4632. Brunel Way (167)

Smak, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022
Smak, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022

It is great to see another Smak piece, here under Brunel Way, this one complete with a rather fun character. I have a feeling that the character is a rather well know one, used in graffiti, which probably comes originally from comic books, as so many graffiti characters tend to.

Smak, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022
Smak, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022

As you would expect from Smak, both the character and the letters are outstandingly well painted and look great on the prepped red wall.

Weirdly, I had a dream last night about a massive street art festival (walls only), and I had been invited to participate, and Ryder, or was it Smak, was helping me to select a wall and offering advice for how I should go about it. This was brilliant, until it occurred to me that I had left all my paints at home and would have to go and get them. A this point my sub-conscious kicked in and explained to me that I couldn’t possibly go home, because I was on holiday. Alas, my chance to paint a large wall disappeared. Strange things dreams.

4613. Brunel Way (166)

I was lucky enough to run into Mote when he was painting this larger-than-usual piece on the long wall under Brunel Way. And managed to have a good chat until the dog decided he’d had enough and started barking, he can be a real conversation-killer sometimes that dog of mine, although he was brilliantly behaved in Cheltenham the whole time we were there.

Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022
Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022

Mote is possibly the most productive artist in Bristol at the moment, and his pastel shades that he tends to use are a real hallmark of his work – If you’re looking for brash reds or gold or chrome, you’re unlikely to find them in his work, and you’ll have to settle for subtle.

Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022
Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022

This monster piece seems to show a monster snacking on a double ended other monster, although it is not altogether clear. As always with Mote’s work, the lines are precise and clean, the fills solid without underlying work seeping through. Creative and imaginative, Mote continues to dazzle us with his work.

4607. Dean Lane skate park (513)

It is so obvious that most street artists do what they do because they love doing it. It is as simple as that. This is perfectly demonstrated by a scattering of small pieces by Andy Council recently in the Dean Lane and Brunel Way spots.

Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022

Andy Council has had a long fascination with prehistoric creatures, he even incorporates an ammonite into his signature. His dinosaurs and other creatures can be found all over the city, but these are small, fleeting, fun pieces painted for the sheer hell of it.

Andy Council, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022
Andy Council, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022

I think that the creatures are trilobites or at least related to them and seem to blend in so well in all of the locations selected, it is as if they were always meant to be there in this urban ecosystem.

Andy Council, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022
Andy Council, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022

Beautifully observed and nicely painted, these four pieces (there may have been some others that I missed) add colour and interest to our great city. Thank you Andy Council.

4605. Brunel Way (166)

Another piece that I winkled out of my archive is this curious portrait from Pura Decadencia. It was the first piece I encountered by the artist, which might account for why I never published it at the time, I had no idea who she was then.

Pura Decadencia, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2020
Pura Decadencia, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2020

Unfortunately, I have not yet met this Spanish artist, and, although she spends time between Bristol and Alicante, I think she is in Spain at the moment. This is simply a nice clean vampire piece painted with great technique and finished nicely. I remember thinking at the time, in October 2020, that her work was refreshingly different. I hope she finds the time to come back to Bristol and paint some more pieces for us.

4603. Brunel Way (165)

I am flustered and under pressure this morning. I am unbearably busy at work, and my team are on annual leave, so I am doing my normal work and standing in for two others. This might be brief…

Werm, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022
Werm, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022

Werm (formerly known as Eman) continues to paint at an extraordinary rate, and my posts of his work do not fairly represent the volume of pieces he produces. He has almost entirely abandoned his character pieces these days and has been concentrating on his writing which has improved over time and become more sophisticated. This piece has some lovely fill transformations and patterns and the 3D shadow and purple border help to lift the piece. The stars do their job well finishing the piece off very nicely indeed.

4602. Brunel Way (164)

It feels like Groundhog Day every time I write about a Chill piece, in that I wanted to start this piece with the words “Hardly a week goes by without a new piece from Chill” but I fear I might have used this form of words previously when talking about the artist. I think you get where I’m coming from though.

Chill, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022
Chill, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2022

This one is on the long support wall under Brunel Way, which is always a bit of a challenge to photograph, because of the light conditions and also a certain amount of glare that reflects off the wall. Chill has smashed it again with his black and white cartoon character, but he has also managed to sneak in a bit of colour with his palm tree for added interest. There is so much detail in this piece, that it is worth dwelling on every aspect of all the features on the character. A craftsman at work.

4561. Brunel Way (163)

There is never a time when I am not excited to find a piece by Hire (pronounced Hee Ray, just in case you were wondering), whether it is one of his character rabbits or  some of his highly technical writing, it always brings a smile to my face and it feels like life is good, in spite of the turbulent landscape.

Hire, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022
Hire, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022

This gorgeous piece under Brunel Way is an absolute beauty. The letters are easy to read and the artwork less frenetic than we might be used to. Set on a clean, buffed grey wall and with glowing orange tones, the red letters and deep grey and white 3D shadow are clearly defined and stand out. This is a finely crafted piece from a talented graffiti writer.

4552. Brunel Way (162)

Conrico has a fabulous touch. His work often looks more like a brush painting than one created with a spray can. I know he uses banana caps a fair amount, because he told me, and he gave me one once to try at home, and these might help with the level of detail he achieves.

Conrico, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022
Conrico, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022

The partially submerged turtle, swimming through foamy waves is beautifully painted, in particular the well observed colourful scales of the shell. I would consider Conrico to be a true artist who has obvious talent and has managed to upscale his work onto larger canvasses really successfully. A fine piece.

4548. Brunel Way (161)

Tack Jucker has been painting in Bristol for a little under a year now, but in that time he has made a great impression with his animal and hand pieces, he especially seems to favour his monkeys and apes, and perhaps will fill the void left behind by Nightwayss in that respect.

Tack Jucker, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022
Tack Jucker, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2022

This piece is on the same wall where I first met the artist in October last year, and like the piece he was painting then, features a monkey. The structure of the portrait is skilfully done, with loads of depth in the features of the face contrasting with the textures of the fur. Although the monkey appears to be a little fierce, it certainly grabs the attention and there is no question that passers-by would notice it. I am looking forward to more from Tack Jucker.

4507. Brunel Way (160)

I don’t think that there has ever been a time when I have not been excited to find a piece by Kid Crayon. His work has been at the heart of my love for street art, and he is probably the street artist I have followed most closely over the last six years or so.

Kid Crayon, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2022
Kid Crayon, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2022

This piece is quite unlike anything we might expect from Kid Crayon, but there is a reason for that, He painted it as a part of the Secret Writer name exchange idea, where writers wrote the name of another artist (supposedly anonymously – although Kid Crayon signed this one). He was honouring the artist Rasexone1 and in turn Kid Crayon’s name was written by Magnesone. What a stupendous idea and one that binds the street art community, but a bit confusing for people like me who are trying to untangle and make sense of the whole scene.

In addition, this was the first Kid Crayon piece I had seen in a long time and I asked him, at the Upfest festival, why he has hardly been painting lately. His answer was great news… he has been working flat out with some big commissions, and that for an artist is something to cherish. More posts of his even more recent work coming soon.