This piece really made me laugh, taking the brilliant partnership between Mr Crawls and Mote into new territory in this rendition of a couple of fish monsters. Their work is always fun and usually tinged with a touch of humour that brings a smile to your face.
Mr Crawls, River Avon, Bristol, February 2024
This is one of those collaborative pieces from the pair, where their influence on one another makes it quite difficult to know who painted which character. There are some tell-tale signs that give each of the artists away, and the yellow anglerfish is by Mr Crawls, and an absolute beauty.
Mote, River Avon, Bristol, February 2024
The fish monster is by Mote, and consistent with so many of his characters in his vast portfolio. The fill patterning, and little hashtag symbol on the edge of the monster’s mouth give him away. This is a wonderful collaboration from the pair, which took me quite a while to hunt down. Well worth being persistent in my search.
This fine column monster very nearly escaped my attention. Mote has painted so many columns under Brunel Way, that it becomes easy to miss new ones in the busy mix – there was certainly a double-take involved in finding this one.
Mote, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024
Columns are fun to paint, but a real pain to photograph, especially the circular ones – square or rectangular columns are not so bad. This fish monster indicates a slight shift away from his bird monsters and has opened a whole new world of monster opportunity. I guess that Mote is going through phases or eras with his monster art. A nice modest piece.
I don’t often post pieces by unknown artists on Natural Adventures, but when I do, it is in the hope that perhaps I might find out in due course and be able to update the post. Some pieces are too good or unusual to ignore, and this stunning fish piece on the floor at the southern end of Brunel Way is both.
Unknown Artist, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2023
The fish, which looks like a koi carp, has been painted in subtle shades, and almost looks like a pastel colouring. I am not sure what materials were used to paint it, but it doesn’t look like spray paint, more likely brush painted with poster paints or acrylics. Anatomically, the fish is pretty sound, but it is the graceful flow that is captured so well in this piece. Definitely something a little different to the usual fare on Natural Adventures. I will update this post if I find out anything more on the artist.
I was a little lazy with photographing this magnificent fish piece by Hire, and decided to squish through the leaves of a thick hedge, rather than walk round the perimeter of the swimming pool area to get a clean shot.
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2023
Hire has cleverly disguised his writing BF into the body of a rather fierce looking fish, which isn’t a proper representation of a real creature, rather it is more of an archetypal fish, with an extra dorsal fin. I am always up for some fish graffiti’s although there is something about this one that makes me feel a little uneasy.
It took me two visits to get a clean picture of this piece by Kid Krishna, because his bike was parked in front of it the first time (while he was painting an adjacent piece). What is interesting is that the light conditions were different on each occasion, which affects the colours in the images.
Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Kid Krishna is smashing it everywhere he paints at the moment, and in a very short space of time has become a dominant force in the city. In this fascinating piece the writing, CRIE, is compressed into the central part of the work and is surrounded by fish designs, some realistic and some abstract. The piece demonstrates a strong artistic bent and creative mind. The explosion of ideas in his work is sometimes difficult to interpret, for example what is the man in the top hat, eating a sardine, all about? His work continues to surprise and delight… regularly.
I have only encountered Daub and his work at festivals, and so I conclude that he rather enjoys them. It would be nice to have him visit Bristol to paint a wall or two, but I just don’t think it is going to happen.
Daub, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
The fish eating fish is a familiar motif, but one that is given the Daub treatment, and looks fantastic. Daub tends to draw up his design with a white filled outline, to which the detailed black lines are added with black pen work. The outcome is always spectacular and full of fine detail. Fish and street art, what is not to like?
Some readers of this blog may not know that it is called Natural Adventures because it was started as a digitisation of a journal I kept during an adventure I had in the Falkland Islands in 1988 when I was a young man. I was a fisheries scientist working for the Falkland Islands Government, and at this point in the Journal had spent several weeks at sea on a Japanese squid jigger called the Koei Maru 30, and very much looking forward to some shore leave.
For context, it might be worth reading chapter 1, ‘An ill wind‘.
The full series of posts are in the ‘Falkland Journal, 1988′ category of the Natural Adventures blog, to be read in reverse order (from the bottom up).
Wednesday 13 July 1988. Koei Maru 30
Well, I’m jolly batey (pissed-off) this morning. I have been told that in fact we’re staying out for a day longer than planned because, well, I don’t exactly understand why. Still, it has really pissed me (and many of the crew) off.
