It is a really long time since I last saw anything new from Moran, so I was very pleased to find this small column piece under the M32. When artists go quiet for months on end, I start to wonder what has happened, have they moved away, started a family, become really busy at work or simply lost their mojo? Sometimes I get to find out, but mostly it remains a mystery.
Morag, Frome Side, Bristol, October 2024
Morag is known for painting faces with a distinctive continuous line that makes up the features, and bold solid fills. The addition of the word ‘twisted’ adds interest and intrigue. This is a nice return to the streets, and I hope to see more before too long, it has been a long wait.
Vaiga, Jaksta and Neddy Ned Neddy, Frome Side, Bristol, October 2024
It is difficult for me to get to this Frome Side spot underneath the M32, when I have the dog with me, because access is perilous enough, even without a canine companion in tow. This means that my visits are sporadic at best, and I miss out on a lot of great artwork to be found there. This is a three artist collaboration from Vaiga, Jaksta and Neddy Ned Neddy.
Vaiga, Frome Side, Bristol, October 2024
I don’t know the work of Vaiga at all, and know nothing of the artist. Furthermore, it is difficult to find out more, because Vaiga doesn’t appear to have a social media presence. The black and white graffiti writing is beautifully presented in two halves and uses a tidy and distinctive font. This is a lovely piece of writing, although the tight blue border is a little smudged in one or two places (nit picking) This is a fine piece.
Jaksta, Frome Side, Bristol, October 2024
The centrepiece character is by the brilliant caricaturist Jaksta, who tipped me off about this piece a little while back. The brilliant portrait is a representation of Scarface, played by Al Pacino, is set in a Miami-style cityscape, which Jaksta used to hold on to the remains of the summer. A classy bit of character work, as always from this artist.
Neddy Ned Neddy, Frome Side, Bristol, October 2024
To the right is another great piece of wildstyle graffiti writing from Neddy Ned Neddy, whose work has appeared on Natural Adventures a couple of times before. Adopting the same two tone colour scheme as Vaiga, the piece oozes competence, experience and class. This is a wonderful triptych production well worth the trip.
The day after the wedding party before… Actually I was a designated driver last night and am feeling good, apart from suffering with a sore throat from competing with some rather loud music. I feel my age on these occasions. I am pressed for time this morning, so a couple of quick posts for you.
DFC1848, Frome Side, Bristol, June 2024
DFC1848 paid one of his occasional visits to Bristol in May, and left a few of his hallmark character pieces behind, including this cutie under the M32. As ever it is always great to see his characters, which he has been developing over the last few years. I fully expect to see him painting at the Cheltenham Paint Festival next month.
Hurrah, for Bloem. Her drive and creativity are something to admire, and as she progresses her confidence seems to grow. I had been aware of this portrait piece under the M32 for a while and hoping that it would still be there by the time I got round to visiting the spot, which I can only do without the dog.
Bloem, Frome Side, Bristol, June 2024
The stylised portrait piece sees Bloem significantly extending her boundaries, and while there are many things to improve on, this one reminds me of some of the early work of Hazard, Pekoe and Rhozi (Rozalita), which is encouraging to say the least. The portrait is unusual and rather compelling, and is bookended with a rather nice design on the left and her name on the right. As I have said many times before, I really like her work, and feel excited each time I come across a new one.
I would say that over the last two years or so, the intake of ‘new’ artists in Bristol has far outweighed any losses, and we have a ‘net gain’ of talent. This is great news, although it makes things a little troublesome for me, as there is so much more art to photograph and catalogue than ever before, and it is difficult to give artists the exposure they deserve.
Grimes, Frome Side, Bristol, April 2024
One of the newer artists to Bristol (at least on my radar) is Grimes, whose characteristically colourful and busy pieces have been brightening up spots all over the city. This piece underneath the M32 is typical of his work, full of letters and symbols, beautifully crafted and filled. I have loads of his pieces in my folders and will try to dig them out, as he has added something a little special to the Bristol mix.
It feels like only a matter of months but is actually more than three and a half years since I first encountered Mudra’s work, and over that time it has improved immeasurably from the small character-based pieces to complex pieces of writing/character combinations.
Mudra, Frome Side, Bristol, April 2024
This piece underneath the M32 reminds me a little of Minto’s work, with its combinations. The colours red and green work well together and rather contradict the fashion industry maxim that ‘red and green should never be seen’. The letters are quite fancy and the face in the centre of the piece a little odd. Overall though, this is a nice piece that shows how the artist is constantly stretching himself.
When Logoe comes to Bristol from Wales where he lives, he tends to paint in the Eastville spots, so I imagine that he has friends who he can stay with in the area. This piece from a recent visit was painted underneath the M32 motorway, a spot that I don’t visit all that often because it is quite tricky to do with the dog.
Logoe, Frome Side, Bristol, April 2024
This piece, which has not photographed very well because of the light conditions, follows the classic Logoe formula. Some decent script writing, nicely filled and bordered, set on a contrasting background and sprinkled with oval spots. I think that brighter colours might have suited the spot better, but remains a fine piece of graffiti writing.
Some outstanding writing from Kosc underneath the M32, which amply demonstrates his versatility and comfort with both graffiti writing and photorealistic characters and scenes. This particular stretch of wall is up a bank, and all photographs, unless photographed from the opposite back, are prone to slight distortion due to looking upwards at the piece.
Kosc, Frome Side, Bristol, April 2024
The colour selection reminds me of a packet of boiled sweets that you might take with you on a long car journey – I can see lots of flavours there. Kosc has incorporated one of his trademark features in the writing that gives it an industrial feel, which is the inclusion of ‘rivets’ holding the ‘sheets’ of writing in place. Great stuff from a brilliant artist.
It is always a genuine pleasure to find Haka pieces, and this CK One graffiti writing and character combination is a bit of fun under the M32. I don’t know who the character is, but it looks a little unfinished to me.
Haka, Frome Side, Bristol, January 2024
The solid black letters really stand out, however, the white paint drop shadow is a little thinner, and could have done with another coat, maybe. Great work and a playful approach from Haka.
We were recently lucky enough to have another visit to Bristol from The Last One, whose painting around the country is both admirable and relentless. This column piece under the M32 is an absolute beauty.
The Last One, Frome Side, Bristol, January 2024
While I am not entirely what kind of big cat the animal is, it is beautifully painted. The Last One has a genuine talent for creating very special pieces, and the more visits to Bristol, the better.
Natural adventures 