5382. Dean Lane skate park (623)

Dibz, VZA and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
Dibz, VZA and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

So far this summer, there have been some magnificent collaborations, occupying large walls, some from the NTS crew, but others that appear to have been stimulated by the return of Fade to Bristol. Fade is clearly an artist who enjoys collaborating. This outstanding wall is by Dibz, VZA (Veeez) and Fade.

Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

Dibz and Fade have done that thing where they write each other’s name, which, for anyone unfamiliar with their styles could be confusing. Even when writing letters other than DIBZ, Dibz’ style and sharp finish gives him away every time, no signature required. I like the subtle colour transition in the letter fill from blue to red scanning left to right.

VZA, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
VZA, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

The centrepiece is by VZA and features an incredible lay sharp and vibrant alien character that is simply constructed and beautifully executed, making it very easy on the eye. The bright colours make it very difficult to ignore, and it rather steals the show in this collaboration.

Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

To the right, Fade has written DIBZ in colours and a letter style that remind me a little of Scooby Doo, don’t ask me why. Fade seems to enjoy painting characters and backgrounds almost as much as letters, and here he has included some lovely rolling hills and a couple of trees, which he is adding the finishing touches to.

We are spoilt in Bristol to be able to see so many extraordinary and ephemeral pieces of art, and part of the purpose of this blog is to record and share these amazing works for a wider audience that they surely deserve.

5366. St Werburghs tunnel (372)

Stiff, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2023
Stiff, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2023

I managed to snap this piece by Stiff just before heading off on my holiday, which I was pleased about, because, for whatever reason, his work never seems to last very long. His work tends to be on the alien theme and in this piece a red monster is sticking its toothy tongue (?) out of a very toothy mouth.

Stiff, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2023
Stiff, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2023

Stiff pretty much always paints on a black background, which tends to bring a focus on the monster/alien. Red on black works very well, and this is a striking piece. There appears to be a square speech bubble at the base of the piece, but it contains nothing – I am not too sure what that is all about. It is always great to find one of Stiff’s sporadic pieces.

5276. Dean Lane skate park (604)

VZA (Veeez), Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
VZA (Veeez), Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

Lately, there has been a bit of a transformation in approach and style from Veeez (VZA), who has featured on Natural Adventures before, but with a rather different look. This stunning piece in Dean Lane is one of a recent series of character pieces and writing that takes the level of his work up a notch or two.

VZA (Veeez), Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
VZA (Veeez), Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

The alien character in vibrant pink and green colours absolutely smacks you in the face, determined not to be ignored. The execution is beautifully done, with some nice shading in the fills to give depth. The black lines and border are crisp and tidy, and the adoption of a second turquoise border lifts the whole piece off the door on which it is painted. Great work from Veeez, with more to come soon.

5257. Upfest 2022 (67)

Woskerski, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Woskerski, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

An occasional visitor to Bristol for Upfest, Woskerski is an outstanding artist who operates out of London. I have posted pieces by him a few times in Natural Adventures, but because I don’t visit London much these days, his appearances have been few and far between.

Woskerski, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Woskerski, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

This extraordinary piece, depicting some sort of alien interaction in a future vision of Earth, was painted over a couple of days, and the work in progress shot provides a little insight into Woskerski’s method. It looks like he sketches up the elements of the piece and then ‘colours them in’ which is quite an unusual way of going about things, but he is wonderfully successful at it.

Woskerski, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Woskerski, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

There is such a sense of movement created by the dogs, which have been so accurately captured, but the star of the show for me is the serene face belonging to the girl wearing a hoody/space helmet to the right of the piece. Woskerski is such a massive talent, and it was a real privilege to welcome him to Bristol for Upfest 2022.

Woskerski, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Woskerski, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

5213. Cumberland Basin

Nugmoose, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023
Nugmoose, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023

There are many artists in Bristol who have created their own unique stamp or style, but none more so than Nugmoose, whose surreal alien pieces entertain and confuse in equal measure. This is a recent one from the long wall in Cumberland Basin.

