Ooh! This is a superb throwback piece from Rozalita, who used to be Rosalita, and now prefers the moniker Rohzi. I shall continue to use the name Rozalita. I say this is a throwback piece, because her earlier works were almost entirely influenced by circus or carnival characters, but this is the first one I have seen for a while.
Rozalita, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2023
As always with stage makeup, one always wants to know what is going on behind the smiling facade, and Rozalita has captured this duality perfectly in this stunning portrait. I am looking at it and trying to examine the face behind the mask, is she happy, is she sad? The stylised hair adds to the deceit. What a wonderful portrait piece, and one of my favourites of the year so far.
Some artists are so prolific, that the only way for me to keep up with them is to post several pieces at once, and so I present to you a series of column pieces under Brunel Way by monster specialist, Mote.
Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2023
This first piece is one of his more recent productions, incorporating three wobbly-lined monsters, stacked like a totem pole. The wobbly lines are a recent introduction in his work introduced this year, which give him freedom to be a little bit more creative. I am still sitting on the fence about them, because his original USP was based on the clean lines and bold curves. These might take a little bit of getting used to.
Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2023
It is difficult to date some of these pieces, because although I photographed them in February (some of them not for the first time), several have been around for quite a while. I think this one, which looks like a bit of a monster mash-up, is relatively recent.
Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2023
This column piece, with the big eye and wonky teeth, has been around for quite a while, but is surprisingly intact, because these columns are a favourite with taggers.
Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2023
Another one that might date from the back end of last year is this purple gentle and rather goofy giant. The poor thing doesn’t look in the greatest condition, and has a pot-belly not too dissimilar to my own.
Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2023
Finally, this is a small piece at the southernmost end of this stretch of columns and is probably the oldest piece in this selection. It obviously pre-dates the new bit of wall that has been added as part of the Daveside DIY skate park extension. Phew… I hope you have had your fill of Mote for now.
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
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.
This is another piece in a series in which we see Lee Roy spell out his name with his unconventional font that teeters on anti-style graffiti. There is a lovely symmetry about this piece, and something about the style, colours and composition that has hints of the Indian subcontinent (although I don’t think that is necessarily the intent).
Lee Roy, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2023
There are many similarities with a recent piece he painted in Cumberland Basin recently, and it would seem that he is playing with themes and ideas. It is great to see this pulse of activity from Lee Roy, and I look forward to finding more as the weather improves and artists get busy (as if I don’t have enough to keep up with as it is).
There have been many tributes to Shimmer, since he passed away, indicating the loss felt by the street art community in Bristol. This is the second tribute piece by Acer One on this wall to Shimmer, who appears to have felt the loss particularly strongly.
Acer One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
As always, Acer One’s execution is clean and precise, geometry being his modus operandi. As we might expect, the beautifully designed letter font, of hollow letters, has two shadows, one black and one purple, giving the writing depth. Some tight colour transitions in the letters themselves, completes this fine work, which I expect to occupy this wall for some time.
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
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.
Saor’s unannounced visits to Bristol usually culminate in a first class production, and this recent one in Dean Lane fits the pattern perfectly. The piece is exactly as you’d expect from Saor – beautifully thought out and designed and executed with extraordinary precision.
Saor, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2023
This piece spells out SAOR and incorporates the toothy monster face that the artist refined when painting under the name Flava136. This really is a first-rate work and incorporates so many nice little touches. I love the granite-effect patterned shapes, which really add an extra level to the piece.
Saor, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2023
While he was in the area, Saor also painted this mega-tag just around the corner. I love it when artists leave behind a few ‘extras’ when they visit.
A quick one today, as I will be in an all-day meeting in London. This post was prepared last night. To make things easier on myself, I am recycling doors that have already appeared on Natural Adventures in my street art posts. I hope you enjoy this selection from February to May 2022:
Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2022
Pelmo, Lucky Lane, Bristol, April 2022
OK, so this is not a door, but it had once been a garage entrance, so it counts as a ghost door
Hazard, Ashley Court, Bristol, February 2022
Awkward, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2022
Kosc, Picton Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Kosc, Picton Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Willl Cross, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
This stunning piece isn’t painted on a door, but in a ghost window – I felt it was worth sharing anyway.
My Dog Sighs, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Karl Read, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Taboo, North Street, Bristol, May 2022
Hazard, High Street, Bristol, May 2022
There is a ghost door at the top of the steps.
Ant Carver, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Ant Carver, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Sled One and 3Dom, The Carriageworks, Bristol, May 2022
These ghost doors, above, were once magnificent gateways for the Bristol tram system, long since gone and very much missed. The original doors were then converted to windows, except for the middle one of five and then eventually they were all bricked up when the building was vacated, and remained that way for decades.
That’s it for another week. I hope I get time to complete my Croatia doors next time. May I wish you all a wonderful weekend ahead’
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.
Natural adventures 