Well this is a real beauty from alien specialist Nugmoose down in Cumberland Basin. All in black and embellished with bright colourful flowers, this five-eyed alien is difficult to ignore, and plays to all of Nugmoose’s quirky strengths.
Nugmoose, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2021
Nothing lasts very long on this wall, so I was very pleased to get pictures of this one before it was painted over. No signature required from this artist, because his style and content is fairly recognisable, but just in case there is doubt, the alien script, in this instance on the character’s forehead, is a dead give away. An enjoyable piece from Nugmoose.
It is always a pleasure to come across a Pl8o piece, even more so since I met him. There is something about his letter choice that really appeals to me, so not only is it a nice bit of word play, the shapes of the letters work really nicely together.
Pl8o, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2021
In this piece, Pl8o has reverted to his big block letters after a brief flirtation with script, although the dep 3D shadings he favours are not present in this one. A decent enough throwie (throw up) and another to add to his repertoire.
Brace yourselves for some more wonderful pieces by Maybe, which although this post is titled Cumberland Basin, actually come from three different spots in Bristol. The feature image was the first piece that I found from Maybe that wasn’t under Brunel way, but was posted on a column on the north bank of Cumberland Basin.
Maybe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2021
This first piece has two face balloons whose strings are lovingly intertwined as they drift off into a galactic scene. It is also a dreadful photograph and slightly out of focus. My camera is getting a bit goofed up and I think I will be replacing it fairly soon.
Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2021
The second piece was in Dean Lane skate park on one of the ramps and it is the only one I have seen there to date. Here a face looks on as a hand picks out a star, once again on a galactic background. There is a calmness and serenity about most of Maybe’s pieces that makes them really accessible for all to enjoy.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2021
The final piece from this group was from Brunel Way, where most of his pieces have been painted, and this one features another face and hand combination, where the hand is actually another face. All of this curiousness is set on a stunning Red Sea and red sunset. A true beauty. We have come to a point where expectations of his work are getting higher and higher, because his pieces are getting better and better.
One of the great things about living in Bristol is that it has enormous credibility with street/graffiti artists from all over the country and indeed the world, and so visits from some of the greats are not uncommon. Even so, it was rather a surprise to come across this exceptional piece of floral writing from Curtis Hylton on the long wall at Cumberland Basin a couple of weeks back.
Curtis Hylton, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2021
I haven’t seen writing like this before, and it is a real privilege to see it right here in Bristol. Spelling out SAME (Curtis writes under the name Samer), the floral patterns and colours blend seamlessly painted on a cosmic cloudy backdrop. Utterly breathtaking work from this super-talented artist.
I don’t know how it has happened, but I have got terribly behind with my posts today – something of a rarity. Possibly going for a run first thing upset my rhythm and routine. I’ve not been doing much running lately due to a knee injury, but am trying to ease myself back into it.
Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
To the point and to the wonderful old piece by Mudra, reminiscent of his very first pieces in Bristol. An old man with white moustache, red cheeks and glasses (maybe), superb work on a bare brick wall, and nicely signed-off with his @ signature. Good to be able to post some of his older work.
Another debut on Natural Adventures – crumbs, there have been so many of those this year, it is no wonder that I am having difficulty with keeping up. This is a rather charming piece by The Mole, who come to Bristol for Eman’s birthday paint jam at the end of July.
The Mole, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
Naturally enough, The Mole likes to paint moles, and this one is sporting a rather fetching collection of pink peace symbols. The signature says Inca, and to give the artist his full name it is ‘Inca the Mole’. I like these kinds of megatag pieces, where an artist settles on a theme and then replicates it with variations. Lovely to see, and definitely not the last I will be posting from this west of England artist.
I have a lot of attachment to this wonderful piece by Jelly, her second at this spot this year, because of the conversations we shared before she visited Bristol. There is something comforting and confidence-building when an artist makes contact with me to talk about meeting up during a painting visit. I must say that I was touched that Jelly made contact before her recent trip, and I only wish that I had been able to catch up with her while she was painting this piece, but unfortunately I had a full-on work day and wasn’t able to escape.
Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
Jelly has painted another of her beautiful portrait pieces, complete with her trademark exaggerated eyelashes on this high-turnover wall in Cumberland Basin. The piece, presumably entitled ‘open your eye’, is a portrait of a woman with a third eye, a common theme in street art, and suggests using perception beyond ordinary sight.
Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
The shading on the face and hand with red tints helps to provide a deep perspective, and the eyes and nose are particularly beautifully painted. I love the Henna tattoo on the back of the hand and fingers, and the jewellery too is a lovely detail that lifts the piece way above the ordinary.
Jelly, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
Another nice touch are the little white streaks of light on the woman’s hair that allude to the strands of hair so effectively. This is a lovely piece from a lovely artist who is thoughtful and inclusive. I do so hope that next time she is in Bristol I will be able to accompany her, at least for a little while, as she creates another of her fabulous portraits.
It feels like I took this photograph an age ago, and in fact it was painted at the back end of July and photographed in early August. Where has this year gone? My life seems to have been travelling at light speed this year… probably a feature of getting older and trying to squeeze more into less time.
This wonderful piece by MoS was painted during Eman’s birthday paint jam at which so many good pieces were painted. It was an inspirational day.
MoS, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
I believe that MoS typically paints hands or portraits, so this ‘weird’ (his own words) piece is rather unusual even for the artist. I’m not entirely sure what it all means, but it is certainly very striking and the light tan glow around the piece gives it an interesting aura. Nice work from yet another new artist to Natural Adventures.
One of the genuine delights of having an interest in street and graffiti art is watching newcomers develop. And so meeting Oma while she was painting this fabulous Bristol fox, one of only a handful of street pieces she has painted, was an immense pleasure. The fox was painted as part of the birthday paint jam for Eman at the back end of July.
Oma, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
The work in progress shot is particularly interesting in that you can see that Oma has drawn several outlines before settling on one and building the piece from there. I love the colour combinations she uses, they are quite unusual and make her work stand out.
Oma, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
Foxes appear so much in Bristol street art, and I am minded to do a gallery of them… perhaps when I have some time. I love this piece a lot, and although there is much to learn (I speak as one who has even more to learn), she has incorporated some wonderful elements and technique (shading, colour combinations, textures) into the subject. I am so looking forward to seeing more from Oma. I have one or two pieces in archive that I will try to dig out.
This extraordinary piece from Nightwayss is really pushing boundaries for the artist and is notable for its absence of monkeys. I believe that the piece might be based on a self portrait, and there seems to be some agonising soul-searching going on here.
Nightwayss, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2021
The piece was painted as part of Eman’s birthday paint jam, so I had a chance to catch up with Nightwayss. Unfortunately his effervescence slightly freaked out my long-suffering dog, who is dragged around Bristol’s graffiti spots, and who decided to bark a lot every time Nightwayss tried to stroke him, rendering conversation a little tricky.
Nightwayss, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2021
There is no doubt that Nightwayss is a very skilled artist, and he has pulled off this concept very well, with the face and skull beautifully finished. An unusual and compelling piece.
Natural adventures 