3542. Frome side (9)

One of the real privileges of the last year or so has been to witness the emergence of so many new street artists in Bristol, and even more exciting is that roughly half of them are female and are absolutely smashing it. There almost seems to be a new school of female artists loosely linked and bringing their own particular colourful blend of art. Exciting times.

Tao.Create, Frome side, Bristol, February 2021
Tao.Create, Frome side, Bristol, February 2021

One of these artists is Tao.create whose beautiful trapeze artist is still adorning one of the columns at the M32 Spot. This looks like a practice piece to me although it is difficult to say. Tao.create seems to love the body form and has a great skill for portraying movement. Equally clever is the absence of facial features which helps to focus our gaze on the whole body shape. I love the understated nature and location of this piece. I can’t wait to see more.

3533. M32 Spot (109)

It seems that there is barely a spot in Bristol that Pekoe hasn’t painted on over the last week or so, I am finding her work everywhere. This is a quick ‘sketch’ to use her own words, tucked away under the M32.

Pekoe, M32 Spot, Bristol, March 2021
Pekoe, M32 Spot, Bristol, March 2021

Even in sketch form her work is immediately recognisable and has a way of drawing the viewer in. This time a pink-faced girl with light blue hair fits the bill and delivers brilliantly. This is the first of a batch of several pieces from Pekoe painted in the last week or two- watch this space.

3517. M32 Spot (108)

Daz Cat is another artist who has been insanely busy recently, painting pretty much any wall that he can. I was lucky enough to meet him for the first time last weekend while he was painting alongside Sage. As with virtually every artist I have met, he was happy to stop for a chat, and I must confess to being slightly distracted by how much younger he is than I was expecting. It is funny how you can create an image in your mind of how somebody might look, and when you get to meet them it is a surprise how unlike that imagined person they are.

Daz Cat, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2021
Daz Cat, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2021

This is a quick column piece at the bottom end of the M32 Spot all in purple with black lines for the detail. I don’t know how many cats he has painted, but doing this must be like falling off a log sometimes. I am thoroughly enjoying this surge in Daz Cat’s work, and have several unpublished pieces lined up for Natural Adventures.

3473. M32 Spot (104)

At times photographing and writing about street art requires some detective work, tracking down who might have painted a particular piece. This is especially true when new artists burst onto the scene. I shan’t go into the detail of how I found Tao.create, suffice it to say that it wasn’t easy.

Tao.create, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021
Tao.create, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021

I believe that this might be her first wall in Bristol, although I might be wrong there, but if it is, what a fabulous debut. The trapeze artist has a lovely feel about her and a grace and poise that comes across really well. The colours and shadings are very nicely done and the framing of the subject works very well on a column – it would look rather awkward on a landscape wall. Let’s hope this is the first of many.

3465. M32 Spot (103)

It seems that every week there is another artist new to the Bristol scene, or at the very least new to me. This bright column piece is by a young lady going by the name of Big Hev, and it is a privilege to witness the start of her journey painting walls.

Big Hev, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021
Big Hev, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021

There is something very appealing about this portrait, its simplicity and its bold colours. In time the shading and so traits will come, but I really like the striking nature of this piece, it demands to be looked at and enjoyed. I have found one other of her pieces, but am looking forward to many, many more.

3410. M32 Spot (99)

I got lucky a few days back when I got to meet 3F Fino for the first time while he and some friends were spraying a column not too far away from the one featured in this post. I chatted for a while and it turns out that he has only recently arrived in Bristol, I think he said from Reading,  it I might have got that wrong. He has only done a few pieces in Bristol so far, but looks like he’ll be something of a fixture on Natural Adventures going forward.

3F Fino, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2020
3F Fino, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2020

This piece resembles one he painted down in Cumberland Basin and features a woman (?) draped in a headscarf covering most of her face. Although a simple concept, the shading from left to right works really well. I look forward to seeing more from 3F Fino over the coming months/years.

3F Fino, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2020
3F Fino, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2020

3400. M32 Spot (97)

Rosalita has been smashing it out of the park lately and this new column piece under the M32 is just the latest in a string of fine works she has created in the area. From what I have seen, Rosalita is particularly fond of painting carnival faces which she does on walls but also with the application of makeup on people, which she has a talent for.

Rosalita, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2020
Rosalita, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2020

Rosalita (who often signs her pieces RAW, has nothing to do with the Bristol-based crew Read and Weep, and that the use of the same initials is entirely coincidental) has used the column space perfectly and flooded it with colour and drama. The piece is a little unsettling, with the orange eyes dripping onto the cheeks. Great to see more from Rosalita. Keep it up!

3355. M32 Spot (95)

It is a very difficult job indeed to write about street art in Bristol at the moment, mainly because there is so much of it, and with only two posts a day on Natural Adventures I have to be selective. I try to represent the broad spectrum of street art in the city, from elaborate tags to high-end murals and everything in between. Unfortunately though so much stuff ends up on the ‘cutting room floor’ – Perhaps I’ll be able to mop that lot up when I retire and need to fill my days.

This piece is from Morph, an artist who has only recently crossed my radar, adding to the Bristol throng.

Morph, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2020
Morph, M32 Spot, Bristol, November 2020

I really like this piece and it suits the column perfectly. The face resembles that of a monkey, although I’m not sure if that is the intention. A slightly edgy character, with a cigarette(?) in its mouth and shifty red eyes. I like what I see, and I think that there is some latent talent there with an understanding of shading, colours and tone. I really look forward to seeing more from Morph.

3351. Brunel Way bridge (78)

Once again the busy Pekoe brings us good cheer with this tidy little portrait piece on a pillar supporting Brunel Way. One of the features I love the most about her work is the bright colours she uses for the faces she paints, and why not use them when it seems to work so well.

Pekoe, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2020
Pekoe, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2020

Meeting her about a week ago was a genuine pleasure and long overdue. She celebrated her birthday yesterday, so I thought I’d post this piece to celebrate. The letters on the hat may not make much sense to readers, so I’ll enlighten you. BS3 is a Bristol postcode for the Bedminster area and RBF stands for the Resting Bitch Face crew.  Nice piece.

3349. M32 spot (92)

I think I have featured more new Bristol artists on Natural Adventures this year than in any previous year. It seems that every week or two new talent emerges (or equally, I become aware of someone who might have been painting for a while). Part of this talent pool seems to be home-grown, but because Bristol is a known graffiti city it draws artists in from further afield.

Morph, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2020
Morph, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2020

This piece is by Morph, who seems to favour the M32 skate spot, and is an interesting green face set on a black bubble background with the word MORPH written as if from a giant Posca pen. There is a simplicity about the piece, but also some nice shading work around the eyes, nose and mouth. It will be interesting to watch as Morph’s art develops over time. The first of I hope many posts showcasing the artist’s work.