Funnily enough I met Sworm, a friend of Klashwhensober’s, when he painted this piece back in the summer, and somehow it has remained intact since. To be fair is is a really nice piece of writing, and has been respected for a long while. At the time of painting, I never got a photograph of the completed piece and only snapped it in November.
Sworm, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, November 2024
The jaunty letters spell SWORM, but it is the fills that delight the eye. A spectrum of colours, perhaps it was a dregs piece (the term used by artists for using up the dregs of a can), dance through the letters with a variety of inspired patterns. This is a most attractive piece of graffiti writing.
I am a fan of Lupa’s work, and although it can be a little rough around the edges, it feels authentic, honest and unpretentious. As ever, with her work, there is a lot of joy and personality about the presentation of her letters, which are characterful and animated with simple faces. The bright colours are not blended, but simply blasted onto the wall, which adds to the genuine nature of Lupa’s work.
Lupa, M32 roundabout J2, Bristol, October 2024
This piece is in one of the tunnels of the much underused Junction 2 roundabout, where turnover is far lower than one might expect. There is a lot of wall space here, which gives me comfort, because as the city becomes more and more gentrified, some of the ‘traditional’ walls and hoardings are rapidly disappearing. Lupa has used the space well.
Jest Soubriquet, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024
Jest Soubriquet is an occasional visitor to Bristol, and his work is always welcome here. I have posted a couple of his portrait pieces on Natural Adventures this year, and this third one tucked away at the left-hand side of the long wall is a true beauty.
Jest Soubriquet, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024
The portrait, painted with his trademark patchwork of colours, is accompanied by a cosmic cloud scene with colours taken from, but presented differently to those used in the portrait. The three triangles unintentionally (I think) give the portrait a ‘Statue of Liberty’ look, which once seen is very difficult to unsee. This is a really refreshing approach to portrait pieces, and I hope we see more from Jest Soubriquet before too long.
Hypo has been on fire for a couple of years now, re-emerging during Covid, and keeping up a regular rhythm of fine graffiti writing that just seems to be getting better and better. His letters lend themselves to bilateral symmetry like those of Werm, but there the similarity of graffiti writing between the two artists ends.
Hypo, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2024
The colours in this piece are its crowning glory. Set on a neutral cream background, the wildstyle letters ‘HYPO’ are festooned with a beautifully blended selection of rainbow colours that manage to remain reasonably subtle, and whilst a colourful piece it avoids being gaudy. Very fine work from a lovely graffiti writer.
I can’t explain why, but there is something that I really like about Nips’ graffiti writing. She first came onto my radar less than a year ago, but in that time her colourful and characterful work has really grown on me. She is an artist I have not yet met, but look forward to doing so some time and asking her about her work.
Nips, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2024
While Nips tends to keep her letter style fairly consistent, it is the fills where the magic happens, and in this piece she has created a stunning kaleidoscope of colour and patterns. A simple bit of background patterning and a drop shadow help the piece to stand out, along with some white highlighting in the letters. This is a notable piece from a creative writer.
In spite of it being one of my favourite spots, I still haven’t marked up the half-century of posts from Leonard Lane, but not far off now. Risky is a writer who I have been aware of for a few years and although I haven’t yet posted any of his pieces, I have been meaning to forever.
Risky, Leonard Lane, Bristol, June 2024
This by far the most impressive piece from Risky that I have seen so far, and I have to say that I really love it, and it is a perfect piece of graffiti writing for the location. Each of the letters RISKY are afforded a completely unique colour/pattern regime, and the whole thing comes across as an energetic and happy piece. Perhaps it is not the tidiest piece ever, but I don’t think that matters at all. Look out for more from Risky, now that I have started the ball rolling.
One of the great joys of being a street art hunter and chronicler is the sheer number of endorphin ‘mini-snacks’ one gets exposed to on each exploratory walk. Some artists elicit slightly more excitement than others, and there doesn’t seem to be any logical explanation for why that might be. One artist whose work I particularly enjoy seeing is Nips, and it feels like there is progression with every new piece.
Nips, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2024
I would say that Nips is a bit of a fills specialist, keeping her general letter shapes constant, while experimenting with colours and patterns in the fills and in that respect, she has excelled in this stunner. Her selection of colours and outstanding designs within the letters is utterly joyful. The whole thing looks rather like a sophisticated wallpaper design, and that is meant as a compliment. Nips continues, I am pleased to say, with her trademark face appearing as the dot of the ‘i’. More endorphins please.
