6679. Brunel Way (309)

Haka, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025
Haka, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025

One of the favourite books of my youth was Fungus the Bogeyman by Raymond Briggs, an illustrator and author who wrote some of the finest and most touching comic strip books of the time. Fungus the Bogeyman spanned the generations very cleverly, and is full of witty puns and literary references. On starting this post, I have been searching for my copy of the book, but seem to recall I leant it to a cousin years ago. I might just have to buy myself a new copy.

Haka, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025
Haka, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025

Haka has captured the essence of Fungus the Bogeyman perfectly in this piece, and the spot itself is exactly the kind of place that you’d imagine the character to lurk on a damp, foggy night. As with all of his pieces featuring children’s characters, Haka has remained incredibly faithful to the original illustrations. My favourite piece of the year so far.

6673. Brunel Way (308)

Fade, Stivs and Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025
Fade, Stivs and Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025

Towards the end of the year, the collaborations from Dibz and Fade plus guests, dropped off significantly, and I have a feeling that Fade told me he was making a trip to America in the winter, and perhaps that was the reason. I am sure that this is only a temporary blip and that this collaboration marks the first of many in 2025

Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025
Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025

This time, Dibz and Fade have teamed up with Stivs, who has provided the centrepiece for this collaboration. In this piece, there is a clear themed palette giving off a rusty red vibe, combined with a deep white drop shadow. Fade has written his FADER letters with accuracy, and the shadow fill is either thin or patterned, and I can’t quite decide which.

Stivs, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025
Stivs, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025

Stivs has provided the character interest in the centre with a magnificent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle portrait (he is going through a bit of a TMNT phase at the moment). The writing at the top says ‘Have a turtlee good 25’ giving away that this is a New Year collaboration piece.

Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025

Dibz rounds off the triptych with a reflection (in terms of colour and style) of Fade’s writing, and also has the same effect on the white drop shadow, which leads me to conclude that it is a deliberate, mottled pattern rather than thin paint, which makes sense really, because these masters of their craft would never be happy with substandard fills. A great way to begin the year.

6661. Brunel Way (307)

Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025
Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025

Many times in the past, I have described Mr Draws as being the beating heart of the Bristol street/graffiti art scene. Regular and dependable, his artwork could not be described as ‘high end’ and there is nothing pretentious about what he does, and there is a Bristol charm lurking in his work.

Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025
Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025

This piece is obviously inspired by the latest Aardman Wallace and Gromit film that was screened over Christmas, and featured the penguin villain ‘Feathers’. The combination of chrome writing and the penguin character surprisingly combine rather nicely, and Mr Draws has done a great job.

Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025
Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025

I haven’t seen the movie, but I am guessing that the diamond has some significance in the plot line. Great fun from Mr Draws.

6595. Brunel Way (306)

 

Neoliberalizard, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2024
Neoliberalizard, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2024

Anyone who wanders around Bristol with their eyes open is likely to have seen toadstool pieces by Neoliberalizard, consciously or otherwise. I got lucky and actually encountered him while he was up a ladder, painting this piece, above the height of the recent Council buffing exercise, ha ha.

Neoliberalizard, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2024
Neoliberalizard, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2024

Although it is a relatively simple design, likely full of symbolism, Neoliberalizard has done a good job with this piece, and dozens of others that can be spotted around the city. Having met him, I think possibly I may have met him a few years ago, I hope to be posting more of his subversive fungi in the future.

6591. Brunel Way (305)

Face 1st and Zake, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2024
Face 1st and Zake, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2024

True to his word, Face 1st said that despite moving to Herefordshire, he would be back in Bristol to have a paint from time to time, and who better to team up with than his PWA partner in crime Zake, who thrives on collaborations. This is a combination piece, with Face 1st’s writing wrapped around an unusual portrait by Zake.

Face 1st and Zake, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2024
Face 1st and Zake, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2024

Face 1st has enjoyed using the block letters idea, which he has used quite a lot to good effect, and here, they frame a rather sinister portrait from Zake. Seeing Zake’s characters with hair always adds a little bit of weirdness, especially in this piece, where the face is green and the hair purple. Although I photographed this collaboration not long after it was painted, the dampness of the wall has caused some damage on the character’s nose. I am so glad to see Face 1st popping down to see us.

