4947. Frome side (21)

Maesyhook, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022
Maesyhook, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022

This is another piece I have salvaged from the archives, mainly because I love Maesyhook’s work and always try to post it when I find it. This one fell through the net. The column piece is under the M32, next to the channelled River Frome, and has had a little bit of augmentation performed to the eyes, which is a pity. Why do people do things like that? If they want to bugger up someone else’s work, at least go over the whole thing, or better paint something equally good or superior over it.

Maesyhook, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022
Maesyhook, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022

Maesyhook’s Kawaii style works brilliantly with this character from The Mandalorian Star Wars offshoot. A mini Yoda type character causing mischief, I am sure. The force is strong in this one, make no mistake.

4794. Frome side (20)

Full Time Ghoul, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022
Full Time Ghoul, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022

I have said it before, but Full Time Ghoul is under-represented here on Natural Adventures. I have many of his mega-tag pieces in my archives, but simply haven’t posted many of them. This post begins to address the situation.

Full Time Ghoul, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022
Full Time Ghoul, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022

The eye-catching knot over the skull is an original idea and makes for a powerful identity. It also lends itself to columns and doors, which FTG certainly specialises in. This is a blue variant of the motif with a red border, although more often he uses yellows and greens. FTG has hidden this one under the M32.

4780. Frome side (19)

Bogat, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022
Bogat, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022

I was very pleased to find this Bogat piece underneath the M32, but a little frustrated that another appeared a day or two after I took this photograph. Frustrated, because I only get to visit this spot occasionally, and often miss pieces that I’d like to see.

Bogat, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022
Bogat, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022

Bogat paints columns really well and his elongated portrait pieces seem to fit perfectly.  This one includes a octopus, an animal used a lot in Bogat’s work. It is great to see that phallus tags are still de rigeuer centuries after the Romans perfected the ‘cock and balls’ stamp. Some things never change.

4772. Frome side (18)

Solar, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022
Solar, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022

I checked through previous posts before writing this piece about Solar, and it appears that I have only written about his work twice before on Natural Adventures. This is in spite of having taken plenty of pictures of Solar writing about the place. I will need to rummage around in my archives to post more Solar pieces, as they offer an antidote to more conventional graffiti writing.

Solar, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022
Solar, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022

In this ethereal piece under the M32, Solar has written out his letters, which have a transparent look to them, over a background pattern of red, purple and black ‘marbelling’ of the wall. A lovely piece in a place where it won’t get as much exposure as it deserves.

4768. Frome side (17)

Whysayit, Frome side, Bristol October 2022
Whysayit, Frome side, Bristol October 2022

I first came across Whysayit (YSAE) a few years ago when he regularly collaborated with Kleiner Shames. Although I have never met him, I have enjoyed his irregular anti-graffiti style over the years, and this one under the M32 is a banger.

Whysayit, Frome side, Bristol October 2022
Whysayit, Frome side, Bristol October 2022

The organic writing is simple, spelling out ‘YSAE’ in two tones of pink. Light pink for the letters and dark pink for the drop shadow. Combine these with a black border and white highlights, and you have straightforward, quality writing which lifts nicely off the wall. Sometimes less is more.

4763. Frome side (16)

The Mole, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022
The Mole, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022

Over the weekend, I had an hour or two to kill while the dog was at the groomers, and took the opportunity to drop down under the M32 to a spot along the River Frome, where I can’t take the dog, because it could be a little dangerous

The Mole, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022
The Mole, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022

My reward included this wonderful little column piece from Inca the Mole. It is always a great pleasure to find the Mole’s pieces, and this one was quite hidden away. The mole is decorated with little peace symbols and some simple stars add a little interest to the background. A simple idea nicely executed.

4489. Frome Side (15)

I bring you a couple of nice pieces from Klashwhensober from underneath the M32, the bit that is over the Bristol Frome (hence Frome Side), and adjacent to the M32 Spot. As with several other prolific artists, I have started to post more than one piece at a time if they are from around the same time in the same location, simply because I have a backlog of unpublished pictures that is swelling immeasurably, thanks to Upfest 2022 and a short trip to Porto, with its emerging street art scene.

Klashwhensober, Frome side, Bristol, May 2022
Klashwhensober, Frome side, Bristol, May 2022

The first piece is a beautifully colourful and happy SOBA piece that is filled with a natural scene including clouds, some birds and a superb purple flower. There is more going on here, though, with a green line that looks liked barbed wire running across the piece. I’ll need to ask Klashwhensober what it is all about next time I see him. I like the KLASH block letters on the ‘H’ too.

Klashwhensober, Frome side, Bristol, May 2022
Klashwhensober, Frome side, Bristol, May 2022

His second piece, which might have been his first piece, is another set of SOBA letters, with an icy theme happening. The letters are filled with what looks like cracked ice, and the bottom of the letters are fragmenting in frozen blocks and falling to the ground. A fire in the centre of the piece provides an additional burst of colour. Both pieces are nicely done and very ‘Klashwhensober’ish’ in style.

4475. Frome Side (14)

Because I don’t drop down into Frome Side all that often, access is difficult with the dog, most of the pieces are new (to me), and I get to photograph a lot of work. On my most recent trip, I was pleased to find two pieces by Morag, an artist whose work I really rather like.

Morag, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022
Morag, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022

With each new piece I find by Morag, there seems to be an elevated level of sophistication. More detail, more of an expression in the face, accessories like the hat seen in these pieces. It is a journey I am thoroughly enjoying and I look forward to seeing more around Bristol.

Morag, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022
Morag, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022

Both pieces share the characteristic style, but have quite different expressions, and the colour palettes are different too. Morag has joined a merry band of artists that like to do faces, including Slakarts, Zake and Asre – good company indeed.

4467. Frome Side (13)

It would appear that Logoe has had another blitz in Bristol recently, hitting several walls over a very short period of time. These two pieces are from the Frome Side spot underneath the M32 between the two roundabouts. This is a place I don’t often visit, because it is too dangerous to go there with the dog, and I rarely photograph street art without him.

Logoe, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022
Logoe, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022

Both pieces follow Logoe’s modus operandi, which is to paint his thin script lettering on a colourful background and to decorate the whole thing with a horizontal array of oval spots of varying sizes. This is his thing and this is what he does. This red piece looks wonderful and is accompanied by the words: ‘Attitude legit cos I’m tearing up shit’ – which is a lyric from NWA’s Straight Outta Compton – something I’d have never found out without Google.

Logoe, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022
Logoe, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2022

The second piece following the same formula although with chunkier writing and a duller mustard background is a tribute to the late Meatloaf, which is a rather nice gesture. The two pieces are about 20 yards apart, and I am guessing were painted in the same session. More to come from this latest whistle-stop tour by Logoe.

3817. Frome side (12)

I don’t know if there is an awful lot more I can say about the kawaii cuteness of Maesyhook’s work, other than to say that here is another fine piece hot off the production line, this time underneath the M32.

Maesyhook, Frome side, Bristol, June 2-021
Maesyhook, Frome side, Bristol, June 2-021

I think that this a rather sweet little creature emerging from a banana – how do you think of such a thing? Usually we associate large spiders with bananas, having hitched a ride from their native countries. This is a very nicely finished piece, painted with her soft pastel colours that lend themselves so well to these (edgy) cute characters.