A few days ago I posted the debut piece from Morag on Natural adventures, and raved about the column piece on the opposite bank of the river to this one in Cumberland Basin. I sincerely hope that these are the beginning of more to come from the artist with such a unique style.
Morag, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2022
This piece is broader than the other one, with the luxury of a wider piece of wall. The character has a speech bubble with the words ‘nice view’ almost certainly a reference to the river and Clifton suspension bridge that can be seen from this spot. There is something about these faces that works so well, and I think it is the mouth, which is perfectly painted and orientated, with movement and character about it. Another cracking piece from Morag.
Like many artists, Hire seems to have woken up from a bit of a pandemic slumber. Artists seem to have split into two camps over the last two years; those that went to ground and are now slowly emerging, and those that took advantage of the disruption and Furlough to paint like never before. Hire certainly belonged to the former.
Hire, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2022
This is a nice double piece of ‘BFs’ from the Polish artist. I believe BF is a crew, but I don’t know what it stands for, anyway, Hire has gone for two different stylistic approaches to the letters and the end result is rather pleasing. His talent overfloweth.
Paint jams can be difficult for me to cover, because there will always be several artists to write about and I am left with a bit of a dilemma; do I cover all the artists in one post or do a post for each artist at risk of leaving someone out? On this RBF collaborative wall I opted for the latter, but happily with this lovely piece by Evey I have managed to post all the pieces from the paint jam.
Evey, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2022
The thing I love most about Evey’s work is the uncomplicated optimism it conveys. The colours, style and hearts in this piece ooze goodness in a difficult world, and we would do well to be reminded that there are a great many things in life to be grateful for. I think that this piece is one of my favourites from Evey, it is nicely done and the fills smooth and confident.
It is not often that I am in the right place at the right time, but I got lucky with one of my lunchtime walks with the dog when I bumped into Ments and Sled One painting this collaboration. Actually I made my own luck a bit, because I spotted them painting from the other side of the river and gave myself enough time to swing by and have a chat.
Ments and Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2021
Sled One reminded me, not for the first time, that it was he and Ments who first started painting this wall, before it became one of the more popular Bristol spots. I think it is good for artists and photographers/viewers alike due to the open space and length of wall, although with long shadows and reflections photography can at times be a bit of a challenge.
Ments, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021
On the left of this beautifully prepped wall is Ments’ contribution, with a rather jazzy rendition of the ASK crew letters. Wall prep can definitely enhance a piece, and with this collaboration, the reddy-magenta works a real treat. There are definitely some strong Ments elements in the piece, but I am not certain I would have known it was by him if I hadn’t seen him painting it.
Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021
To the right is an interesting piece by Sled One, because it says 3Dom. It is most vexing, deceitful and confusing when artists write other artist’s names as a kind of shout-out to their mates, and makes misidentification a strong possibility. Again it was lucky I saw them painting this or I might have had egg on my face. This is a stylish collaboration from two very classy Bristol artists.
This lovely piece from Desi is another from the RBF paint jam a little while back and continues the bright and optimistic colour scheme adopted for the whole wall. I would love to watch an RBF paint jam, but alas, my working routine means I am restricted to lunchtimes and weekends (during which I have a whole ton of family commitments).
Desi, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2022
Desi is an artist who has only been painting for a year or two, and with every piece her ideas and skills improve. It won’t be too long before she is giving some of the more established female writers a run for their money. The pastel shades used have a touch of ‘love hearts’ about them and this is a nice sugar-coated piece. I like the introduction of the blue triangles, adding interest to the fills.
This is the second Chill/Etza collaboration that I have posted on Natural Adventures, and as you will have noticed, the former of these two tattoo artists has been really busy on the streets of Bristol lately.
Chill, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2021
The left-hand side of the pair is by Chill, and features another of his quirky black and white carton characters, looking little bit trippy if you ask me, judging from the mushrooms emanatinng from the character’s eyes. Set on a flaming orange background, the piece really stands out.
Etza, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2021
To the right is Etza’s contribution continues with the mushroom theme, but these are growing from a skull. Is it the same character as chill’s, only deceased? Who knows?. The skull again is rather cartoonish, and I reckon Etza could do with a little bit of advice from Laic217 on refining that jaw arrangement a little. This is a fun collaboration from these two, and I hope they continue to work together producing these vibrant pieces.
Painted as part of a recent paint jam from the RBF crew (Resting Bitch Face) is this magnificent portrait piece by Pekoe, who seems to be the beating heart of the crew. The whole wall is a cheerful and bright delight and I’ll be posting other pieces in due course.
Pekoe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2022
The colour scheme is really fresh and up-beat, creating a positive vibe. As always with a Pekoe piece, the facial expression and big hair feature strongly. I’m not too sure about the hunched shoulders and short neck, but otherwise another beauty from Pekoe.
I ventured out on a rather sunny winter’s day to photograph this wall and rather regret doing so, because the glare is so bright in the photographs, it is difficult to truly appreciate the fine graffiti writing from Taboo.
Taboo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2021
Following his usual format of a character bound together with his unconventional joined up writing, Taboo introduces us to a psychedelic world in which a Bart Simpson is riding the skies on his skateboard, slightly worse for wear on what appear to be ecstasy pills popping out of his severed head.
Taboo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2021
The character/writing combination is bright and colourful and so utterly uniquely Taboo. It is always nice to find his work, even when light conditions for photography aren’t too good.
Underneath the flyover complex in Cumberland Basin, in a spot favoured by the artist, is this magnificent recent piece by Acer. The stylised work depicts the Clifton Suspension Bridge that would be visible from this spot were it not for all the concrete.
Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2021
Acer has many strings to his bow, and this geometric piece has a stained-glass window appearance. It is beautifully designed and very calming in a less than calming environment. Superb work in a spot that he has painted before.
I haven’t really left myself enough time to write very much about today’s wonderful piece by Smak. For some this might be a blessing… consider it an early Christmas present.
Smak, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2021
I have neglected Smak for far too long, and haven’t posted anything by him for months. The reason is simple, there is so much great and new stuff being created out there that the competition for space o Natural Adventures is as high as it has ever been. This is classic Smak wildstyle graffiti writing. Subtle colours, great design and lovely tight artwork. Standards are still high in the Smak camp.
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