4234. Dean Lane skate park (460)

I simply had to dig this piece out of my archive because I was lucky enough to meet the artist, Ceus, earlier this week painting a new wall very close to this one in Dean Lane. I was not alone in struggling to find out who the artist was, but now the riddle, from last October, is solved. It turns out that Ceus is another Spanish street artist. He lives in Bath and doesn’t have much time to paint as he has a very busy life in the restaurant business. A nicer bloke you couldn’t wish to meet.

Ceus, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2021
Ceus, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2021

This piece is a real stunner, and it was such a shame not to be able to post it last year, but good things come to those who wait. Ceus is a really talented artist, as this piece demonstrates, and the burst of colour on a white background works exceptionally well. It is obvious now to see that the letters spell out CEUS… hindsight is a wonderful thing. I like everything about this piece, and it is a nice warm-up for the piece he painted this week, which I have to return to before it gets painted over. A gem.

4233. Dean Lane skate park (459)

This is the first piece I am posting that I photographed after my return from a week away in France, and already my February 2022 folder is bursting at the seams from pieces painted over a seven or eight day period. Bristol has, more than ever in my experience, so many artists painting regularly that it is simply impossible to keep on top of them. There are also a great many new entrants popping up, probably drawn to Bristol because of its graffiti culture.

Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2022
Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2022

Of course Zake is hardly a new entrant to the Bristol street art scene, but I still consider him to be relatively recent, with his early pieces still decorating some of the pillars under the M32 motorway. This is a gorgeous double face piece, which is so unmistakably ‘Zake’ in design and execution. His work just goes from strength to strength with each new piece he paints. This was one of two recent collaborative walls painted with fellow Spaniard Varo.

4218. Dean Lane skate park (458)

As with all walks of life, there are important contributors, and in the sphere of Bristol street/graffiti art, one of these notable people is DJ perks. We don’t get to see nearly enough of his work around the place, unless you hang out at the L Dub spot, but it is not only his art, but his interest in visiting and photographing the work of others, that makes him a great contributor. Most artists, counterintuitively, don’t know much about other artists, as they (quite rightly) tend to focus on their own art and their friends. It is up to people like me and Paul H to record and write about as much work as we possibly can. DJ perks is a rare artist who bridges the gap.

DJ Perks, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2022
DJ Perks, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2022

This is a really nice piece of graffiti writing from Perks in Dean Lane, and demonstrates just how much his work improves from piece to piece. His work here is very clean with a fine 3D shadow and central disappearing point. It is the creative fill in his letters that is particularly noteworthy though – some really attractive stuff. Always great to see work from DJ Perks.

4209. Dean Lane skate park (457)

Allow me to introduce you to Enn Kay, an artist who has been decorating walls and columns in South Bristol for a few months, and who is very, very busy indeed. This post is likely to be the first of many from this monster character artist.

Enn Kay, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2022
Enn Kay, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2022

This ‘octopus’ monster piece is one of Enn Kay’s recent offerings, but I have pictures of pieces going back a few months. I am guessing that the artist has recently moved to Bristol and is loving the opportunities to spray. The monster is clean and neatly done with some great cartoon characteristics. I am looking forward to Enn Kay developing and adding more depth to his characters. It is great to welcome yet another artist to the pages of Natural Adventures.

4206. Dean Lane skate park (456)

Smak is without question one of the best writers in Bristol, and just in case you need reminding, here is an updated gallery of his work. His letters have an ephemeral quality that almost look like they have been dusted onto the wall, such is the skill and quality of Smak’s workmanship.

Smak, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2022
Smak, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2022

The colour selection is typically brilliant and clicks perfectly. On his Instagram feed, Smack describes this piece as a ‘scrappy one’ which perhaps gives you some idea of the high standards he sets for himself. To my way of thinking, there is nothing scrappy about this at all.

4203. Dean Lane skate park (455)

When most artists do a ‘quick one’, they tend to be fairly ragged around the edges and the fills can be sparse at best, but this doesn’t happen when Dibz chucks paint at a wall, oh no, he produces something neat, tight and tidy.

Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2022
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2022

This ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ piece under the large ramp at the skate park is beautifully presented in chrome and lilac and brings a touch of class to these small ‘taggy’ canvasses. Dibz is clearly an incredibly talented artist who excels at his craft.

4200. Dean Lane skate park (454)

Hiding behind a row of bushes along the wall of Bristol South swimming pool is this fine new piece of graffiti writing from Mudra. Even through the winter hedge, his distinctive style of writing is identifiable and drew me over to take a closer look. Much of his writing layout is (in the words of a Monty Python sketch) thin at one end, much, much, thicker in the middle and then thin at the far end (Miss A, Elk theory on the brontosaurus).

Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2022
Mudra, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2022

The colours in the piece incorporate his favoured reds and mauves, tinged with some orange. The letters, spelling MUDRA, are nicely designed and cleanly painted as you’d expect, but no mean feat on this lumpy old wall. I was rather pleased to spot this one.

4183. Dean Lane skate park (453)

There were so many original and interesting pieces that appeared during a Bristol Womxn Mural Collective Dean Lane paint jam back in November that I simply have to keep returning to my archive to dig them out to share.

Moonface, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Moonface, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

This Beauty was painted by Hana Moonface whose stunning illustrations can be viewed on her Instagram feed. The gold and black colours work well and there is a serenity in the face that is calming. Definitely an unusual piece to find in a spot more used to tags and throwups. Looking forward to seeing the collective at work again soon, perhaps in the spring.

4170. Dean Lane skate park (452)

Back to one of our regulars today, Mr Draws, who is having to compete much harder to make it into Natural Adventures than he did a couple of years back, simply because of the quantity and quality of street art and graffiti that is appearing in Bristol at the moment. It is a strong field.

Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2021
Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2021

Notwithstanding this, Mr Draws has been ticking along very nicely and producing pieces with reasonable regularity. Recently he has been painting larger pieces on larger walls drawing out his letters. Always full of ideas and thinking of different ways to present his letters, Mr Draws is a central pillar of the Bristol scene.

4168. Dean Lane skate park (451)

Ok, ok, so Christmas was a little time ago now, but I am still so far behind with my posts that this delightful Christmas message from Pekoe in Dean Lane is coming to you a little later than I would have liked. The sentiment is still well-meant though and beautifully delivered.

Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2021
Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2021

I didn’t see nearly as many Christmas pieces this year as I would have expected, so this was a sight for sore eyes. The portrait almost has a comic book look to it, especially with the speech bubble, and the dark colours used for the features add to that school of art. Something almost ‘Lictensteiny’ about it. The three TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms) at the end of the Christmas message relate to three of the places Pekoe loves to paint. This piece was the cherry on the top of a very nice Christmas break.