4874. Cumberland Basin

Marckinetic, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022
Marckinetic, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022


It has been a little while since I last posted anything from Marckinetic, so it is only right to resume with this stunner recently painted in Cumberland Basin. I can actually make out the letters in this one which look like MARC.

Marckinetic, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022
Marckinetic, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022

The fill for the letters is typical of the artist, offering a fantasy cosmic effect in a cluster of bright greens, oranges, yellows and blues. Angular and bold, the piece stands out from the crowd. It is nicely finished too with a bubbly surround and some white feature spots on some of the letters. Welcome back to Natural Adventures Marckinetic.

4852. Cumberland Basin

It has been a little while since I last saw a piece from Mr Underbite, so it was a pleasure to encounter this new piece, tucked away in Cumberland Basin. I love the way that Mr Underbite uses his basic character template and then ‘pimps it up’ to tell a different story.

Mr Underbite, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022
Mr Underbite, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022

The story in this piece is the Bristol story, and, as it the custom here, features the Clifton Suspension bridge designed and built by I. K. Brunel (although I believe he died before its completion). The suspension wires on the bridge have given Mr Underbite a smile, which isn’t something we are accustomed to with this character. Keep up the great work. (Note to self – do a gallery of Clifton Suspension bridge pieces).

4849. Cumberland Basin

Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022
Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022

As I said in a recent write-up, I struggle to keep up with the prolific Mote, but like to post what I can when I can. This is a rather fun piece from the artist in one of his favourite spots on the north bank of the river in Cumberland Basin.

Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022
Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022

Mote has made space on the wall to allow the piece to stand out from the surrounding graffiti, something he tends to do very well. The monster is another creation from his fertile imagination, and is rather likeable. The decorations in the fills are rather interesting, in particular the toadstools – I’m not too sure where they are coming from…

4844. Cumberland Basin

Maesyhook, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022
Maesyhook, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022

I like surprises, especially ones that involve street art, and boy was this a surprise. Maesyhook is known for her Kawaii cute animal pieces, so this abstract piece in Cumberland Basin is a massive departure from what we expect to see. She has also signed it @m.a.e.s.y_ which is a bit of a change in her personal branding.

Maesyhook, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022
Maesyhook, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022

I think the piece was inspired by Autumn, or Otoño as she states on her Instagram, and by a friend who painted an abstract piece adjacent to this one. There is a sense of freedom in this piece that breaks away from the formality of a character or writing, and I guess it for the viewer to make of it what they will. I would certainly welcome more of this from Maesyhook, or more of her Kawaii work.

4836. Cumberland Basin

Whysayit, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022
Whysayit, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022

It is good to see that Whysayit (YSAE) has settled into a pattern of writing reasonably regularly, and in doing so has managed to creep his way back onto the pages of Natural Adventures, which is a good thing. I believe that this piece might have been painted during a paint jam for Solar, but that is simply guesswork.

Whysayit, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022
Whysayit, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022

Whysayit’s unruly letters are always nice and curvy, nothing sharp or angular about his work at all. There are three discrete horizontal fills and a delightful pink shadow to round things off. Nothing too showy, simply good graffiti writing. It is interesting to see where his heart lies with the phrase “I’d rather do a Tipex tag…”

4831. Cumberland Basin

Benjimagnetic, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Benjimagnetic, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

I have a feeling that this piece by Benjimagnetic, alongside an Acer One piece hidden behind a bush, has been here for a while, but that I have only recently clocked it. I can’t be everywhere all the time, right.

Benjimagnetic, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Benjimagnetic, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

Cryptically spelling out BEN, This is a lovely, colourful piece from the artist with beautifully defined components, crisply sprayed, making up the letters, and some very clever and subtle shadow work that lifts some of the letters and arrows away from the wall. Lovely work.

4801. Cumberland Basin

Andy Council and Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Andy Council and Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

There is something very comforting about the collaborative efforts from Andy Council and Acer One, particularly as their styles are so utterly different, and yet they find ways to combine them or create a read-across between them.

Andy Council, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Andy Council, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

Andy Council’s contribution is an unusual piece, bilaterally symmetrical, that appears to have a skull at its centre. Everything else appears to be decorative, but there might be significance – I can only see wings, possible. As I mentioned before, the segue into Acer One’s work is the white line behind Andy Council’s piece.

Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

In a temporary departure from geometric letters, Acer One gives us a rather pleasing geometric pattern with his current passion for using rainbow colours emanating out from the centre (Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain). The collaboration is set to remain for a while, as this particular spot is rarely tagged or painted. Great work from the pair.

4796. Cumberland Basin

Bnie, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Bnie, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

Unsigned pieces are always tricky because it is quite easy to attribute them to the wrong artist and end up with egg on your face. I am, however, pretty certain that this ‘Brat’ piece is by Bnie, and I say this, because the style of letters is consistent with hers and she has written brat at least once before, some time ago.

Bnie, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Bnie, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

The piece was written as part of a wonderful paint jam, that included outstanding works from Sepr and Sled One. What can I say about this writing? Great letters, great colours, nicely worked fades, effective white highlights and a tight border. What more is there to like from classy writing?

Bnie, M32 roundabout, Bristtol, April 2021
Bnie, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021

4793. Cumberland Basin

Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

Mudra is an artist whose work simply goes from strength to strength. His writing in carefully selected colour palettes has a carefully designed feel to it. His letters tend to follow a format not dissimilar to SkyHigh’s in that each one is painted in its own distinct font, and the whole thing cobbled together seamlessly, which is a clever approach to graffiti writing.

Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

The colours work extremely well and are particularly effective against the grey buffed wall, and the house, between the D and R, is an interesting feature. How far the artist has come is a relatively short space of time.

4790. Cumberland Basin

Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

You will know by now that I have enjoyed the emergence and continued development of Mote over the last year or so. His monster characters have improved over that time and the finished product is becoming cleaner and tighter with each new piece.

Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022
Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2022

This one is tucked away in the entrance of a closed down public toilet on the north side of Cumberland Basin. Mote certainly has a style all of his own that incorporates a monster with a solid fill, in this instance with a two-colour fade, and some crisp black lines creating the detail. Almost like giant doodles, Mote’s monsters are a welcome pick-me-up.