6486. M32 Cycle path (276)

Conrico, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, October 2024
Conrico, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, October 2024

This gorgeous story piece from Conrico somehow slipped under my radar, so on one of my routine visits to the Cycle path behind the Black Swan, I was thrilled to stumble across it. The Japanese street scene is full of atmosphere and ordinary life, with a woman cuddling a cat in the foreground.

Conrico, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, October 2024
Conrico, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, October 2024

Conrico’s style looks more like a paint brush painting than anything created with a spray can, which says a lot about his application style of short bursts like brush strokes. His love affair with Japan and Japanese culture may seem at odds with Bristol culture, but is in fact a refreshing perspective and part of the amazing spectrum of work artwork we see in the city. I love this low-key piece.

6433. Purdown (80)

Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, September 2024
Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, September 2024

This is my 80th post from Purdown, but if I am honest, it feel like an awful lot more. Daz Cat seems to like it up here and the square format of the concrete blocks seems to suit his designs. It is always far more difficult for writers to fill a square space than for character artists.

Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, September 2024
Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, September 2024

Daz Cat has painted a cat (naturally) curled up in the square. The blue cat is wearing a fabulous orange striped shirt and shorts combination, and looks really rather cute. The cat is smiling and there is a good feeling all round about this piece. I will never tire of Daz Cats’ cats.

6412. Brunel Way (293)

Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024
Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024

My heart sang when I saw this wonderful piece by Daz Cat on the end of the long wall under Brunel Way. It is not the first time he has decorated this spot with a cat, and somehow the space lends itself really well to his upright characters, which I guess is why he paints there.

Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024
Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024

In this piece, the androgenous cat is doing a hand stand on top of a globe or water or a toilet seat, or something decorated with clouds. The pants the cat is wearing are hilarious, and the tottering movement of the legs, brilliantly portrayed. This Daz Cat at his fabulous story-telling best.

Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2022
Daz Cat, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2022

6356. Cumberland Basin

Lokey (Lokea) and Ember, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2024
Lokey (Lokea) and Ember, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2024

It is so good to see Lokey painting a little more often these days, and I wonder if the frequency of his painting is related in any way to his daughter joining him and ‘collaborating’ with him – pester power can be a very compelling force. This is one of several recent collaborations that Lokey has painted alongside Ember.

Lokey (Lokea) and Ember, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2024
Lokey (Lokea) and Ember, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2024

Lokey has taken to writing LOKEA, which I suppose is simply switching things up a little, which writers like to do from time to time. His distinctive anamorphic writing style lifts wonderfully well from the wall. His daughter, Ember, has painted a cat, her character of choice, and I have to say it is rather good. I don’t know how old she is, but I can see that there is great potential. It looks like naïve, childish art because that is exactly what it is. Fantastic!

6269. Dean Lane skate park (739)

Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2024
Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2024

In Dean Lane on the edge of the curved wall, Daz Cat has painted one of his trademark cats, but how his artwork has come on. In recent years, he has worked on and improved, immeasurably, his depth and features, which in his earlier work were rather flat. I guess I am saying that his work has become much more sophisticated. If you look at the image below, you will see what I mean.

Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2024
Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2024

This cheeky cat, sporting a bit of a quiff, is licking his face, something that cats seem to delight in being able to do. While this is a bit of a quick ‘stamp’ it is nonetheless really rather good.

Daz Cat, River Avon, Bristol, June 2018
Daz Cat, River Avon, Bristol, June 2018

6220. Greenbank (128)

Daz Cat, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2024
Daz Cat, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2024

It feels like Daz Cat is pushing all sorts of boundaries at the moment and painting with a freedom in both style and content that is a pleasure to witness. There is a lot going on in this free-flowing story-telling piece in Greenbank.

Daz Cat, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2024
Daz Cat, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2024

I can see a lady surrounded by purple/lilac cats, but the intriguing part of this piece is the two ‘robot’ arms that rather randomly seem to have landed in amongst them and are smoking from the arm sockets. There is a story which is skilfully illustrated, but it is a story belonging very much to the artist – as viewers we can only concoct our own stories. Great work from Daz Cat.

6140. M32 roundabout J3 (585)

Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024

Something happened to Daz Cat while he was travelling in Southeast Asia over the winter. It is almost as if he had an epiphany after which his art has moved on to a new level. A glance at this gallery of his work shows how much he has developed over the years, but this transformation is a bit of a step change.

Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024
Daz Cat, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2024

Daz Cats work was already becoming more sophisticated, but since returning to the UK there is more fluidity in his work, which is more three dimensional, and he is trying out new things, such as the profile portrait of the girl in this piece. This is an exceptional and original piece of street art, and I think it might be my new favourite by Daz Cat. Whilst I was photographing it, a passer-by who was walking his dog, singled out this piece and said how much he admired it. Keep it up Daz Cat, this is special.

6037. Cumberland Basin

Daz Cat, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
Daz Cat, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024

From what I can gather, Daz Cat has been away for a little while travelling in Southeast Asia, and has recently returned to Bristol not only with some vigour but also with a newfound inspiration that is coming across very clearly in his new pieces, like this one in Cumberland Basin.

Daz Cat, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024
Daz Cat, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2024

I can’t say I have really seen anything like this from Daz Cat before, it is like his work has taken a significant step change. There is more sophistication and depth to his character portrait, who appears to be a hybrid between a human and a cat. There are some great colours used in this piece, and the hair is just something else. Daz Cat has come a long way, and his journey is getting really interesting.

6036. Dean Lane skate park (717)

Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2024
Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2024

I think that it is fairly common knowledge that ACAB is a subversive acronym derived from the phrase ‘all cops are bastards’. I am guessing that it was coined in North America, because we don’t generally use the word cop in the UK, preferring the terms Police, bobby, old Bill, ‘pigs’ or even ‘copper’ but rarely cop. ACAB is used liberally in street/graffiti art, and this piece on the curved wall by Mr Draws, has a humorous take on the letters.

Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2024
Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2024

Firstly, I would say that this is a really attractive piece by Mr Draws, who continues to gently push his boundaries all the time whilst retaining his style and identity. The design is great, the letters are nice and tidy and the fill colours work surprisingly well. Mr Draws has softened the tone of the acronym so that it reads ‘all cats are beautiful’, and has added in a cat character for good measure. Perhaps one could term this piece ‘fluffy subversion’.

6022. Cheltenham Road

Roo, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, May 2024
Roo, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, May 2024

The maxim ‘you can never have too much of a good thing’ is a variant of the phrase ‘you can have too much of a good thing’, and the two have very different meanings. In this instance I am adopting the former in relation to the number of recent pieces painted in Bristol by the London-based Roo.

Roo, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, May 2024
Roo, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, May 2024

It has been a very long time since this wall last had anything meaningful on it, and Roo has filled the space perfectly. Her precision and apparently simple design actually underplays her skill in creating such a tight piece. The character is bound to strike a chord with cat lovers, and the black ‘naturescape’ complements the piece nicely. Great work from Roo.