6590. Brunel Way (304)

Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024
Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024

Every time I write about Mr Underbite’s character pieces, the word that always springs immediately to mind is ‘hapless’. Just looking at the face, the Underbite character looks like he is down on his luck, or simply unfortunate. It is clever that the name and the portrayal create this image.

Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024
Mr Underbite, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024

I haven’t seen any new pieces by Mr Underbite for a long while, so it was great to find this one at the Southern end of thee Brunel Way spot. This is the standard version of the character, in mono colour and without any ‘extras’. As ever, it is always great to find these distinctive pieces.

6560. Brunel Way (303)

Conrico, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024
Conrico, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024

In the furthest southern tip of the Brunel Way spot, is a DIY skate spot and this wonderful recent combination piece from Conrico brightened up this dark spot. It is usually pretty tatty around this wall, where materials for building ramps etc. for the skate park are scattered.

Conrico, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024
Conrico, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024

The writing is nicely done, set on a swirly patterned background, but it is definitely the portrait accompanying the writing that catches the eye. I think that it is the woman’s hair which draws the eye – it is a really nice and happy portrait. Not long after Conrico painted the combination piece, the council came along and buffed the wall, although they decided to keep the portrait, which is curious really, because it is all illegal graffiti.

Conrico, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024
Conrico, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024

I believe that the buffing is done by gangs of people doing community service for some misdemeanour or other. The problem, of course, is that this is a completely fruitless exercise, and waste of grey paint, because a buffed wall is a blank canvass.

6550. Brunel Way (302)

Bean, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024
Bean, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024

At the moment, Bean is spending a lot of time away from Bristol, and only comes back for short periods, such is the student way of life. When he returns he manages to find a few moments to decorate the odd wall or two. This is fine piece in one of his favourite spots under Brunel Way.

Bean, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024
Bean, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024

The piece is actually based on a photograph which Bean has included in his Instagram post about this portrait of ‘The Great Tear Gas Hoax: How a Kenyan protestor fooled the world’, which was a story about a guy who pretended he was inhaling the gas out of a tear gas canister. Bean has faithfully reproduced the moment in this beautifully painted piece, which is a slight departure from his more fantastical cartoon creations. Looking forward to Bean’s next visit, which might be around Christmas.

6524. Brunel Way (301)

Fade (Jody and Acer One)) and Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
Fade (Jody and Acer One)) and Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024

This is a wonderful production wrap-around Halloween piece from Dibz and Fade. In fact this is the second time that the pair have bookended their former tribute collaboration with Jody and Acer One, to musician and DJ Randall. The central portrait by Jody and letters from Acer One have remained intact each time.

Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
Fade and Jody, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024

To the left Fade has painted a wonderful combination piece, along with Jody, with the letters FDE either side of a creepy pumpkin character. The purple, black and green colours together with the pumpkin orange are commonly used in Halloween pieces.

Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
Jody, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024

The pumpkin is super-fierce and beautifully painted by Jody (thank you Paul H for your unflinching reminders that I completely missed this) with the light overflowing from the lantern and spilling onto the floor and spelling out the crew letters THK. Clever stuff.

Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024

To the right, Dibz has similarly created a combination piece, but his character is a cartoon-style Grim Reaper, altogether less threatening than his pumpkin partner. The letters offer up wildstyle writing at its best, and contrasts somewhat with the comic character, but as ever, Dibz gets the two to work well together.

Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024

Overall a superb seasonal augmentation of an existing collaboration.

6514. Brunel Way (300)

Scrapyardspec, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
Scrapyardspec, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024

Technically speaking, this wall, the remains of a derelict utility building, is not beneath Brunel Way, but it is as near as damn it, and it can be observed from the road looking upstream towards the south bank of the river. I am rather fond of this little spot, and there have been some wonderful small pieces painted here over the years.

Scrapyardspec, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
Scrapyardspec, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024

Scrapyardspec seems to be visiting Bristol rather a lot these days, and I am beginning to wonder is he is a little bit more local than I had originally thought, perhaps living somewhere between Bristol and the South East. The wall lends itself very well to Scrapyardspec’s quirky characters, and this one is another in a series painted in Bristol recently. The wobbly portrait with psychedelic eyes and green tongue is quite distinct and unique, and becoming something of a regular presence in the city.