Elvs – Natural adventures

3990. M32 roundabout J3 (350)

I haven’t seen a new Elvs piece for quite a while, so I was doubly pleased to not only find this graffiti writing, but also to find Elvs working on it. Of course, I chatted for a little while, conscious that these guys sometimes like to have a bit of peace and quiet. I asked why he hasn’t been painting much recently, and one of the reasons is that he is now the proud owner of a dog, a very big dog. Well you don’t need me to tell you just how much time a dog can occupy.

Elvs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2021

There is something about this piece that elevates it above many of his others (a high bar indeed) and I think it might be the exquisite colour selection and blending as you move up and down and along the letters. The piece is flawless and beautifully finished, and with a piece like this, the buffed background makes a big difference. Let’s hope the dog lets him get out more!

3735. St Werburghs tunnel (243)

When you get to see the work of particular artists again and again it becomes incredibly easy to be complacent or even blazé and you need to stop, think and take stock of what is in front of you. I am guilty of this day in day out because we are so spoilt with talent in Bristol. This lovely Elvs piece in St Werburghs tunnel is a case in point.

Elvs is one of those artists whose work I like to post every time, and to date I don’t think I have failed to post any of his pieces that I have photographed. This is a lovely piece, beautifully painted with his customary unique style and a lovely blend of horizontal fills from blue to white. The cartoon character is a mystery to me, but probably featured on TV during the 1990s I would guess. Altogether another outstanding work from Elvs.

3642. M32 roundabout J3 (313)

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.

3496. St Werburghs tunnel (224)

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.

3321. Dean Lane skate park (366)

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.

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.

3287. St Werburghs tunnel (202)

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.

3060. M32 roundabout J3 (231)

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.

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:

Deamze, Hill Street, Bristol, October 2018

3006. St Werburghs tunnel (171)

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.

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.

2974. M32 Cycle path (61)

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.

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.

2951. Dean Lane skate park (312)

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.

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.

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