6446. Redcliffe Way

Mote, Redcliffe Way, Bristol, October 2024
Mote, Redcliffe Way, Bristol, October 2024

I arrived at Bristol Temple Meads station a little early recently, on my way to a football match in London, and had a few minutes to kill in the area around the station and managed tom photograph some pieces that I have been meaning to capture for quite a while, one of which was this monster piece by Mote.

Mote, Redcliffe Way, Bristol, October 2024
Mote, Redcliffe Way, Bristol, October 2024

I have given up hunting down Mote pieces, and tend to embrace them as and when I come across them, so sometimes they are already quite old by the time I get to photograph them. This is a rather attractive looking character with the trademark cross lines for pupils in the eyes, a very Mote motif. This whole panel was decorated a while back by various artists, I think to celebrate the Bristol Tattoo Festival.

6438. Dean Lane skate park (767)

Awkward, Dean Lane, Bristol September 2024
Awkward, Dean Lane, Bristol September 2024

It would appear that Awkward is going through a bit of a purple patch, having made only occasional appearances for several years, he is now painting regularly in the Deaner. This one was part of a wider collaboration, or at least it was painted at the same time as some other pieces on the wall.

Awkward, Dean Lane, Bristol September 2024
Awkward, Dean Lane, Bristol September 2024

In Awkward, perhaps more than with other artists, we see a strong crossover between his art and music – perhaps Benjimagnetic could give him a run for for his money – and indeed Awkward promotes Sentinel793 (Benjimagnetic) in this piece. The two cartoon characters appear to be rather ghoulish, with empty eye-sockets that are connected by wisps of smoke. Nice work from Awkward, although it might not be to everyone’s taste.

6435. Dean Lane skate park (766)

Zake and Werm, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Zake and Werm, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

I wrote in a post recently that Zake appears to be at his happiest when he is collaborating with others, and here he is teaming up with Werm to create this integrated collaborative piece in the Deaner. Worm’s symmetrical writing has been somewhat disrupted by a mouthwatering (literally) cartoon portrait piece by Zake.

Zake and Werm, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Zake and Werm, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

The colours are all a bit muted because I took the photograph in the late afternoon, and the wall was in the shade. Sometimes collaborations like this don’t work too well, because the elements don’t integrate very well, but in this instance I think the pair have done really well here and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Nice work.

6428. Brunel Way (297)

Foksymoron, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024
Foksymoron, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024

Another wily old fox from Foksymoron, this one hiding from view under Brunel Way, in a place that only a few skaters and cyclists will ever really get to see and enjoy. This fox is so laid back, he spends much of his time on hid back.

Foksymoron, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024
Foksymoron, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024

Although Foksymoron has been painting foxes for a long time now, it is the scale and dynamism of his pieces that is catching at the moment, and it would seem that he has taken his art form to a new level. Of course, these aren’t the most polished pieces of street art and are a character version of a throw up, but they are full of character and have their own story to tell

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

6399. Dean Lane skate park (757)

Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

My inclination is not to say to much about this outstanding character piece by Cheo for fear of spoiling it. Cheo has been a mainstay of character pieces in Bristol forever and although he has been relatively quiet in recent years, he can still turn it on when he wants to. This is a beauty.

Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

The character is painted completely in green scale colours apart from the goggles and gold chain – even the bee is green. A small masterpiece from Cheo.

6396. Dean Lane skate park (756)

Awkward, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Awkward, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

Awkward has been getting noticeably busier in recent months, possibly prompted by his counterparts with whom he has collaborated successfully. This time though he painted solo on the bricked up flat wall behind the long skate ramp.

Awkward, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Awkward, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

The blue-faced character, wearing a baseball cap, appears to be resting on a wonderfully painted red cloud (emanating from his ear) and has a trademark speech bubble with the word AWKWARD spread over two lines. The large saucer eyes and wobbly lines to the left add a nervous energy to the piece. Awkward’s characters are quite unique and always come across as fairly wired or fraught. This is a nice piece.

Rowdy

A gallery of crocs and other wonderful characters from the established and popular Bristol Artist Rowdy.

