Tag: Bristol

3984. Brunel Way (124)

This is happening with a comforting regularity and in my view it is definitely great news… SkyHigh has been visiting Bristol again and left us with this utterly amazing piece that on a near epic scale. The wall on this concrete support is pretty high and this is piece is larger than it looks.

SkyHigh, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021
SkyHigh, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021

Using his block letters that he seems to run off with consummate ease, including a smiley sticker and ‘Hello my name is’ badge, Sky High has written ‘Smile More Often’ which is the name of a London crew and this piece is not dissimilar to one painted by SkyHigh in Leake Street in 2020.

SkyHigh, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021
SkyHigh, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021

There is so much to like in the detail of this piece, but it is also SkyHigh’s finishing that is admirable, he really is a perfectionist, and his work always stands out from the crowd. Keep coming back, Bristol needs you.

3983. Purdown HAA Battery (34)

When they were toddlers, there is no doubt that the favourite toy that got the most play time was the buggy cozy coupé car thing, and this fabulous piece by Daz Cat brought a massive smile to my face, remembering those fun and uncomplicated days.

Daz Cat, Purdown Battery, Bristol, September 2021
Daz Cat, Purdown Battery, Bristol, September 2021

Daz Cat has recently taken his work to a new level, creating more than a simple posed character, but instead a character in a scene that tells a whole story. Sophistication and detail have improved his already excellent work and I, for one, am thoroughly enjoying his expansion. It is always a treat to find his work.

3982. Dean Lane skate park (432)

I have a feeling that this fine little collaboration by Spanish duo Zake and Varo was painted on or around the Dean Lane Hardcore (DLH) event a couple of weeks ago. It is especially noteworthy because although Zake has been painting a lot recently, Varo has been on the rather quiet side for some time.

Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2021
Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2021

The face is obviously by Zake and yet another fantastic piece in his expanding repertoire. Once again, the piece is given a 3D appearance by some clever colour schemes, shading and highlighting, which is something of a speciality for Zake. The character has a thought bubble with the words ‘SK8 or Die’, which is definitely playing to the right audience in this spot.

Varo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2021
Varo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2021

Varo’s graffiti writing is altogether something different. He definitely favours these large blocky letters spelling out VARO, and with this artist, less is definitely more. He doesn’t go for intricate, swirly or patterned fills, but just keeps things simple. I love the turquoise middles to his letters that with some clever shading appear to hover above the letters. Good stuff – and as a bonus you get to see my dog’s rear end.

1988

.

These lacquered chopsticks

a gift from Mr Cheba

an act of kindness

.

by Scooj

  • the backstory… I found some chopsticks in a drawer that were given to me by a crew member of the Koei Maru 30, a Japanese fishing boat that I worked on in the Falkland Islands – it was his way of making friends and welcoming me. Finding them transported me back to 1988.

3981. M32 roundabout J3 (349)

I guess it’s high time for another cute Kawaii piece from Maesyhook, so here it is for all to enjoy. Maesyhook has certainly brought something very different to the walls of Bristol and paints frequently enough to become a bit of a favourite of mine.

Maesyhook, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2021
Maesyhook, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2021

This piece sandwiched between two writers is painted in Maesyhook’s customary pink tones, and even the skull, lovingly held by the little bunny character, looks cute. Her work is a real antidote to the constant negative headlines and continuing Government narrative that seems to be more and more removed from ordinary people by the day, and provides a little glimmer of fun and enjoyment. Keep it up Maesyhook.

3980. Upfest 2021 75×75 (68)

You may recall that earlier on this year, at the start of the Upfest 75 walls in 75 days event, several beautiful new pieces were vandalised in one night. This piece from Jody was one of the pieces. I have been holding out for a long time hoping that Jody would come back and repair the damage, but so far no dice. So my impatience has got the better of me and I am sharing the piece on Natural Adventures in its vandalised state.

Jody, Raleigh Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Jody, Raleigh Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

I took the feature picture only a day or two after it had been completed by Jody. Pictures of the clean piece are a bit of a rarity, and consequently haven’t been shared much on social media. Jody is a well known Bristol artist who is an old friend of Upfest, creating some amazing walls over the years. This Samurai is a real beauty and an eye-catching piece, but I can’t help getting angry every time I see it because of the writing and the smear on the nose. Some would say that it’s a jungle out there. I would say that there are some idiots out there.

Jody, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Jody, Raleigh Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

Even with the damage to it, this piece is utterly outstanding – and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Jody will repair it one day.

UPDATE – A day or two after I posted this piece it was repaired, so I returned and took some pictures of what the piece should have looked like:

Jody, Raleigh Road, Bristol, October 2021, Upfest 21
Jody, Raleigh Road, Bristol, October 2021, Upfest 21

3978. St Werburghs tunnel (260)

Here is one from the archive which I dedicate to Paul H, because he helped me to find it by supplying a date (late September 2019). It is by Chill, who made his debut on Natural Adventures about a week ago. It was following comments on that post that Paul pointed me in the direction of this piece, which I am pleased to share with you now. I love it the way things work out like this.

Chill, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2019
Chill, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2019

I believe Chill is a tattoo artist who occasionally paints walls, and you can see from the black and white colours and general design the tattooist’s hand. It is a bright and vibrant piece and confirms my view that Chill ought to hit Bristol’s walls more often.

3977. St Werburghs tunnel (259)

What a fabulous treat this piece was. I haven’t seen anything from Nugmoose for a while, and certainly never in the tunnel at St Werburghs. Obviously encouraged by collaboration partner Slakarts, no stranger to this spot, the pair have produced this wonderful dual piece.

Nugmoose and Slakarts, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2021
Nugmoose and Slakarts, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2021

On the left is a curious (as always) alien maggot kind of creature with some alien hieroglyphs sitting on a cloud. The whole thing is a little weird, but Nugmoose does weird really well. To the right is Slakart’s contribution which is also a little odd, but tells a rather nice story. It looks to me as if an alien space ship is dropping rain down on the character, who is holding hands(tentacle) with the alien. Imaginative fun from this creative pairing.

Gold dust

.

Sunlit particles

dance in oblique autumn light

Brownian motion

.

by Scooj

3976. Dean Lane skate park (431)

Although I have photographed many pieces by Dopes over the years, I can’t recall ever posting any of them, which is a pity really, because he is a very skilled graffiti writer who has collaborated with other artists (largely from RAW) whose pieces have made it into Natural Adventures. Time to make amends.

Dopes, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2021
Dopes, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2021

While I was photographing this piece, Dopes was actually watching on, unbeknown to me, and eventually he self-disclosed that he was the artist and we struck up a conversation. He was fretting a bit over the colours and some of the detail and was wondering whether to come back and make some small adjustments. I love it that some writers are such perfectionists, for example Rusk is another, that they agonise over a piece even after they have finished it. The lettering in this chrome piece is nicely accompanied by the blue borders and gaps, and the pink dashes just set the piece off really well. More to come from Dopes, and a few forays into my archive are likely.