Now who was it that said a leopard can’t change its spots? Because they were wrong. This particular leopard is Elvs and this piece is quite unlike the intricate and flamboyant pieces we are used to seeing from him.
Elvs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021
This was painted a couple of weeks back and certainly came as a bit of a surprise. The bubble writing spelling ELVIS is topped with a satanic cartoon character amidst some fiery flames, so utterly not the customary fare from Elvs. Something more typical is in the photograph below. Great to see a bit of versatility from this superb graffiti writer.
Elvs is another very consistent artist whose work continues to brighten up our Bristol walls. With this recent piece he includes a fabulous character which some might recognise from the TV cartoon series Top Cat, I think it is Brain or Fancy.
Elvs, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2021
The writing is vertically striated with three colours, pink, purple and yellow and spells out ELVS as you’d expect. The whole piece is framed nicely on a blue patterned background bounded with a yellow border. A fine piece from Elvs.
Technically first-class and exactly what you’d expect to see from Elvs, this is a lovely recent one in Dean Lane skate park. Although Elvs lives in Wales, he makes the trip over to Bristol on a remarkably regular basis and that can only be good for Bristolians.
Elvs, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2020
I was going to write that this is classic Elvs, but I guess that pretty much every piece he paints is classic Elvs. That doesn’t mean to say he is a one-trick pony, far from it, but he does have a style and method that he tends to stick to. Horizontal fills in warm colours are broken up by fine detail lines in black at the top and white at the bottom. The 3D shadows are also horizontally split with black at the top and blue underneath. Same basic framework with innovative detail. Nice work from Elvs.
I pitched up in the tunnel just as Elvs and a couple of friends were just leaving. Unfortunaetly I wasn’t able to say hello as they jumped into their car and disappeared. Fortunately they had left behind some lovely pieces, including this one by Elvs himself.
Elvs, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2020
It feels like Elvs has been fairly quiet through the latter part of summer and the walls of Bristol have been all the duller for his absence (or at least they might have been were it not for the abundance of talent in the city, but I think you know where I’m coming from). This is a typical piece of Elvs writing in his unique style with three horizontal fills and a 3D shading with a vanishing point in the centre of the work. Welcome back.
Ooh, it is always great to come across new work from Elvs and I am particularly enjoying his accompanying characters at the moment, which complement his superb writing really well. This is a nice spot on the M32 roundabout that Elvs favours from time to time. Yesterday this exact same wall was being painted by Inkie, Soker, Tizer, Minto, Rusk and Stivs… some of the greatest writers you’ll get to see in a single gathering. More on that paint jam to come soon.
Elvs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
It goes without saying that the beautiful script writing and shading are of such a high standard. Elvs has really nailed his technique for this style of lettering.
Elvs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
The character, Marvin the Martian, seems to be a favourite with street artists. Dasco has just done one in Spain and there are a couple of other examples below:
This is one of those few occasions where a photograph actually does do justice to the artwork. I was in St Werburghs tunnel yesterday and revisited this piece (it is still there), but was struck by how the colours were dulled by the lack of good lighting. Somehow the photographs I took have auto-compensated for the poor light conditions and the piece looks amazing. It is of course by Elvs.
Elvs, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2020
The letter shapes and style are familiar, as are the exquisitely masterful graded fills, but what I really like about this piece is something rarely seen. Elvs has added a 3D shadow that fades from purple on the lower edges to pink on the upper ones. Another highly accomplished piece.
Sometimes artists break the mould and when they do, they can surprise us, andn that is exactly what Elvs has sone with this tight piece of writing on the M32 cycle path. Regular readers of Natural Adventures will note that this is far removed from what we might expect from the artist and is so refreshing to see. To give you some idea of what I mean, take a quick look at this gallery and you will understand what I am saying.
Elvs, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2020
The five colour fill is very nicely done and the 3D shading consistent. Quite why he has changed his letters I don’t know, but it is quite commmopn for graffiti writers to do this. A nice little surprise that I wasn’t looking for.
Although I somehow inexplicably managed to omit this outstanding piece by Elvs first time round, I think it might well be my favourite of his. Painted in Dean Lane in May 2017, the form and colours come together in something close to perfection.
Elvs, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2017
In the nicely balanced piece, the artist has used three shades of pink and three shades of blue to give the blended effect of moving from light to dark to light horizontally. Added to that, he has split the piece into vertical thirds swapping the the colours to create a harlequin effect. Clean lines, beautiful fills, incredible details. Tight.
The biggest mystery to me during this rather self-indulgent trip into my street art archives imposed by the coronavirus pandmic lock down is that I find it quite hard to understand why so many great pieces got left behind on the ‘cutting room floor’, like this beauty from Elvs.
Elvs, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2017
Painted back in March 2017 this wonderful piece of wildstyle writing incorporates an addition of a skull and intriguingly some Japanese-looking script in yellow and pink running through the ELVS lettering. I know that several pieces by Elvs incorporate some Japanese lettering, but I don’t know why… I’ll have to ask him next time I see him (which could be some considerable time). A classy piece from this exceptional artist.
