Tag: Character

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.

4594. Upfest 2022 (34)

I guess it is a host’s prerogative, in this case Upfest, to be able to include lots of local artists to join in the fun of the festival, and it felt like, this year more than any other, that Bristol-based artists made up a significant proportion of all the artists in attendance. This is a brilliant thing, because it introduces all the visitors to the festival to the vast pool of talent we have in the city.

Zake, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Zake, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Any regular reader of Natural Adventures will be no stranger to the work of Zake, and here we see him at work painting the body of one of his characteristic cartoon-style faces. I like work in progress (WIP) photographs, because they give you a real sense of how the finished article was created, and how the finishing touches can transform a piece.

Zake, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Zake, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

As always, it is the mastery of light and shade that makes Zake’s work so special, and he has managed to apply these principles not only to the character’s face but also to his clothes. A fine festival piece from Zake.

4592. Upfest 2022 (32)

I think it is fair to say that some of the Upfest pieces are much more memorable than others. Some you really want to photograph and some others you forget that you even saw them until you review your pictures. This is definitely one of those memorable ones.

Mister Samo, Upfest 22, Bristol, Bristol, May 2022
Mister Samo, Upfest 22, Bristol, Bristol, May 2022

The bright piece is by Mister Samo, who I have not encountered before but who has a really interesting biography in the Upfest programme as follows:

Samo is a Portsmouth based trans artist, public speaker, and activist who focuses on intersectional gender identity and community. Highlights include painting at World Pride 2019, producing I EXIST (a trans bodies art book), founding an LGBTQ+ safe space scheme, and having his works collected by people across the world.

Mister Samo, Upfest 22, Bristol, Bristol, May 2022
Mister Samo, Upfest 22, Bristol, Bristol, May 2022

There is something very appealing about the piece and without doubt it demands to be looked at. The stylised yellow figure set on the blue and pink background stands out a mile, but as well as the bold colours, the finer details are what make the piece rather special, such as the hand and the beautifully drafted flowers. A very nice piece from Mister Samo.

4583. M32 roundabout J3 (415)

It has been more than just a little fun watching Mote’s work develop over the last few months. His characteristic monsters and beasts are becoming something of a feature in many of the popular spots as well in some rather more remote places.

Mote, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022
Mote, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022

Mote’s designs are all incredibly original, and he never seems to paint the same character twice. His can control is really good and all of his works, which tend to be quite small, have some fine detail and are on point. This one on the M32 roundabout, his first in the spot, is one of his best yet.

4573. Dean Lane skate park (510)

In my view, street art and graffiti writing always look nicer on a buffed wall, although I’m sure that some purists would probably disagree with that. In this instance I think it holds true, and Mudra’s graffiti writing is presented beautifully.

Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022

Mudra has found a new level recently, and is constantly developing his letters, incorporating characters and looking at new shapes and designs. His work is along the lines of other artists whose letters each have a separate look and feel, the master of which is SkyHigh. I am definitely enjoying observing Mudra’s work develop.

4570. Upfest 2022 (28)

Skor85 is a wonderful artist, living in Bristol, although I believe she is one of a number of artists in the city originally from Poland. It has been a very long time since I last saw any of her work, so managing to catch up with her, albeit briefly, at Upfest was a real bonus.

Skor85, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Skor85, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Her work often contains studies of the human form, although it might be contorted or in some way agonised, not unlike the work of Object…. I am pretty sure that there is some kind of narrative in this piece, but I am not quite sure that I can pin it down. I wonder if there is an anti-war theme to it.

Skor85, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Skor85, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

The tortured character, an alien perhaps, appears to be fending off shells or satellites containing concepts such as television or money. A complex piece with plenty to think about together with a rich combination of a beautifully worked character and catastrophic scenes in the background, make this a real Upfesst winner.

4569. Upfest 2022 (27)

One of my favourite Bristol artists is Sepr, and it is great to see him embracing Upfest this year. I can’t recall any Upfest pieces by Sepr before, but I might well be mistaken. This is a prominent wall at Upfest, with plenty of opportunity to see it head on from a distance, as anyone driving from North Street to West Street will know.

Sepr, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022
Sepr, Upfest 22, Bristol, June 2022

The previous occupant was another Bristol artist, Cheba, so it is nice to get that local continuity. Sepr has painted a whole load of people out and about, perhaps reflecting the diversity of people attending Upfest. What is fascinating is that each of the characters is telling a different story; some seem anxious, some unhappy, some happy, some busy and some simply chilling. It is incredible to get so many contrasting emotions into one piece. This is an outstanding piece from Sepr, and what a joy that it will probably remain in situ until the next Upfest.

4568. Upfest 2022 (26)

This is one of two pieces painted by Ejits at this year’s festival, the other being a wall over a shop entrance on East Street. Although she doesn’t paint on the streets all that often, she does have one or two prominent murals in Bedminster.

Ejits, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Ejits, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Although I managed to photograph the piece as a work in progress, I unfortunately didn’t manage to cross paths with Ejits, which is a shame, but maybe next time. Ejits seems to be as comfortable painting on a small board as she is painting at scale and her straightforward solid fill characters are interesting and charming. I would say that her style is similar to that of Roo and Nol, although her characters are quite unique.

Ejits, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Ejits, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

One could be forgiven for thinking that her half-finished piece was complete, because it was signed, but the final picture shows you how much impact the additional details make on the overall piece. Watch this space for her other Upfest 2022 piece.

4536. Sparke Evans Park (48)

Visiting artists are always welcome in Bristol, and certainly the city does tend to draw a great many of them, probably due to its well known and mature graffiti sub-culture. Recently we have been graced by the presence of an extraordinary artist, Posea, who visited Bristol from his home in Sheffield.

Posea, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2022
Posea, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2022

This piece in Sparke Evans Park was part of a paint jam, I think, for Turoe’s birthday a couple of weeks ago. The character piece is so different from the hand and lighter piece he painted in Dean Lane around the same time, demonstrating the versatility of this amazing artist. Here we see a man in a bear mask, with a crazy duck on top, with a double-barrelled shot gun. All rather sinister, but exquisitely painted and finished. It would be great to see more of his work.

Posea, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022
Posea, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022

4506. Cumberland Basin

It is not only the quantity of graffiti and street art that is being painted in Bristol at the moment, but the outstanding quality of some of it that is quite mind-boggling, and you know that when Smak, Sled One and Ments get together that you are going to be in for a treat.

Smak, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022
Smak, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022

On the left of this triptych Smak has absolutely smashed out his letters with extraordinary class and style in what I can only describe as a very Smacky way, which I hope makes sense. Although quite well disguised, once you get your eye in you can clearly see the letters SMAK. Great colours and a confident piece.

Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022
Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022

A surreal and utterly bonkers elephant character by Sled One is in the middle section of this collaborative wall. Alongside 3Dom, Sled One is the leading character artist in Bristol and his weird creations are always something to look forward to. It is his details and textures, tones and depth that makes his work completely stand out from the crowd.

Ments, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022
Ments, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022

To the right is a fabulously etherial piece from Ments, who seems to reinvent his style on an annual basis while always maintaining an organic and rather abstract nature with his letters. This piece feels almost more like a canvas study than a piece of graffiti writing. Superb skills all round, this is a wonderful collaborative wall.