5909. Brunel Way (264)

Fade and Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024
Fade and Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024

I am so far behind with my posts that since this piece by Dibz and Fade was painted, the left hand side has gone, and the right hand side augmented. The more these two work together, the more difficult it becomes to determine who has painted what, and I was lucky enough to meet them yesterday and Fade said that the both contribute to both bits of their work, and that it might be easier to attribute the pieces to both of them, rather than trying to isolate one artist from the other.

Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024
Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024

Having said all of that, on the left, the writing is the work of Fade, containing plenty of spots from the cheetah. Some great letter shapes and the crossover fade from orange to black is expertly handled.

Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024

On the right the letters spell out Dibz, and the character, which I have only just realised as I write this, is the cheetah from the Cheetos snacks brand, hence the words “it’s not easy… being cheesy”. The cheetah and the writing have been incorporated into a full wall Alice in Wonderland piece from the pair, which I hope to be able to stitch together from several visits. There is no stopping this Dibz/Fade juggernaut.

3396. Cheltenham Road

This is the perfect way to end 2020 with a spanking new and rather beautiful mural on the Cheltenham road just before the Arches heading north. The mural is by Alex Lucas and covers the entire wall of what was Flour and Ash but is now a new vegan Mezze bar called Koo Cha

Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2020
Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2020

I had been anticipating the unveiling of this piece for some time as I live nearby and had seen Alex painting it on a large scaffold erected in front of the building. It certainly didn’t disappoint, in fact I think it might be one of my favourite pieces by the illustrator/muralist. 

Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2020
Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2020

The cheetahs are absolutely stunning and stand out well on the blue background and the flowers are a beautiful touch that ‘glue’ the whole thing together. We are so lucky in Bristol to have Alex Lucas whose work lights up the city and brings such happiness to its citizens. Bravo Alex, bravo!

It has been an extraordinary year for street art and graffiti in Bristol and around the country. A succession of lockdowns and an extended period of social distancing behaviours haven’t done anything to stem the tide of wonderful artwork and I have had difficulty keeping up with it all. I think this year has been the most productive since I started Natural Adventures almost six years ago. The quality of work has increased too and there has been an influx of artists from the UK and beyond. 

Some artists have gone to ground for periods this year, reflecting what had been a troubling time, and work patterns have gone haywire too which will have affected some people’s ability to choose when they can make time for street art. In spite of it all, it has been an outstanding year on Bristol’s streets. Here’s to more in 2021.

Happy New Year all. Bring on the new!

553. Hawley Mews, Camden Town (2)

This is a wonderful collaboration that I saw in Hawley Mews, Camden Town during last summer. There is a great post about the piece from the  London calling blog, which perhaps more articulately describes the works than I might be able to do.

Alice Pasquini, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016
Alice Pasquini, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016

The girl and cheetah are by Alice Pasquini, an Italian artist from Rome, who has worked in many great cities all over the world. Her work, which often features portraits and uses light pastel shades, reminds me a lot of Hannah Adamasek’s work. There is a serenity and calmness in this piece.

Alice Pasquini, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016
Alice Pasquini, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016

The desert foxes by Himbad and Marina Zumi add a little humour to the collaboration. There is not a lot of information about Himbad, although lots of his work is posted on various websites. It would appear that he is based in London. His fox looks rather mischievous, which is pretty much in keeping with the other faces he sprays on the streets of London.

Himbad, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016
Himbad, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016

Marina Zumi presents us with an altogether softer and kinder looking desert fox. Marina Zumi lives and works in Sao Paolo and is perhaps more used to working large walls. She paints fairy tail animals, often at dusk or nightfall when the magic comes. You can read more about her work here.

Himbad and Marina Zumi, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016
Himbad and Marina Zumi, Hawley Mews, Camden Town, September 2016

It was a real pleasure to see this collaboration. Just one of the rewards for wandering around without any plan or map…psychogeography at its best.