There was I this morning thinking that my sampling was the last I was going to do and feeling a little sad about it, when in fact I shouldn’t have done.
Actually, I’m not going to do a sample tomorrow – I’m going to be laid back and do gangion (jargon) counts only! So there!
I have just finished ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ what an incredible end – I never guessed. So Clever. I wish I could create something like that. A most enjoyable book, despite me taking so long to read it.
Thursday 14 July 1988. Koei Maru 30
Once again a miraculous sunrise – if nothing else, I shall miss these when I leave these islands for good.
I have been racing through William Golding’s ‘Rites of Passage’ which is a topical and easy to read book. I am enjoying it.
A small bird (a petrel of some sort – perhaps a white-chinned petrel) (more likely a storm petrel) was sitting in the squid gutter. I took some piccies of it – poor thing is very bedraggled – I don’t know how these birds get in such a state – perhaps it is a disease or something – I don’t know.
Storm Petrel, Koei Maru 30, South Atlantic, July 1988
Well, tomorrow we really will be in Stanley and my feet shall embrace terra firma for the first time in 34 days – what a luxury it will be, not to have to compensate for thee rolling of the ship – it is wearisome in the extreme.
A cutting:
Basking shark article, Falkland Islands, July 1988
Perhaps the Marine Conservation Society will be relevant to me one day – I hope so – it is a body I admire and would like to be involved with – perhaps I’ll drop them a line.
Friday 15 July 1988. Koei Maru 30/Port Stanley, Emma’s Guest House
A dull day, but home time. Up early.
So many problems – arrived in Stanley – the crew were all in good spirits.
The meeting with the Fishing Master, JJ (the Falkland Fisheries chief officer), me, Okida (the vessel owner?) and Crag went dismally. JJ insisted on 120 days. What a bloody nightmare. Poor Phil will have to take the brunt of the crew’s discontent.
It is all such a cock up, and working on the KM30 will be a nightmare for observers.
SHIT, I feel like a traitor, and they treated me like one. So sad.
My desk at Fishops, Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, July 1988
I listened to granny’s tape letter – so good to hear all her news. Very sweet. I love her all the more for hearing it.
Went to Sean’s for chops with Phil – got very pissed – Back to Anna and Sean’s and then very, very drunk – a nice welcome home.
Saturday 16 July 1988. Port Stanley, Emma’s Guest House
I’m feeling morose. I have just realised how short my UK leave is. It is depressing. I’m also concerned about the long-lining. I am so angry with the Ice Master, who is being incredibly immature and hurtful – the Fishing Master too.
Phoned home and D and they all sound well. D sounded a little down, I can’t wait to be with her again. I miss her so much – this week will be a trial.
Crag has handed in his notice and will be leaving in late August. This is very sad. After he goes, there’ll only be Sean, Phil, Drin, Dan and Liz. I’m also depressed because I’m going to be spending a lot more time at sea when I come back, on a ship that hates me!
Tash Creates, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022
When street art and fish come together it generally makes me very happy. This was one of the first pieces I saw at the Cheltenham Paint Festival and it set the tone of high-interest and high-quality pieces in the town. The colourful piece is by Tash Creates, a self taught artist from Hertfordshire.
Tash Creates, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2022
The design and proportions of the piece are first class, although of course it is an imaginary fish. It is funny how we can paint or draw a fish, and everyone knows it is a fish, and yet it isn’t a fish we have ever seen before, if you know what I mean. Anyhow, I think it is sufficient to say that I really like this piece. It would be great to see Tash Creates visit Bristol some time.
* we had been advised to visit a national park while in the Zadar region, so we did, and despite the huge crowds of tourists and ferocious heat, it was a magnificent experience.
A little bit of a milestone today for Natural Adventures – this is the 500th post from Dean Lane skate park, and we mark it with a small and slightly weird piece from Sprat. Any fish-based street art will always get my seal of approval, and there is something about the bonkersness of this piece that really tickles me.
Sprat, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2022
This is only the second piece I have posted by Sprat, but I am certain that there will be many more to come. The fish has legs and is running. It is quite a straightforward piece, contained within a black border. I think the impact of the piece that it is an unusual image, out of the ordinary, and therefore eye-catching. The location on a raised section of wall also adds to the quirkiness of it. I’ll be on the lookout for more from Sprat.
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