Tag: Face

2673. M32 roundabout J3 (187)

Face 1st has been at it again with this beautiful piece down on the north side of the M32 roundabout. I think this must have been his last piece of 2019 and it features both a happy and a sad face which might be a reflection of the year gone by. Let’s hope that next year’s equivalent piece has two happy faces.

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2019
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2019

The writing in this piece is so very easy on the eye with big fat letters and subtle shading and highlights that give it a nice 3D effect. The two things that stand out for me though are the little red heart and the tears of the crying girl. Thank you Face 1st for an incredible year of art, and a lovely t-shirt to boot.

2665. St Werburghs tunnel (127)

I’m not too sure where Panskaribas disappeared to for the second half of 2019, but I have a feeling it might have been Shanghai. As one of the most productive street artists in Bristol his weekly interventions were sorely missed, but he is back now and returning to the walls with great gusto.

Panskaribas, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2019
Panskaribas, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2019

In this piece Panskaribas has bookended some writing with his characteristic ‘Picassoesque’ doodled faces. The writing I think spells out RESEAU which is a word he uses to sign his works with and also uses for a loose crew of collaborators I think. Great to have him back on the scene.

2661. St Werburghs tunnel (125)

Tireless is the way I would describe the efforts of Face 1st. He seems to paint year-round, regular as clockwork, mainly in the north Bristol spots. Her we have a recent piece of graffiti writing in the St Werburghs tunnel, which has been something of a refuge for artists in the diabolical weather we have experienced since October.

Face 1st, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2019
Face 1st, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2019

This piece reverts to the old-school style from Face 1st which shows a girl’s face with a FACE hairdo. It has been truly wonderful watching Face 1st switch it up this year, with a really broad range of pieces and some great experimentation. Looking forward to what 2020 will bring from him… no pressure there then.

2660. M32 Cycle path (45)

There has been a recent rush of Slakarts pieces and this one on the M32 cycle path is nicely sandwiched between Rezwok and Nightways from a session earlier on in December.

Slakarts, M32 cycle path, Bristol, December 2019
Slakarts, M32 cycle path, Bristol, December 2019

Unmistakably by Slakarts, the artist has included a third eye, possibly as an afterthought, which is not painted in the same way as the ‘normal’ eyes with the blue and yellow colours and drips. This is a nicely executed piece and a welcome addition to a wall which is dominated by graffiti writing. Let’s hope 2020 brings us a visual feast as strong as 2019.

2657. Albert Park Place (4)

One of the first walls I found when I started doing all of this was this one in Albert Park Place. Little did I know then that it has one of the lowest turn-over rates of any wall In Bristol, and in five years, I think there have only been four pieces here so I expect this collaboration from Rezwonk and Slakarts is a bit of a keeper.

Rezwonk and Slakarts, Albert Park Place, Bristol, November 2019
Rezwonk and Slakarts, Albert Park Place, Bristol, November 2019

The central graffiti writing is obviously from Rezwonk, spelling out ‘REZER’ and the decorations on either side are from Slakarts. Rezwonk’s class shine through and the letters, fills and 3D shadings are really on point.

Rezwonk and Slakarts, Albert Park Place, Bristol, November 2019
Rezwonk and Slakarts, Albert Park Place, Bristol, November 2019

The contribution from Slakarts brings colour and interest to the piece and are re of Isabel from the design of the stylised faces. Even though Rezwonk painted the lion’s share of this collaboration, it would not be complete without Slakarts. Nice work from these two.

2655. Turbo Island

Here at Turbo Island we have two Mutatee faces for the price of one. One has been painted over while the other had been stuck to the wall more recently at the time I took this picture.

Mutatee, Turbo Island, Bristol, November 2019
Mutatee, Turbo Island, Bristol, November 2019

On the left the face is almost invisible, especially from a distance as it blends into the wall. What is rather comforting is that both of these little faces will probably be here for some time and undergo reasonably frequent facelifts whenever the wall is repainted.

Mutatee, Turbo Island, Bristol, November 2019
Mutatee, Turbo Island, Bristol, November 2019

The more recent face on the right has retained its vibrant blue colour that we have come to know and love in Bristol. I have now found quite a few of these little installations, but am rather hoping that there are plenty more to find.

2641. Cheltenham 2018 (7)

What an absolute beauty and unmistakably the work of Inkie (he really doesn’t need to sign his works, nobody does it like him). I managed to snap this one up when I visited Cheltenham Paint Festival for the very first time in September this year. The joy of the Cheltenham festival is that most of the walls are preserved from previous years, and this magnificent piece was painted for the 2018 festival.

Inkie, Paint Festival 2018, Cheltenham, September 2019
Inkie, Paint Festival 2018, Cheltenham, September 2019

Situated right in the centre of the shopping district, this piece gets a phenominal footfall – I wonder how many of the shoppers realise how lucky they are to have such a great artwork in their town centre, and it isn’t the only one, the place is blessed with dozens of them. A seriously classy piece from the Bristol maestro.

2636. St Werburghs tunnel (120)

Having only recently started posting pieces by Slakarts on Natural Adventures, it seems that more of his work is emerging, both on the streets recently and from my rummages in my archives.

Slakarts, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2019
Slakarts, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2019

This is a magnificent piece in St Werburghs tunnel, full of character and humour, and something of a departure from his usual stylised faces that can be a bit on the sombre side. This is a simply executed cartoon style piece that really stands out. It is a pity that it is so yellow/gold, because those colours seem to get exggerated by the orange lighting in the tunnel. More fun pieces please!

2635. M32 roundabout J3 (183)

Face 1st is really switching it up these days. His faces are becoming much more expressive and his writing more dynamic and I have to say it is all good from where I look at it. This is a really nice piece of writing with great colour selection and beautiful fills. The white outline could be a little tighter, but otherwise an outstanding piece.

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2019
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2019

I bought a T-shirt from Face 1st last week – it is a lovely design that he advertised on Instagram. He is such a kind bloke and delivered it personally. I felt terribly rude not to have invited him and his son in, but I was working from home and in the middle of some difficult stuff. I would like to sit with him for longer and chew the fat and get to know what is inspiring his expanding repertoire. So much more to come from Face 1st, he has been quite busy lately.

2633. St Werburghs tunnel (119)

Another interesting piece from Lobe, who really seems to have picked up the pace during the second half of 2019. Her stylised portraits are becoming more dynamic and expressive, but the same basic ingredients of strong lines and bold colours remains.

Lobe, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2019
Lobe, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2019

I am really struggling with the light quality in St Werburghs tunnel at the moment with most of my images lokig rather washed out and yellow. This washed out look is somewhat exacerbated when artists paint in yellow colours, because there is little I can do by way of adjusting the colours to make them more representative of what they actually look like. What I am really saying is sorry about the poor colour quality of these images.