With this character piece, Omie is demonstrating his versatility. We would normally associate his work with graffiti writing that isn’t tied down to any particular pattern or style, but here he has painted something altogether different, a robot.
Omie, Greenbank, Bristol, October 2024
I think that the character is the Iron Giant from the animated film released in 1999, and a popular subject in street art and youth culture. In this nicely crafted and tender piece, the giant is holding a spray can, ready to do some decorating. A fine departure from Omie.
By the time this post is published I’ll be somewhere between Bristol and Leeds, on our way to visit our daughter who is in her first term at university there. The upshot of this is that I wrote this post last night after work, a little tired and not particularly inspired. Basically I am making excuses for a waffling post.
Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2024
Mr Draws represents the constant beating heart of Bristol graffiti writing. I have said it many times and my view hasn’t changed. Regular and dependable. This set of fused DRAWS letters in dark blues has a devilish theme running through it with horns and an inverted cross. I wonder what is going on here. I might need to have words with Mr Draws.
One of the highlights of 2024 has been the appearance and constant presence of the brilliant wildstyle graffiti writer Grimes. I am fascinated and excited by his writing that contains so much energy that it looks likely to burst in an explosion of coloured paint at any moment.. he has a very special talent.
Grimes River Avon, Bristol, November 2024
This stunner spells GRIMES, which if you look hard is actually quite easy to see, once you have your eye in. The colour selection is, as ever, spot on, but the magic is in the way that all the components come together to create a coherent whole. This is outstanding writing at its best.
One of the great benefits of having a very strong street art and graffiti culture in Bristol is that we receive a great many visiting artists who are drawn to the city to catch the vibe. This is great for me because I get to see the work of talented artists from all over the country and the world, without even needing to leave town.
5kin, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, November 2024
I don’t know where 5kin (the Instagram tag, which I presume is skin) comes from, but this piece on the long brick wall at Sparke Evans Park is really welcome. The chrome letters, spelling SKIN, are wonderfully dynamic and further brought to life by the inclusion of the horizontal red stripe and blue bubble writing. Somehow the piece works really well with the bed of autumn leaves in front of the wall. I hope 5kin returns to drop more graffiti writing in the future.
At the L Dub spot, there are two main areas for painting. There is the long tunnel that runs underneath the M5 motorway, and at the southern end is a disused water pumping station. Each of these offer different opportunities, with the tunnel lending itself more to graffiti writing, with the low long wall, and the pumping station offering more opportunities for character or other artistic pieces.
Kool Hand, L Dub, Bristol, October 2024
Kool Hand has taken advantage of one of the taller walls on the pumping station to create this combination piece. The orangutan character has grown a couple of Shrek ears and is resting on top of the words ‘Last radical souls’ which is the name of the LRS crew. Great use of the space, and a nice tribute to the crew.
Unknown Artist, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2024
I tend not to post too many pieces by unknown artists, but sometimes you just have to go for it… I can’t know everything (indeed, I don’t know very much). This haunting piece at the farm end entrance to the tunnel features a girl with a ball and a crow flying towards her. There is something rather tender and innocent about the piece, and it would not be out of place as an illustration in a children’s book.
Unknown Artist, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2024
While the artwork might lack sophistication, it is captivating, and probably deliberately vague. It feels ghostly and ephemeral, almost as if it would disappear if you glanced away. I haven’t seen any other artwork like this around Bristol, although I could be mistaken, but I certainly hope that more such pieces appear – perhaps with a signature.
Sled One is another artist whose street work comes in peaks and troughs… nothing for ages and then several come along in quick succession. He is on a roll at the moment, and this beautiful combination piece was painted alongside the Smak piece that I posted a day or two ago.
Sled One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2024
This surreal piece is quite magnificent, featuring a skull character smoking a cigarette whose lighter appears to have quite a high flame setting, The humorous piece is beautifully composed and clean as a whistle. The letters SLED are interesting in that they are large for a signature or small to be on terms with the character, but that is Sled One for you, he does what he does, and always does it brilliantly.
Mr Crawls and Mote, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2024
Although they appear to have slowed down ever so slightly, Mote and Mr Crawls continue to keep us entertained with their creative monster collaborations. This one on the swimming pool wall has quite a festive feel about it, although it is a little early for Christmas, not that anyone told the supermarkets!
Mr Crawls, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2024
Set on a gold background, which is a progression from their recent penchant for chrome, Mr Crawls has painted one of his bird characters, it might be a penguin, looking mighty cold, wearing a woolly hat and with icicles dangling from its bill. The coloured blobs dotted around the character work incredibly well, adding a dimension our feathered friend.
Mote, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2024
Mote has created a monster unlike any other, but which holds a certain fascination in its unusualness. Some aspects of the character resemble ET, but I think that this is coincidental rather than planned. There is something a little haunting about this monster, which I guess is appropriate for the Halloween period.
I was fortunate enough to watch on for a little while as Dun Sum was painting this imaginary beetle-like insect, in the tunnel, and I am not sure that I would have twigged that it was Dun Sum had Hypo not been there to inform me.
Dun Sum, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2024
Dun Sum’s fantasy creatures are the hallmark of his outstanding artwork, most of which is displayed in L Dub, but occasionally we get to enjoy his work in central Bristol. This clever piece might well go unnoticed by many, as it is an augmentation of a Stivs piece that has been here in the tunnel for several months. It is so good to see this kind of creative work from Dun Sum.
Technically speaking, this wall, the remains of a derelict utility building, is not beneath Brunel Way, but it is as near as damn it, and it can be observed from the road looking upstream towards the south bank of the river. I am rather fond of this little spot, and there have been some wonderful small pieces painted here over the years.
Scrapyardspec, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
Scrapyardspec seems to be visiting Bristol rather a lot these days, and I am beginning to wonder is he is a little bit more local than I had originally thought, perhaps living somewhere between Bristol and the South East. The wall lends itself very well to Scrapyardspec’s quirky characters, and this one is another in a series painted in Bristol recently. The wobbly portrait with psychedelic eyes and green tongue is quite distinct and unique, and becoming something of a regular presence in the city.
Natural adventures 