Tag: Chrome

5964. Brunel Way (268)

Mr Crawls, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024
Mr Crawls, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024

Everything about this piece by Mr Crawls is good. Utility box painting, in my view is providing a public service, and indeed in some countries is actively promoted, to turn these utilitarian metal monstrosities into something attractive and a talking point. This artwork is of course illegal and considered subversive, and yet what joy it brings.

Mr Crawls, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024
Mr Crawls, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2024

Mr Crawls has been using chrome backgrounds a lot lately and it works especially well here, providing a neutral backdrop to a stunning red and grey bird character piece. I think that the way this has come together and the location contribute towards making it my favourite piece by the artist so far (I think).

5936. Cumberland Basin

Mr Crawls and Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2024
Mr Crawls and Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2024

One of the great joys of the last six months has been the thriving partnership between Mote and Mr Crawls. Rarely do you get the chance to watch on as two artistic talents arrive at a confluence and thrive as collaborators, while maintaining their individual identities.

Mr Crawls and Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2024
Mr Crawls and Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2024

This collaboration, on the ‘wet wall’ on the north side of the river underneath Brunel Way features two toothy monsters set on a chrome background (a strong feature of their recent work). On the left, Mr Crawls has a go, and smashes it, at painting a monster, which is a bit of a departure from his birds. The purple-faced monster, in spite of the array of sharp teeth, looks gentle enough. On the right Mote has created a monster, also with sharp teeth, in which the fill patterns give the piece away as one of his. As I have said before, they tend to bounce ideas off one another, and you can see how they have both shared an approach to painting the eyelids. So much fun from these two.

5830. St Mark’s Avenue (11)

Phour and Mates, St Mark's Avenue, Bristol, January 2024
Phour and Mates, St Mark’s Avenue, Bristol, January 2024

For a little while, now, I have been aware that Phour has been painting with a new companion, Mates. Their combinations can be seen in walls and fences all around Bristol, but I think that this is the first post with both of them on Natural Adventures.

Phour, St Mark's Avenue, Bristol, January 2024
Phour, St Mark’s Avenue, Bristol, January 2024

This collaborative wall is themed with chrome lettering on a red background. Phour, painting his distinctive and clean letters in a way that is very pleasing on the eye, kicks things off in this straightforward piece. Judging from the little bit of greenery in the letter ‘O’, I would guess that the piece has been here for a little while.

Mates, St Mark's Avenue, Bristol, January 2024
Mates, St Mark’s Avenue, Bristol, January 2024

To the right, Mates makes his debut on Natural Adventures with some very nice letter shapes in chrome, with a black drop shadow on the red background. The letter design feels very familiar, and reminds me of the kinds of fonts you would see in children’s comics like Beano, The Dandy, Beezer and so on. Watch this space for more from this pairing.

5756. Picton Lane (16)

Mind 49, Picton Lane, Bristol, December 2023
Mind 49, Picton Lane, Bristol, December 2023

It was dark when I took these pictures. I had been doing a little Christmas food shopping in the wonderful Italian delicatessen C&T Licata and Son Ltd in Picton Street, just around the corner. I figured I’d walk home via Picon Lane, just on the off chance that there might be something there that I hadn’t seen before, and was rewarded with this amazing Mind 49 piece alongside Kosc.

Mind 49, Picton Lane, Bristol, December 2023
Mind 49, Picton Lane, Bristol, December 2023

The light conditions are a little poor, but the quality of the piece from Mind 49 is clear to see. He has painted a fabulous transition halfway along the frog where it changes from full colour to chrome and grey, while maintaining the patterning and depth. The piece is rounded off with a nice big chrome 49 and an interesting patterned green background. I daresay the whole thing looks rather better in the daylight, but I don’t pass by this way all that often and thought I’d post these pictures rather than delay.

