Slim pickings has been very busy during the late summer and early Autumn, and it seems that there is barely a week that goes by without a new TES at Dean Lane. This clean and tidy one in grey shades is really rather smart looking, and the curved line between the E and the S is there, a point of discussion on my last post on Slim Pickings’ work.
Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
I used to think that his pieces were all identical, but that is not the case, and he is constantly evolving the form of TES, perfecting it and then making subtle adjustments. Always good to see these beauties.
Tight is probably the best word to use when describing the work of Dibz. Always meticulously thought out, clean lines, perfect 3D shading, crisp fills and more often than not, fabulous colour choices. Dibz really pays attention to his pieces and each one is carefully constructed to produce a complete and stylish work.
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
This one in Dean Lane is simply another example of just how accomplished the artist is, and what he lacks in quantity, he more than makes up for in quality. There is beauty in this, and I challenge even the most ardent critics of graffiti writing not to concede that this is a high quality piece. Nice one.
It feels like an absolute age (and it probably is) since I last posted anything from Jee See, and here on one of the ramps at Dean Lane he recently painrted this little collaboration piece with Pekoe. I think it might have been at the rescheduled DLH (Dean Lane Hardcore) event a couple of weekends back.
Jee See, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
Jee See has written a rather nice 3D rendition of his moniker which adopts a whole load of very nicely done shadings, hatchings, drips, cracks and colour fades. So good to see him back in action.
Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
Just to the right of Jee See’s writing is another one of Pekoe’s beautiful ladies in blue, a colour she often favours, and with a little tear beneath her eye – what does this tear tell us about the srtist? Is there some inherent sadness there? There is a clue in the top right of the piece which indicates that it is a tribute to Janet. Tribute pieces are often painted with a little extra love and have a poignancy to them.
Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
I am so enjoying finding and appreciating Pekoe’s work which just seems to be on a steady improvement.
It always feels a little unusual finding a T-Rex piece in Dean Lane probably because she doesn’t paint here as often as in North Bristol, so coming across this rather nicely done piece of writing was a pleasant surprise.
T-Rex, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
This piece oozes with confidence and competence. The letters are beautifully done, the character dinosaur with its cheeky grin, the leopard spot and giraffesque fills in the letters and the 3D blue shadowing are all masterfully created with what appears to be total ease. She really is a fabulous writer and we are lucky to have her brightening up the streets of Bristol.
I don’t think these two have stopped all summer, one collaboration after another keeping the walls at Dean Lane skate park lively. The No Frills duo are Slim Pickings on the left and Biers on the right.
Slim Pickings, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
Slim Pickings usually paints the letters TES in pretty much exactly the same format every time he hits a wall, but this one is ever so slightly on a slant, like a little touch of italics has been incorporated. Also, I don’t think that the line through the E and S is Slim Pickings’ work, it just feels a little incongruous. Tidy work as usual.
Biers, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
On the right, Biers, who I call Biers because he used to write Biers, has written OYeah, which is what he writes these days, so I suppose I should call him OYeah, but I’m not going to because I call him Biers. No character this time, but it matters not, his writing is so full of character and movement that it is like a character in itself. These two work so well together. I wonder if they share the cost of the paint…
Readers of Natural Adventures will know that I am a monumental fan of the work of Laic217, and here is the latest collaboration with his often painting partner Cort in Dean Lane. I have to say though that this is not their best piece in my opinion. There is something not quite right about it. The two elements of the collaboration do not complement each other and I think these would be better as stand-alone pieces. Don’t get me wrong, this is still great work only not quite up to the usual high standard.
Cort, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
The central Cort writing is book-ended by two rather dark characters by Laic217. Although we are used to seeing Cort write CORT, he has also taken to writing PADY this year – I’m not sure what has prompted this variation, but writers often do this probably just to swicth it up a bit.
Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
On the left side is a post-apocalyptic character with a skeletal face and mask. The mask could be interpreted as a gas mask or spraying mask and the two seem to intertwine. It all feels a bit chilling and like something out of a Terminator movie.
Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
On the right of Cort’s writing is another character in the same dark and depressing regalia wearing a full overhead gas mask. These two Laic217 characters speak of doom and convey a dystopian future in a chilling and convincing way. I would have liked to have seen these characters separated from Cort’s writing, which is at odds with them.
As part of the 3Dom birthday celebration paint jam down at Dean Lane Hemper painted this wonderful piece of writing on the curved wall that has played host to so many incredible pieces over the years.
Hemper, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
The letters are bold and the colours blended from top to bottom are exceptional, but it is the texture of the piece and the drips melting down that show the true craftsmanship of this fabulous Bristol graffiti writer.
When you see some street art that is a little weird and creative in Bristol, it is likely to be the work of 3Dom or Sled One and if you are particularly lucky it might be a collaborative effort from both of them. This is one such collaboration and weird and creative it is too.
3 Dom and Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
The mash up of Mr Potato Head and a balloon is not the sort of image that comes readily to mind, but seems to come with such ease from these two. I think that the division of labour of the work was 3Dom on the left and Sled One on the right, and maybe a couple of other bits shared out equally.
3 Dom and Sled One, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019
This piece, together with a whole bunch of other ones was all part of a late birthday jam for 3Dom, and looking at his Instagram feed, it looks like they all had a really great day – lucky for us really.
I can’t think how many artists have graced the pages of Natural Adventures for the first time this year, but is must be well in excess of twenty and Dasco is just the latest in that roll of honour (if indeed it is an honour appearing in these pages, I don’t mean to be presumptuous or big headed). Although this is the first time I have featured Dasco’s work I know it won’t be the last.
Dasco, Deal Lane, Bristol, August 2019
The colour schemes and overall design are fantastic and the complexity and accuracy of the fills is really impressive. I am not certain, but I think that the mischievous rolling of a joint to the left of the writing is also by Dasco. The whole thing is the work of a very skilled and talented artist. At this moment I know nothing about Dasco so I guess I’ll have to start doing some homework. Great piece.
Photographed on a sunny afternoon, this is a beautifully thought out piece of writing by Cassette in the fine tradition of using a different style for each letter. Particularly pleasing is the way the artist has crafted the ‘SS’ in the form of a snail and the ‘TT’ as a couple of palm leaves.
Cassette, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2019
This is the second time I have seen work from Cassette in Bristol this summer, and both pieces were on this wall. The other was of a very nicely painted whale. I believe the artist is from the Southwest, but it is nice to see that he finds time to visit Bristol from time to time.
