Tag: Colour

3578. M32 roundabout J3 (296)

Aah, such deep joy. This is my favourite collaboration of the year so far. For me it simply speaks of spring, of life, of happiness. The colours are strong and vibrant and the execution of the two elements of the collaboration by Billy and Sepr is so natural and so very easy on the eye.

Sepr, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021
Sepr, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021

On the right of the piece is a classic Sepr character holding an old wired telephone handset stating that ‘it’s for you’ and expecting at any moment to hand the phone over. The colours are magical and the green shadow is outrageously bold but somehow works brilliantly.

Billy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021
Billy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021

To the left is a visual interpretation of what is being heard in the earpiece of the telephone handset. ‘Hello, this is spring, can I help you’ says Billy’s half of the mural both in words and visually. A rural landscape with a lamb and daffodils and a spring rainbow are contained in a speech bubble. This is magnificent and I would challenge even the coldest hearted critic of street art not to find some happiness in this piece.

Billy and Sepr, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021
Billy and Sepr, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2021

I’ve not seen these two collaborate before, but if this is anything to go by I sincerely hope it is not the last time.

3529. Moon Street (87)

Moon Street, once one of the most vibrant and active graffiti streets in Bristol has become something of a forgotten backwater since the gentrification tsunami struck the Stokes Croft area about two years ago. Since that time decent pieces are few and far between, but every now and again there is a little gem, like this dazzling piece from Lee Roy.

Lee Roy, Moon Street, Bristol, February 2021
Lee Roy, Moon Street, Bristol, February 2021

Everything about this one screams out ‘look at me.. I’m here and I want to be seen’. As I have said in an earlier post of a piece from Lee Roy, he seems to have gone into overdrive in the last few weeks and is chucking up his unique brand of graffiti writing all over the city. I particularly like this one though. Great for the somber mood we seem to find ourselves in these days.

3512. St Werburghs tunnel (226)

There are some artists whose work is capable of lifting a mood, and for those fleeting moments while I am looking at their work I am transported away from my troubles. Billy is one of those artists. Bright, simple and colourful her work usually carries a message which gives depth and meaning to the artwork.

Billy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2021
Billy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2021

This piece ‘what a mess’ was painted alongside Merny’s truck piece, the pair often paint together, and helped to lift this spot into a blaze of brightness. I don’t know if the ‘mess’ relates directly to the subject of the piece or whether it is deeper than that and describing the state of our country. On either level it works.

Morny and Billy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2021
Morny and Billy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2021

Sadly this piece along with Merny’s didn’t last too long, and the aggressive tagging that partially covered them over was annoying to say the least. I just don’t get some people.

3447. St Werburghs tunnel (220)

This wall at the Farm end of St Werburghs tunnel has been ripe for a refresh for some time and who better to bring about some colour and joy than Mr Draws? As night follows day, Mr Draws will be out there brightening up our walls with his unique style.

Mr Draws, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2021
Mr Draws, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2021

This one is a simple affair using blues, purples and red laid out as horizontal fills in a DRAW outline. There is a deep 3D black shadow and the whole thing is given added interest with some yellow bars. Bold and shouty – this piece has Mr Draws written all over it, literally.

3383. Martin Street

I can’t think of a better piece to post on Christmas Day than this beautiful mural from  Zoe Power tucked away in Bedminster. Sadly it is yet another prize wall that nearly always has a car parked outside and this is the best view of it I could get.

Zoe Power, Martin Street, Bristol, December 2020
Zoe Power, Martin Street, Bristol, December 2020

Zoe Power is known for her wonderful and bright colourful work which often has an element of symmetry about it. In this piece two characters are caught in an embrace where they almost fuse and become one, it is wonderful work and although simple on the outside, full of sophistication and class.

Zoe Power, Martin Street, Bristol, December 2020
Zoe Power, Martin Street, Bristol, December 2020

Whenever I see her work, I am always reminded of the great Matisse, and that is the biggest complement I can pay. Well worth seeking this out.

3364. Dean Lane skate park (368)

Mr Draws continues to experiment and try new things, which is one of the reasons I love his work. His writing is perhaps less conventional than some writers in Bristol, but it has a freedom and joy about it, an unpretentiousness if you like.

Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2020
Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2020

I like the way the colours overlap from one letter to the next and the random positioning of the letters adds interest. Great colours, simple and effective. Always great to see work from this Bristol legend.

3232. Brunel Way bridge (59)

It is always good to return to my old favourites from time to time, keeping Natural Adventures grounded and not obsessed with high-end pieces, which could be very tempting but nowhere nearly as representative of the Bristol scene. The beating heart of graffiti and street art lie in the hands of people like Mr Draws and Face 1st – the unsung heroes of our city.

Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2020
Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2020

This is a piece from a short while back  by Mr draws that has a rather lovely feel to it. The colour fills are rather interesting and unruly, but somehow work really well and the whole thing, spelling out DRAWS, lifts nicely off the wall and the vibrant colours make it nice and lively. A decent piece that many might ignore and walk past.

3227. St Werburghs tunnel (193)

This is one of two walls, that happen to be opposite each other at the entrance to St Werburghs tunnel, by Billy, while painting together with her buddy Morny. Billy’s pieces (she is called @billycolours on Instagram) are always brightly coloured and have a child-like simplicity to them.

Billy, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020
Billy, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020

This fabulous mural shows a figure in bed, presumably looking up at a mobile of planets, with a thought bubble and the words Wake Up! The piece tells a really simple story in a clean and clear way – Billy has a gift for this kinnd of story, and it shows tht you don’t need deep sophistication to get a message across. A bright and cheerful addition to the tunnel. Sadly this piece only lasted a few days before being bombed with rather inferior throw ups.

3120. Turbo Island

In the last twelve months or so the board at Turbo Island has attracted some fabulous pieces by greatly talented artists and now it is the turn of Tom Miller with his debut piece on this wall. And what an amazing start.

Tom Miller, Turbo Island, Bristol, August 2020
Tom Miller, Turbo Island, Bristol, August 2020

Tom Miller has been turning out so many pieces since lock down and I have struggled to keep up with them. Some are for fun like this one, but he has also worked on a couple of commissions which is really good, because an artist’s life is a tough one and paid work can be hard to come by.

Tom Miller, Turbo Island, Bristol, August 2020
Tom Miller, Turbo Island, Bristol, August 2020

There is an abundance of colour and form in this abstract piece and typical of the artist there is a great deal of energy and activity. So much to look at and so much detail, it can be hard for the brain to decipher exactly what is going on, but this is a great strength that Tom Miller has. It is not to everyone’s taste, but I love it.

3085. M32 roundabout J3 (240)

Minto is an artist who at one time lived in Bristol but like so many others before him moved to London. From time to time he returns to Bristol and recently he brought Tizer with him for a couple of days.

Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

This was the second of two pieces that Minto painted over two days at the M32 roundabout and I was fortunate enough to be there when he was painting both of them. This is certainly a festival of colour and a beautifully designed piece, but, and I don’t mean to be too picky, I don’t really like the colour combinations. I could do with losing the brown/bronze and the bright green… it all comes over as a bit of a colour hotch potch. Maybe like Hemper he was using up dregs to give us this diverse piece.

Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

Of course it goes without saying, I am perhaps focussing on the wrong thing, because the finished piece is so obviously by an enormously talented artist and actually looks pretty good. Of the two pieces he painted over the two days, I think I prefer his first one (yet to be posted).