Instagram: @rowdyunofficial

All photographs by Scooj

Rowdy, Andy Council and Acer One, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024
Rowdy, Andy Council and Acer One, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024

Rowdy, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024
Rowdy, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024

Rowdy, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024
Rowdy, Purdown, Bristol, August 2024

Rowdy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024
Rowdy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2024

Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023
Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023

Rowdy, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2022
Rowdy, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2022

Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21
Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21

Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21
Rowdy, Redpoint Climbing Centre, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest21

Rowdy, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2021
Rowdy, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2021

Rowdy, Chatterton Square, Bristol, April 2021
Rowdy, Chatterton Square, Bristol, April 2021

Rowdy, Stapleton Road, Bristol, May 2020
Rowdy, Stapleton Road, Bristol, May 2020

Rowdy, Stoney Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Rowdy, Stoney Lane, Bristol, March 2020

Inkie and Rowdy, Wilder Street, Bristol, July 2019
Inkie and Rowdy, Wilder Street, Bristol, July 2019

Rowdy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
Rowdy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018

Rowdy, St Werburghs farm, Bristol, July 2018
Rowdy, St Werburghs farm, Bristol, July 2018

Rowdy, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017
Rowdy, Bedminster, Bristol, July 2017

Rowdy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
Rowdy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

Rowdy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017
Rowdy, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017

Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016
Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016

Rowdy, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016
Rowdy, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016

Rowdy, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016
Rowdy, Devon Road, Bristol, May 2016

Mau Mau and Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015
Mau Mau and Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015

Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015
Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015

Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015
Rowdy, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015

Rowdy, lilo, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015
Rowdy, lilo, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015

Rowdy, lilo, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015
Rowdy, lilo, Picton Lane, Bristol, November 2015

6389. Brunel Way (290)

Dibz, Jody, Urge, The Art of Sok and Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024
Dibz, Jody, Urge, The Art of Sok and Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024

This is another stunning production piece, led and bookended by Dibz and Fade, incorporating work from Jody, Urge and The Art of Sok.  The themed colours of orange and light blues works exceptionally well in this spot that can have a tendency to be a bit gloomy.

Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024

Starting with Dibz on the left (and rather annoyingly, capturing that shaft of light which makes an appearance in the afternoons), the collaboration gets off to a great start, with as sharp and tidy wildstyle graffiti writing as you would expect from Dibz.

Jody, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024
Jody, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024

With five artists in the line-up, and three of them writers, the character pieces appear in the second and fourth slots. This astonishing Godzilla piece is by Jody, who has been on fire since joining up with Dibz and Fade over the last year or so (although, to be fair, he is always on fire, but perhaps more so recently).

Urge, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024
Urge, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024

Next up is a piece by Urge, who I know nothing about, but whose writing looks completely at home with the Bristol artists. I guess that Urge was visiting, or passing by, and got invited to join in. I love it that Bristol artists are so welcoming of others from around the country.

The Art of Sok, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024
The Art of Sok, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024

The fourth slot is taken up by the Art of Sok, whose distinctive style of cartoon characters, while so utterly different from the other four pieces, somehow manages to complement them very well. His characters are always beautifully presented in as close to a perfect state as they could be.

Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024
Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024

Things are rounded off by Fade, who along with Dibz ‘owns’ this manor. His beautiful letters, immaculately filled with two shades of blue and bordered with an orange 3D drop shadow, reflect the writing that comes before it. This is a very classy production piece from these five artists. Bravo!

6383. Dean Lane skate park (754)

Foksymoron, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Foksymoron, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

There is no doubt about it, Foksymoron is expanding his portfolio, painting larger fox character pieces with more variety, adding something extra to his familiar mega-tag foxes dotted about the city. I, for one, am very much enjoying this pushing of boundaries, and am wondering how much more sophistication will be added to his work.

Foksymoron, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Foksymoron, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

The rather cool looking (if not a little overweight) fox in this piece is reclining, with his sunglasses dazzling. He is saying “put a donk on it” – I’m not entirely sure what this means, but donk is Australian slang for a penis, but I can’t see how that would apply here. Anyhow, the fox remains cool and joins his larger-scale counterparts in Foksymoron’s expanding portfolio.