Nugmoose, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023
Nugmoose, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023

I am not even going to attempt to decipher what is going on in this piece, but it is a mash-up of alien writing, plant-life, hoofed legs and a human face. The whole thing, painted in soft tones, hangs together nicely, and demonstrates so clearly the breadth and depth of street/graffiti art in our city.

5150. St Werburghs tunnel (365)

Stiff, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2023
Stiff, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2023

Because Stiff paints only rarely, it is always a pleasant surprise to come across one of his pieces. Stiff is one of two Bristol artists who regularly (almost exclusively) feature alien scenes in their work, the other being Nugmoose. Their styles, however, are quite different, and they are easy to distinguish from one another.

Stiff, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2023
Stiff, St Werburghs, Bristol, April 2023

Stiff always paints on a black buffed wall, which instantly marks out the piece as one of his, and also provides a clean canvass on which to work. In this scene, a man is looking at a doppelgänger of himself, which turns out not to be all that it seems. His look of horror is comical, as tentacles reach out to catch him. A lovely story piece by Stiff.

5131. Dean Lane skate park (585)

Nugmoose, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2023
Nugmoose, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2023

I would think that it is fair to say that Nugmoose is one of the most original artists in Bristol, and his ‘organic alien’ style is unlike anything else we see in the city. He usually paints alongside Mommy Nature these days, but unfortunately, when I got to photograph this, her adjacent jelly piece had already been painted over. You’ve got to be quick in this game.

Nugmoose, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2023
Nugmoose, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2023

Quite what goes on in Nugmoose’s mind is unfathomable, but his pieces always generate a certain amount of curiosity. He has a way of combining alien writing with organic forms, and he has treated us to a couple of humanoid aliens, a squid-type creature and a couple of alien items of fast food, or so it looks. Weird and compelling.

5079. Dean Lane skate park (573)

Stiff, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020
Stiff, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020

Trawling through the archives is actually immensely enjoyable, but also very distracting. Another piece I rescued from incarceration is this rather fun scene, painted by Stiff.

Stiff, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020
Stiff, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2020

As with some other artists in Bristol, aliens feature very strongly in Stiff’s work, and here we have an alien and a human interacting with some electricity generating equipment. There is a story here being told, but I’m not sure that I quite get it. Time machine perhaps? Anyhow, Stiff has a great knack for creating interesting and absorbing scenes like this one.

5023. Cumberland Basin

Mommynature and Nugmoose, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2023
Mommynature and Nugmoose, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2023

It has been a pure joy to see the recent collaborative walls from Mommynature and Nugmoose and to see how their contrasting styles sit comfortably side by side. As seems typical when artists paint together, Mommynature is usually on the left and Nugmoose on the right.

Mommynature and Nugmoose, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2023
Mommynature and Nugmoose, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2023

The beautiful pigeon in front of a yellow sun is by Mommynature and clearly demonstrates her growing confidence with painting walls and owning her space. The stencil-effect of the piece is cleverly executed, too. To the right, Nugmoose has painted another avant-garde piece, the explanation of which is deeply rooted in his own imagination. There is some alien writing and alien forms, all presented in a rather trippy fashion. I am loving these two and look forward to their next creative collaboration.

4992. Dean Lane skate park (562)

Mommynature and Nugmoose, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2023
Mommynature and Nugmoose, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2023

It would appear that Mommynature and Nugmoose are a cosy collaborating pair, who, together, are turning out some fabulous work at the moment. This is one of several recent collaborations that have appeared in some of the popular graffiti spots in Bristol.

Mommynature, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2023
Mommynature, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2023

I have noticed that, in common with other collaborative partnerships, when these two paint together, Mommynature (formerly known on Natural Adventures as Frog), tends to paint on the left and Nugmoose on the right. Mommynature returns to he frog character, who is sitting on a log, looking a little ‘tired and emotional’ after a party, as a snail, complete with cigarette, slowly passes by. A lovely story piece from Mommynature.

Nugmoose, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2023
Nugmoose, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2023

To the right, is some alien writing from Nugmoose, that we have come to know and love, and parts of the writing are accompanied by alien objects, living or otherwise. The great thing about painting alien life is that it gives you great latitude to imagine, without being constrained by convention. I am loving the collaborations from these two, and look forward to seeing what they can do together this year.