Tag: Cumberland Basin

3637. Cumberland Basin

Ordinarily this artist would need no introduction, but that is especially the case right now, as hardly a week passes without Pekoe appearing on the pages of Natural Adventures. This wonderful portrait in purples and greens was part of a large paint jam in Cumberland Basin, and the themed colours ran from piece to piece.

Pekoe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2021
Pekoe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2021

This is a wonderful piece from Pekoe and incorporates a new feature that she is incorporating, namely the dotted circle on the cheek with the tear in it. I have only recently noticed this embellishment, and think I rather like it. It’ll be interesting to see whether it becomes a mainstream part of her work. This is a fabulous portrait as always, and she even has a Kid Crayon party hat.

Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2021
Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2021

3634. Cumberland Basin

It would appear that this wall, after a considerable period of neglect is becoming a little popular. A week or two back there was a nice new collaboration from Mudra and Nugmoose. This has now been replaced with this more than half-decent piece from Pl8o.

Pl8o, Cumberland Bain, Bristol, April 2021
Pl8o, Cumberland Bain, Bristol, April 2021

I am very pleased to see that Pl8o seems to be active again after quite a long absence – he is another artist who has gone to ground for much of the lock down period. This is a delightful deep-shadowed piece of graffiti writing spelling out the artist’s moniker yellow to orange to black fades. His letters lend themselves very nicely to writing and there is something very easy on the eye about them. Great to see Pl8o back hitting walls again.

3630. Cumberland Basin

Watching the progress of Big Hev is proving to be an uplifting experience. Her naive style is gradually becoming more sophisticated, and she is building on her themes. However, I think that she is very much at the start of her journey (one that I sincerely hope she pursues) and is learning from piece to piece.

Big Hev, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2021
Big Hev, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2021

Big Hev seems to like this spot, and why not, it is secluded and away from public gaze. Her customary portrait has fused a little with some abstract ideas and swirls and some hearts. I would consider this to be a practice piece, but all part of the formation of new and beautiful ideas.

3620. Cumberland Basin

Since I took this photograph, which really isn’t too long ago, this wall had been painted over at least twice and it is fast becoming one of the highest turnover walls in Bristol. I’ll be heading down that way today to see what’s new.

Subtle, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2021
Subtle, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2021

This is another in a very strong series of pieces from Subtle. At last he seems to have exhausted his supply of pink paints and instead gives us this stunning beast in red. The writing is really sharp and greatly enhanced with the yellow highlights and black spots. This is a very bold and striking piece that demonstrates clearly the great skills of Subtle.

3616. Cumberland Basin

Here we have a classic Face 1st piece. A wall tucked away from general view and a chuckling girl’s face splashed on it. It is pieces like this, dotted all over the city that add to the overall fabric of Bristol. Sub-consciously, many thousands of people in Bristol will have seen one of these faces, they might not have registered them, but they will have seen them, and they will process them simply as being part of the furniture of the city.

Face 1st, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2021
Face 1st, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, April 2021

Somehow, Face 1st injects a sense of fun and mischief into his work that comes across so well. These cheeky girls probably play slightly into the hands of subversive minds (it is graffiti after all), but are entirely accessible for all to enjoy and feel free. This one is a particularly lovely ecxample.

3603. Cumberland Basin

Another interesting piece from Big Hev who seems to be having a great time experimenting with spraying walls about the city. Her work is still quite naive, but there is a definite style emerging and with practice I’m sure she will emerge as yet another fine Bristol wall artist.

Big Hev, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2021
Big Hev, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2021

In a move away from her portraits, this piece ‘you can’t hide our smiles’ features a seahorse in an orange circle, surrounded with love hearts. Her work is bold and colourful and there is a lot of energy there. Her skills and technique with the spray paint will develop over time, but so far watching her progress is hugely enjoyable.

3591. Cumberland Basin

I have only seen three pieces by Hanski, and this one is a little different from the other two. Tucked away in a bit of a hole, this piece will be missed by many, which is a pity. It is an unusual and unconventional piece, blending the abstract with a face.

Hanski, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2021
Hanski, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2021

The colours are eye-catching and certainly command attention. I think that this is a great beginning from Hanski and hitting walls is the first step in building up confidence and capability (something I haven’t yet had the courage to do). I wonder where her adventure will take us next.

3577. Cumberland Basin

I am going to be honest with you. My excitement at finding this collaboration piece by Nugmoose and Mudra was a little offset by the rather creepy and unsettling nature of the images. Nugmoose likes to experiment with alien forms and Mudra’s work is always pushing creative boundaries. The result in this case is decidedly odd, and the location slightly dingy.

Nugmoose and Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2021
Nugmoose and Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2021

Having said all that is it great that these two, and Slakarts too, have hit upon a friendship that is highly productive just at the moment. In this piece, Nugmoose’s figure is being drawn towards a hand clutching some flowers. The monster appears to have lost its eyes and is navigating its way forward using the sense of smell. Is that what is going on here? A weird piece, but a nice one to have found.

3463. Cumberland Basin

I can’t recall seeing these two collaborating before, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened, simply that my memory doesn’t serve me as well as it used to. Sepr and Acer One is a partnership that I wouldn’t have predicted, as their styles are very contrasting, but this new wall is Cumberland Basin is absolutely spiffing.

Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021
Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021

The central section is by Acer One and is an amazingly technical piece of writing, based on a geometric design style for which he is known. Standing up close, it is near impossible to work out what these letters say, but by stepping back, the brain interprets it more easily and it says ‘More Love’ – I don’t think any of us can argue with that.

Sepr, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021
Sepr, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021

The central panel is bookended by two exquisite characters from Sepr. On the left is a devilish Cupid whose love arrows are finding mischief, in particular with a seagull who appears to be smitten.

Sepr, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021
Sepr, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021

To the right a female Cupid character is also firing love arrows across the piece. I don’t quite know what these two characters symbolise, but they are brilliantly painted and a lot of fun. Maybe they are a representation of the frustrations of lockdown and our distance from our loved ones.

All in all a superb collaboration and well worth a visit.

Sepr and Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021
Sepr and Acer One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021

3459. Cumberland Basin

A few years ago, it was the wheatpastes of Kid Crayon that fired up my curiosity about street art, but they are not common in Bristol, so whenever I find one it is always cause for celebration.

Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021
Mudra, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2021

Mudra arrived in Bristol last year and immediately made an impact with several of his characteristic face pieces and writing. Now, if you hunt around in the Cumberland Basin you will find this beauty ‘data muncher’ which I very much hope is the first of many wheatpastes from him. Classy.