece is a little muddled, and the ‘holes’ cut through the yellow might be perceived as moons. My advice to Scooj would be don’t give up just yet, keep practising and hit a few more walls. Hats off to the Bristol Mural Collective for creating a gateway for new artists to have a go at painting in a fun and safe environment.

5256. Upfest 2022 (66)

Anthroe, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022
Anthroe, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022

Such has been the productivity on the streets over the last year combined with my attempts to post as much as I can, I have completely neglected my Upfest 22 posts, which really isn’t very impressive. I will try to squeeze in as many as I can whenever I can, because there was so much quality art to see from what was a very successful couple of days at the end of May 2022.

Anthroe, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022
Anthroe, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022

I had to have several goes at photographing this magnificent piece by Anthroe, but it is the damn cars that make it so challenging. The piece itself is a fabulously colourful portrait of a woman holding a bouquet of flowers, with what looks like a petrol pump (surely not) in her left hand. The whole piece is set on an abstract patterned background. This is one of my favourite pieces of the festival by an artist I don’t know at all, but I believe that he lives and paints in Los Angeles, so it is great to see this piece here in Bristol.

Anthroe, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022
Anthroe, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022

5110. M32 Cycle path (204)

Wxttsart, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2023
Wxttsart, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2023

This is a rather classy piece of writing from Wxttsart which was painted alongside a stunning portrait by Rozalita, and both of them stand out, with red being the dominant background colour used.

Wxttsart, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2023
Wxttsart, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2023

As always, Wxttsart’s work spells out MILK, although up until recently I have had difficulty in describing the letter style. I think I have almost cracked it though. The uniformity of the letters and stylised script font suggests that the work could be described as calligraffiti, but it also has a slightly abstract feel to it too, so I like to call Wxttsart’s artwork ‘abstract calligraffiti’, which works for me. Whatever you want to call it, it has an impact. Almost time for a gallery of his work – watch this space.

5098. St Werburghs tunnel (360)

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2023
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2023

Mr Klue has been smashing it in the tunnel this year, and at the time of writing has five pieces there, all of them intact, four of which are adjacent to one another. This is a really unusual state of affairs for the tunnel and speaks to two things; his work is respected and; he manages to paint frequently enough to gain a space advantage over other artists.

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2023
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2023

This wonderful abstract writing piece picks up on warm and cold colours competing for space, with the bluer colours being top lit and the warmer ones under lit. Spelling out KLUE, the piece also incorporates some floating steps, which are a favoured theme in many of his pieces and sketches. More to come from Mr Klue.

5095. M32 roundabout J3 (458)

Slakarts, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2023
Slakarts, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2023

WTF! is what I thought when I first saw this. I have heard of artists trying something a little bit different, but this piece takes the theory to a whole new level. We know and love Slakarts for his stylised faces, which have evolved over the last few years, but this piece is a complete departure into the realms of abstract art.

Slakarts, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2023
Slakarts, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2023

If I had seen this without knowing who it was by (via some Instagram investigation), I don’t think I would ever have guessed it was Sakarts. There are no design indications or patterns that would give him away. The only possible link to his usual work would be the colours, and that is probably because these are the colours he has in his stock. The abstract piece is a well-balanced mash-up of shapes and colours, with one or two reference points, but nothing much to go on.

This is a fascinating piece from Slakarts, but I am going to have to ‘let go’ a bit to fully buy in to this change in direction, or is it a one-off, I wonder.

4868. St Werburghs tunnel (326)

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2022
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.

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2022
Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2022

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)

Hazul, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Hazul, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

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.

Hazul, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Hazul, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

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, Porto, Portugal, June 2022
Hazul, Porto, Portugal, June 2022

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.