5909. Brunel Way (264)

Fade and Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024
Fade and Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024

I am so far behind with my posts that since this piece by Dibz and Fade was painted, the left hand side has gone, and the right hand side augmented. The more these two work together, the more difficult it becomes to determine who has painted what, and I was lucky enough to meet them yesterday and Fade said that the both contribute to both bits of their work, and that it might be easier to attribute the pieces to both of them, rather than trying to isolate one artist from the other.

Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024
Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024

Having said all of that, on the left, the writing is the work of Fade, containing plenty of spots from the cheetah. Some great letter shapes and the crossover fade from orange to black is expertly handled.

Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024

On the right the letters spell out Dibz, and the character, which I have only just realised as I write this, is the cheetah from the Cheetos snacks brand, hence the words “it’s not easy… being cheesy”. The cheetah and the writing have been incorporated into a full wall Alice in Wonderland piece from the pair, which I hope to be able to stitch together from several visits. There is no stopping this Dibz/Fade juggernaut.

5901. Brunel Way (263)

Roo, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024
Roo, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024

This is the last of the pieces by Roo from a recent visit she and SkyHigh made to Bristol earlier in the month. The beautiful scene features a happy bumblebee over Bristol, with the Clifton Suspension bridge in the background. I managed to take the photograph, on a gorgeous day (what are these?) in a way that incorporated the real Clifton Suspension bridge behind the Environment Agency structure.

Roo’s style, as I have mentioned before is always cheerful, whatever the subject, and a welcome antidote to all the challenges and troubles of everyday life. No matter how crap you might be feeling, finding one of her pieces is guaranteed to cheer you up and offer a different perspective on things. We all need this reminder and what better way to deliver it than through the medium of street art. Thank you Roo.

5889. Brunel Way (262)

Roo, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024
Roo, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024

As mentioned in a recent post, Roo and SkyHigh visited Bristol recently, and left a memorable mark on the walls of Brunel Way. Rther sadly SkyHigh’s masterpiece didn’t last too long, but I am pleased to report that Roo’s pieces are still making an impact on anyone wandering around the area.

Roo, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024
Roo, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024

Roo’s work is simple, with bold outlines and solid fills. Her cartoon style is beyond charming and her characters always have a sunny disposition. Although the pieces are simple, this doesn’t mean that they are easy to paint, in fact the opposite is true, great skill is needed to produce the crisp and sharp lines, which are exposed to deeper scrutiny than more complex and busy pieces.

Roo, Brunel Way, Bristol ,March 2024
Roo, Brunel Way, Bristol ,March 2024

Not content only with painting her daisy on this little wall, Roo also found time to decorate one of the columns under Brunel Way. She painted another piece too, not all that far away, which I will feature soon. Roo and SkyHigh are always welcome in Bristol, spicing things up a little.

5884. Brunel Way (261)

SkyHigh, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024
SkyHigh, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024

How great it is that ShyHigh and Roo have friends/family in Bristol, because it means that if we get lucky, they swing by to visit and while here, decorate a few walls for us. Their latest visit yielded this exceptional piece from SkyHigh on the fat pillar wall underneath Brunel Way. Roo also painted a few nearby spots (to follow).

SkyHigh, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024
SkyHigh, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024

As I would expect, the large piece from SkyHigh is a wonderful mash up of letter styles to create the whole words SKY HIGH. Each letter is perfectly presented, and although discrete, somehow works with the letters adjacent. I love the ‘paper-based’ letters, ‘S’ written on note paper and the ‘i’ written on a ‘Hello my name is’ sticker. Brilliant work from a brilliant and creative writer. Come back soon.

5873. Brunel Way (260)

Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

This fine column monster very nearly escaped my attention. Mote has painted so many columns under Brunel Way, that it becomes easy to miss new ones in the busy mix – there was certainly a double-take involved in finding this one.

Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

Columns are fun to paint, but a real pain to photograph, especially the circular ones – square or rectangular columns are not so bad. This fish monster indicates a slight shift away from his bird monsters and has opened a whole new world of monster opportunity. I guess that Mote is going through phases or eras with his monster art. A nice modest piece.

5862. Brunel Way (259)

Zed in the Clouds, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
Zed in the Clouds, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

These large block letters are something a little different from Zed in the Clouds, an artist who is regrettably underrepresented in Natural Adventures. I have many photographs of his work in my archives, but not a lot have been posted, which is a situation I will try to remedy (it might have to wait until my retirement).

Zed in the Clouds, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
Zed in the Clouds, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

Painted alongside his friend Wxttsart (Milk) and in a similar colour scheme, Zed in the Clouds has shaped some monolithic letters, which, with the orange and red border, have a volcanic feel to them. He has added the words ‘sexy typographic creationz’ above the piece, which makes me think he is rather pleased with this piece of writing, and so he should be. It is certainly something a bit different from the artist.

5859. Brunel Way (258)

Taboo, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
Taboo, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

Taboo is an artist who tends to keep himself to himself, and on the only occasion I have met him, he didn’t much want to chat, so I left him to it. He often paints alone, although he occasionally collaborates with his friends in the PLB crew. He doesn’t post on social media, so finding his pieces is always a genuine surprise, especially as I really like his work.

Taboo, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
Taboo, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

This is a really nice piece of anti-style graffiti writing, spelling out TABOO, with beautifully irregular and anarchic letters which are clean and crisp. I fear that he may have come out with a lack of red paint for the background, which is a little scruffy in places, but fine in the gaps in the letters, which is what counts. It is great to see that Taboo is out and about after a pretty quiet winter period.

5853. Brunel Way (257)

Creamylines, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
Creamylines, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

From the first time I saw his work, I have always liked the originality shown by Creamylines, and finding this piece on one of the columns under Brunel Way recently was a special surprise. There is a basic formula to many of Creamylines’ pieces that includes a sun with rays sitting over a landscape scene divided up by black lines.

Creamylines, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
Creamylines, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

I am always reminded of stained-glass windows when I see these pieces, for obvious reasons, and there is a calm, tranquil quality to the work – you can almost hear the cries of seagulls in the air. Another aspect of this piece is the suggested faces that emerge through the piece, adding another layer of interest. A great column piece from Creamylines.

5850. Brunel Way (256)

Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

It is always great fun to come across the hapless Mr Underbite, looking as confused and ever so slightly miserable as usual. This is not the first time Mr Underbiter has appeared on this particular wall, which seems so very well suited to the proportions of the face.

Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

The letters MUB refer to the artist and the character’s name. I suspect that this was a quick one, as the underlying piece (by Ryder, from recollection) is still partially visible, and it is a simple two-tone affair. I very much hope that we het to see plenty more of this fine character work as things warm up in 2024.

Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

Just in case you miss the piece, a nearby slap (sticker) reminds us that Mr Underbite comes in many sizes and forms on our streets.

5838. Brunel Way (254)

j9449j, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
j9449j, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

This is a great occasion. I have been trying to find out who this artist is for absolutely ages (I know I am not alone) and at last their name ‘j9449j’ appeared as a tag on an Instagram post a week or two back, and we are no longer in the dark. What this also means is that I can release a whole bunch of their work from my archives which has been itching to be posted.

j9449j, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
j9449j, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024

j9449j has a very distinctive collage style with plenty of shapes, symbols and plants, bound together with clever use of colour ‘patches’. The work is original and quite unlike anything else we routinely see in Bristol. How nice it would be to actually meet j9449j and find out more about their art, style influences and so on. This is the first of many posts (retrospective and future) I hope.