Tag: Cartoon

2083. St Werburghs tunnel (68)

Well what a lovely surprise from a few days ago. I took a quick trip to St Werburghs tunnel and right next to one of the Fiva (Fiver) pieces was this fabulous Robot face by Snub23.

Snub23, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2019
Snub23, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2019

I have only known Snub23 to come to Bristol for Upfest, so it was extra special to find a piece here at this time of year. Snub23 adopts two instantly recognisable styles… this one of cartoon-style robots and sci-fi scenes and his geometric patterning which is similar to the work of Bristol’s Paul Monsters. Sometimes he combines both styles in a single piece. Brilliant to find this nice piece.

2071. St Werburghs tunnel (66)

Possibly the most distinctive style in Bristol belongs to Atchue and his ultra pink cartoon faces, such as this one from a little while back in St Werburghs tunnel. As with the work of Stupid Stupid Meathole there is something a little grotesque in these gurning characters.

Atchue, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018
Atchue, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018

It is impossible to ignore a piece like this and it stands out from the plethora of burners and throw-ups that adorn the walls of this tunnel. A simple idea which is nicely painted that picks you up and slaps you around the face just to make sure you are paying attention. Nice work.

 

 

2062. M32 roundabout J3 (129)

Panskaribas is my favourite ‘discovery’ so far this year, and this piece is slap bang next door to the first piece of his that I found, in fact you can just see the edge of it to the right of the picture.

Panskaribas, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2019
Panskaribas, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2019

His pieces have what I would call a sophisticated doodle style to them that feel like a mash-up between a cartoonist and a cubist… cuboonist maybe. I have absolutely no idea whatsoever is going on in this piece, but I am intrigued by the hand on the piano keyboard and by the main character’s facial features. So much more to come from Panskaribas.

2043. Upfest 2016 (161)

The big news for 2019 is that there will be no Upfest this year, the organisers have decided to have a fallow year to regroup and hit 2020 with renewed vigour. What this means is that I might be able to catch up a little on Upfest pieces passim that still need writing up. I am starting this batch of 2016 pieces with work from, I think, Douglas Trodge.

Douglas Trodge, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Douglas Trodge, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I have looked all over the Interweb, but I cannot find a Douglas Trodge, so am unable to write anything further of any use here. The two cartoon portraits are rather unusual and certainly memorable… way too good to sit in my archive forever.

Douglas Trodge, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Douglas Trodge, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

I might have to do a little more research on this piece.

 

2042. The Bearpit (176)

Street art is a mysterious beast and manages to catch me out consistently. I don’t know how long Panskaribas has been spraying in Bristol, but having not been aware of his work only a few months ago, I now seem to come across it on a really regular basis. Either there has been a mental block or gap on my part, or Panskaribas has only recently moved to Bristol or started spraying walls.

Panskaribas, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2019
Panskaribas, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2019

Whatever the reason for this heightened presence of Panskaribas, in my view, it is a good thing. I like his characters with faces sketched out in a cartoon doodle style. There is a simplicity to his work that is oddly sophisticated and I am looking forward to learning more.

2015. St Werburghs tunnel (62)

A new week, and to celebrate I am introducing you to an artist to the pages of Natural Adventures, Atchue. Although I have seen some of his pieces before, I have not known who the artist was until recently. The good news is that I have some of his work in my archives and I can dig it out when I do some of my ‘housekeeping’.

Atchue, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019
Atchue, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019

His work tends to be big, pink and bold and cartoon in style. This face reminds me of the artwork you used to see in comics like the Beano, Beezer and Dandy. The little quote on the side seems to reflect the thoughts of this marginally grotesque character…”Boobs covered in Angel Delight, yum yum”.

There is something endearing about this gurning character, and certainly it is eye-catching. Nice one to start off with.

2007. St Werburghs tunnel (61)

I think that Subtle is a really classy graffiti writer, and his collaboration with Rezwonk at Dean Lane last year will go down as one of my all time favourites. This is another humdinger, beautifully designed and executed and with a little character just for good measure.

Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019
Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019

The character is Dexter from the 1990s cartoon Dexter’s Laboratory, and he really adds something special to this piece. I love the way the bubbles from his flask are replicated all over the writing.

Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019
Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019

This is a high-quality piece which is well conceived and nicely proportioned. Although there is complexity there, it is really easy on the eye. More please.

1989. Upfest 2018 (125)

Nevla was late to the party at Upfest 2018 and as a result I didn’t manage to get a final picture of his rather cookie panda. On the upside though I did at last get to meet the elusive cartoon king of Bristol street art, and what a nice fellow he is too.

Nevla, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Nevla, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

I made a few notes on my iPhone about our conversation, but unfortunately I lost them when the motherboard gave up a few weeks ago. A quiet class act who seems to enjoy painting alone, Nevla adds something to the Bristol scene that is unerringly optimistic, which is a tonic when so much around us is in utter chaos.

1978. Stokes Croft, The Carriageworks (39)

You can tell this one is from the archives, not just from the date on the caption, but because it is on the wall of the Carriageworks, which for the last several months has been behind fences and screens while the building is being demolished and reconstructed for ‘affordable’ housing.

Nevla, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2018
Nevla, Stokes Croft, Bristol, April 2018

It is a quick one by Nevla, I think the last of his that I have from a while ago. It is a nice simple cartoon character, and from the look of it he was running low on paint. Nevla’s work always has a light-hearted  touch, which is refreshing really against a landscape of bile and hatred that exists in the UK at the moment.

1965. Armada Place (15)

I don’t think I can ever recall being disappointed with a Sepr piece in the few years that I have been enjoying street art. His distinctive cartoon style and sense of fun ooze from his works which usually raise a smile.

Sepr, Armada Place, Bristol, January 2019
Sepr, Armada Place, Bristol, January 2019

In this piece, marking the end of 2018, we see a sunbather being mildly abused by some birds (gulls?). One is stealing his ring, another emptying cream on his tummy, another drinking his cocktail and the last using a magnifying glass to burn his toes. Now when I first saw this, I thought someone had drawn a cock and balls on the man’s stomach, but the more I have looked at it, the more I think it is a sketch drawn by the bird with the tube of sun cream. A brilliant piece – comedy on a hoarding. Nice to see that Sepr and Epok have decorated the nearby wheely bin too.