5754. Peel Street Green (24)

Phour, Peel Street Green, Bristol, December 2023
Phour, Peel Street Green, Bristol, December 2023

As with my last post, I have been a little distracted by my birthday today and have very limited time to write a blog post. I will let Phour do the talking with this magnificent large piece of writing in Peel Street Green.

Phour, Peel Street Green, Bristol, December 2023
Phour, Peel Street Green, Bristol, December 2023

This chrome piece is loud, bold and confident. It is unapologetic and unfussy. Sometimes big fat ‘in your face’ graffiti writing can be just the ticket, and I think Phour has done a great job with this one.

5488. Brunel Way (228)

Dopes, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2023
Dopes, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2023

I caught up with Dopes and Fade for a little while as Dopes was finishing off this piece on the long wall alongside the River Avon. We chatted for a while, which was enjoyable and informative. Just as Dopes was packed up and leaving, he glanced at the piece and commented that the ‘D’ was all wrong and looked a little distorted. I have to say that I hadn’t noticed, but there you have it, artists know what they want and are deeply critical of their own work, and they always notice the little defects.

Dopes, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2023
Dopes, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2023

Chrome pieces are prized in the graffiti community, but I have to say that they are not my favourite, and I think they are probably more of a graffiti culture thing as much as anything else. As I would expect from Dopes, this is neatly done with consistent patterning and styling throughout.

4991. M32 Cycle path (195)

Ryder, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2023
Ryder, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2023

At some point, in the not too distant past, some kindly people or group installed a little raised bed in this dark, dank corner below the M32 motorway. Unfortunately, for many reasons, the bed has not been maintained, and has become a dumping ground (see the razor wire, that seems to reside here) and public toilet. Even in these rather revolting conditions, street artists and writers continue to paint the walls, at risk to their own health, to brighten the place up a bit.

Ryder, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2023
Ryder, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2023

This is a lovely chrome burner from Ryder, a true gentleman of Bristol, that through its apparent simplicity and sharpness provides a little eye candy in this desperate spot. It was painted alongside a T-Rex piece (to follow). I like the way the chrome picks up and reflects the light in this dingy space.

4969. Brunel Way (189)

Cobo, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2023
Cobo, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2023

One of the artefacts of the way I plan my blog posts is that I am always running a few weeks behind the time that the pieces were painted. So here we are on Sunday 21 January and I am posting a Christmas piece by Cobo.

Cobo, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2023
Cobo, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2023

This is an absolute chrome beauty by New Zealand artist Cobo, whose writing is out of the top drawer. In this piece, his wonderfully stylised letters are accompanied by a cat and a sign saying merry Christmas. I love a street art cat, and must, one day, get my act sorted out and d a gallery of street art cats. It will happen. In the mean time you’ll just have to enjoy this lovely fella.

4665. Sparke Evans Park (52)

Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, August 2022
Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, August 2022

Laic217 is painting roughly every three to four weeks at the moment, which is great as it keeps a constant stream of his work in the limelight, and allows me to publish pretty much every piece I see.

Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, August 2022
Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, August 2022

This artistic piece features a chrome Satan Japanese Oni (thank you, Paul) crushing a spray can with his teeth, and some bronze paint/fumes wafting from the can in a rather stylised design. The chrome work is fantastic because it isn’t chrome at all, but looks like it. The colours used are actually black, grey, white and light blue, which used skilfully create an illusion of metal. Brilliant work from Laic217.

4630. M32 roundabout J3 (423)

Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022
Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022

There was a time when I endeavoured to publish every piece that I found by Mr Draws, however, with the emergence of so many artists in recent years, it has become almost impossible to show that loyalty to some of my favourites of days gone by. Mr Draws still paints them, but I only post maybe one I three, which is a real pity.

Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022
Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022

This one on the M32 roundabout is a real beauty in chrome, with a straightforward design concept… chrome letters, blue caps with drips, a pink ‘electric’ ribbon and a few cracks in the letters for interest. The whole thing is nice to look at and great to see from ‘old faithful’.