Tag: Cumberland Basin

4440. Cumberland Basin

One of the most recognisable styles in Bristol is from Taboo, and the interesting thing about that is that although he usually writes ‘Taboo’, no two pieces look the same, unlike some writers who like to recreate their letters in a similar format from piece to piece.

Taboo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022
Taboo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022

In this one, Taboo’s unruly letters, once again seem to defy convention, for example, he uses two different border colours halfway through the word. The letters are imaginative and creative, and don’t really follow a font style, although one can tell that they are all by the same artist. No character in this piece, which is a bit of a pity, because they add a further dimension to the overall work. This is yet another wonderful piece of writing from an artist who likes to plough his own furrow.

4433. Cumberland Basin

I think that I have photographed this column piece by John D’oh pretty much every time I have visited this spot, always with the intention of posting it, but somehow it hasn’t made it onto Natural Adventures. Well it has now, and is a great record of the crazy world we have been living in over the last two years. Capturing pieces like this is to record history as portrayed through the work of some amazing street artists.

John D'oh, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022
John D’oh, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2022

John D’oh has sprayed this witty stencil, reminding us to keep our social distancing to 2 metres which roughly translates to Bristol croc’s length. This references many local stories about a Bristol crocodile, thanks in no small part to another fine street artist, Rowdy. The Bristol crocodile story dates back to at least 2014, and relies on repeated sightings of crocodiles in various watercourses. Some are fakes and some are recently ‘dumped’ pet crocodiles that get released irresponsibly. The Bristol crocodile has become quite a thing though.

4399. Cumberland Basin

Solar is an artist who is horribly under-represented on the pages of Natural Adventures. I have dozens of photographs of his graffiti writing, but very little of it has seen the light of day. I have no idea why this has happened, because in my mind’s eye it feels like I have posted a lot of his work.

Solar, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2022
Solar, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2022

Solar is one of those ‘it does what it says on the tin’ artists who spells out Solar in most, if not all, of his pieces. His letters are quite boxy and the holes in the ‘o’ and ‘a’ are distinctively low and squished. This is a rather fun throw up that uses the space well. I really must dig out more of his work and share it.

4380. Cumberland Basin

Mote certainly finds some secluded spots to practice his art and this one is tucked away in Cumberland Basin, which I only found because I decided to extend my usual circuit of the area a little. I’m not too sure how long this piece has been here, but it looks reasonably fresh.

Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2022
Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2022

The monsters that Mote creates are nicely thought out and designed, and his crisp, sharp lines and solid fills give away the identity of the artist in his unsigned pieces. Another common theme in Mote’s work is the use of strong colours, especially green, yellow and red all featuring in this piece. His monsters are all rather loveable and have added to the wonderful free art gallery that is available to all on the streets of Bristol.

4350. Cumberland Basin

You can be pretty certain that when Paul Monsters and Andy Council team up, you are going to get something rather special, and this collaboration in Cumberland Basin is definitely special. The two have combined their unique styles into a bit of a mash up piece, rather than painting side by side in what I would call a true collaboration.

Andy Council and Paul Monsters, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022
Andy Council and Paul Monsters, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022

The colourful geometric shapes are by Paul Monsters and set the framework for  a stunning Andy Council nautilus or ammonite, a large version of the icon he uses for his signature. Set on a black buffed wall the collaboration is truly outstanding, and all for free! So good to see these two collaborating, and I hope they plan to work together again some time.

4346. Cumberland Basin

I met Mote for the first time, not long ago, when he was painting a small piece up at Purdown Battery, and what a thoroughly pleasant experience it was too. He told me that he had always wanted to paint and get out there hitting walls, but life had taken him down a different path. Mote now finds himself in a situation where he can paint, and my goodness he has been making up for lost time. Bristol is festooned with his work, but this is the first piece of his to appear on Natural Adventures.

Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022
Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022

Mote is another character artist, specialising in monsters. His pieces tend to be smallish, but creative and imaginative. Mote uses bright colours (a lot of green) in his work and likes to keep sharp, crisp lines – he takes a lot of time to create his work, but it is time well spent. Look out for a whole ton more from this artist over coming months.

4340. Cumberland Basin

I am beginning to wonder whether Haka has young children, because many of his recent pieces feature characters from children’s picture books, such as Thomas the Tank Engine, Lazybones and in this piece, Stick Man, created by the fabulous Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

Haka, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022
Haka, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022

Not only is this a faithful homage to the creators of the character, but it is also an anti-war piece in support of the people of Ukraine whose world has been thrown into turmoil by the invasion by Russia, directed by the dictator Putin. I am very much enjoying Haka’s work at the moment, and really feel it is high time for a gallery.

4309. Cumberland Basin

I am thoroughly enjoying Haka’s work these days, and fortunately, he seems to be going through quite a fertile phase both in terms of productivity and also creativity. This new piece, which I witnessed being painted over a couple of days ago, is another in support of the people of Ukraine, although a little more subtle than some.

Haka, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022
Haka, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022

I don’t quite get the significance of the pelican, but the Haka writing is clearly carrying the yellow and blue we are all becoming so familiar with, and just in case there was any doubt, Haka has included the caption ‘No war’. Another nice piece from one of Bristol’s consistent writers.

4306. Cumberland Basin

This recent collaboration by Sepr and Acer replaces a Valentines Day piece by this pair last year. I wonder if this piece had been planned to be a repeat to mark the day of lovers, but got delayed for a while. Whatever, it is a truly outstanding collaboration, sharp, clean and tidy.

Sepr, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022
Sepr, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022

On the left is a rather clumsy Cupid figure who has somehow managed to shoot himself in the foot with an arrow. Sepr has an amazing ability to bring his characters to life, and tell big stories. The shadows are supremely well painted and lift the character right off the wall.

Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022
Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022

To the right, Acer has written LOVE in a lettering style that he appears to be playing with a lot at the moment, judging by recent posts on his Instagram feed. Rainbow colours on nicely designed regular letters… a fabulous font design. Altogether brilliant.

Sepr and Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022
Sepr and Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2022

4264. Cumberland Basin

Not much time for today’s posts, as I and my wife are off to Bath this morning for a trip to the theatre, which makes a nice change from our usual Saturday routine. This is yet another fabulous piece from Pl8o, whose work is just getting better and better.

Pl8o, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2022
Pl8o, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2022

This writing and character combination is becoming the norm for Pl8o and he is really good at it too. In this one his letters, beautifully crisp and clean with sharp lines, are accompanied by a breakdancing bee. I don’t know the bee character, and if I had a little more time I would try to find out more, but I will have to leave it there. Another fine and confident piece from the artist.