Paul Monsters, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2023Paul Monsters, Upfest 24, North Street, Bristol, May 2024Acer One, Andy Council and Paul Monsters, Greville Smyth Park, Bristol, May 2024Paul Monsters and Mister Samo, Old Park Road, Exeter, October 2023Paul Monsters and Mister Samo, Old Park Road, Exeter, October 2023Paul Monsters and Mister Samo, Old Park Road, Exeter, October 2023Paul Monsters and Mister Samo, Old Park Road, Exeter, October 2023Paul Monsters, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022Paul Monsters and Tom Miller, Queen Street, Bristol, May 2022Andy Council and Paul Monsters, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022Paul Monsters and Ments, Clift House Road, Bristol, January 2022Paul Monsters and Ments, Clift House Road, Bristol, January 2022Paul Monsters and Ments, Clift House Road, Bristol, January 2022Koeone and Paul Monsters, West Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21Koeone and Paul Monsters, West Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21Andy Council, Soker and Paul Monsters, Waterloo Place, Bristol, June 2021Andy Council, Soker and Paul Monsters, Waterloo Place, Bristol, June 2021Paul Monsters, Anchor Road, Bristol, May 2021Paul Monsters, Bedminster Parade, Bristol, April 2021Paul Monsters, Bedminster Parade, Bristol, April 2021Paul Monsters and Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol September 2020Paul Monsters, Leonard Lane, Bristol, December 2019Paul Monsters, Leonard Lane, Bristol, December 2019Paul Monsters, Leonard Lane, Bristol, December 2019L7M and Paul Monsters, South Street, Bristol, July 2019Paul Monsters and Soker, Waterloo Place, Bristol, June 2019Paul Monsters and Soker, Waterloo Place, Bristol, June 2019Door, North Street, Bristol, Artist: Paul Monsters, February 2019Paul Monsters, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018Paul Monsters, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018Paul Monsters and Loch Ness, North Street Green, July 2015Paul Monsters, Millpond Street, Bristol, May 2018Paul Monsters and Loch Ness, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017Copyright and Paul Monsters, Lower Approach Road, Bristol, May 2017Copyright and Paul Monsters, North Street, Bristol, April 2017Copyright and Paul Monsters, North Street, Bristol, April 2017Copyright and Paul Monsters, North Street, Bristol, April 2017
Paul Monsters, Upfest 24, North Street, Bristol, May 2024
I have a feeling that this was one of the first walls to be completed for this year’s Upfest, and there is likely a very good reason for this. Paul Monsters, whose colourful geometric murals are well known in Bristol, also works with Upfest, so I imagine he needed to complete his piece early so that he could help with his festival responsibilities.
Paul Monsters, Upfest 24, North Street, Bristol, May 2024
The wonderful mural is painted on the side of the Bristol Beer Factory, and Paul Monsters has carefully incorporated the pint glass logo into his design. The use of various tones of colours to create depth in these geometric pieces is a trademark of Paul Monsters’ work and although at first glance his work might look simple and straightforward, it is in fact complex and sophisticated. This post reminds me that it is high time I produced a gallery of his outstanding work.
One of the most fulfilling things about wandering around the known street art spots in Bristol is finding pieces that are beyond my expectations. I mean that I can go to spots and either be searching for something specific that I have seen on social media or be pretty sure what kind of artwork I am likely to find and by whom. So when an outlier like this one by Amy Magee comes along, I get extra excited.
Amy Magee, Picton Lane, Bristol, February 2024
Although Amy Magee comes from Bristol, I am not familiar with her work and I don’t recall seeing anything by her before, and I suspect that she doesn’t often paint walls. This beautiful portrait piece was painted alongside a piece by Kosc, and I am guessing they were painted at the same time, with Kosc sharing one of his favourite spots with Amy Magee.
Amy Magee, Picton Lane, Bristol, February 2024
The portrait is stunning and is greatly enhanced by the colourful surrounding wisps of cloud and the atmosphere generated. The beautifully proportioned subject has a wistful expression, and incredible eye makeup. It would appear that colour is very important in Amy Magee’s work, which comes across in this piece. I hope that this adventure into painting a mural on the streets isn’t a one-off, and would encourage her to do it again – perhaps at this year’s Upfest.
Natural adventures 