Graffiti – Page 193 – Natural adventures

5734. Sheffield

I was very, very pleased to find this outstanding piece by Sheffield artist Phlegm, when I visited the city back in November last year. I would have missed it had I not dashed down a side road, while concluding a long walk with my daughter. She waited patiently for me on the Main Street and knew I had been successful by the smile on my face.

Phlegm is a world star of the street art scene, one of a few artists who has really become famous for his extraordinary black and white scenes. There is so much going on in this piece, it is best simply to look at it and see what stories it is telling. I was chuffed to bits finding this piece (I had no idea it even existed), and it just felt so right finding one of his pieces in his home city.

5733. Sheffield

Happy New Year. If all goes well, then I will have been exercising my ‘inner nerd’ this morning, fossil hunting in Bracklesham Bay. What this means is that I wrote this post, in the early hours of last night/this morning, after seeing in the New Year quietly with my wife, mother and the dog.

Back in November, I visited Sheffield with my daughter, who was looking at potential University courses. I was very taken with Sheffield, it is a lovely city with a great atmosphere and lovely people. Of course I managed to find a couple of pieces of street art. This rather large and wonderful mural is by Rob Lee. The bold abstract design is a strong statement piece that dominates the buildings that back onto a square. Fine work indeed.

5731. Manchester, Northern Quarter

TEAone, Northern Quarter, Manchester, November 2023

It seems a little odd to be rounding off the year with a couple of pieces from Manchester, rather than from Bristol, but that is how they have rolled off the production line. In a way, 2023 has been a special year for me travelling around the country, and I have managed to find one or two pieces of street art along the way, including this beauty from TEAone in Manchester.

I have only ever seen a handful of pieces by TEAone, but every one of them is an absolute stunner, and this is no different. TEAone has painted a colourful market scene which feels like it might be from a Mediterranean country – certainly a little warmer than a chilly November Manchester that is for sure.

5730. M32 Cycle path (244)

Mr Keos, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023

This piece by Mr Keos, was definitely worthy of inclusion in Natural Adventures, as it is rather different from any writing that we usually see in the city. Looking at his Instagram feed, it looks like Mr Keos paints all over the country and was simply passing through Bristol in December nd dropped a couple of pieces.

His letters are big, bold and distinctive, no chance of any confusion here. The work oozes experience from an artist who appears to be very prolific. The chrome letters stand out nicely on the orange background and the subtle black feature patterns at the base of the letters turn this from a good piece of graffiti writing into something rather better. I’ll be looking out for at least one other piece he painted in Bristol.

5729. River Avon (55)

The Mole, River Avon, Bristol, December 2023

I walked past this piece by The Mole, when I first saw it, thinking that it was an old one that I had posted before, but I did a double-take and returned to it, because although it was similar to another piece by the artist, it was new and in a different location. It was one that nearly got away.

The writing says INCA, referring to the artist’s full name Inca the Mole. Painted in colours that he often uses, the letters are supported by the mole character. The Mole generally paints three forms of his work, The mole alone, the letters INCA or, as in this case, a writing/character combination. The piece is nicely rounded off with peace symbols, which usually accompany The Mole’s work. A fine and rather unexpected piece, from the frequent visitor to Bristol.

5728. M32 roundabout J3 (539)

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

I would say that we haven’t seen nearly enough of Stivs’ work in the latter half of this year, so it was particularly gratifying to find this piece on the M32 roundabout, and even though it didn’t last very long, it was noticed.

The calligraffiti writing was painted as a birthday piece for his brother Kelvin, and I can’t really think of a better present than a tribute piece of artwork like this, I know I’d be made up by such a gesture. The beautifully proportioned letters are given an extra lift from the wall by the clever use of the green drop shadow, which itself has a black border. Care and attention was given to the piece, as demonstrated by the sand coloured background and subtle wisps of paint around the letters. Great work from Stivs.

5727. M32 roundabout J3 (538)

Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

Smak has rounded off his year with some style, producing a string of outstanding pieces over the last six months or so, with this one, a paint jam piece for Pekoe’s birthday being the latest. This is an absolute classic, written in Smak’s distinctive style, where each letter is afforded plenty of space for elaboration.

The letters are painted in greens and yellows, which is usually a winning combination of colours. The letters SMAK can clearly be seen, and have been stunningly designed. When I see a complex piece of graffiti writing like this, I am left utterly awestruck by the artist’s ability to create such a thing of beauty with spray cans. A triumphant piece from Smak.

5726. Frome Side (27)

Bnie and Vozie, Frome Side, Bristol, November 2023

Two more pieces from the incredible RBF Rugrats paint jam in November celebrating Bnie’s birthday and Vozie’s baby. Here the two combine to give us a glimpse of their awesome artwork. As a combination, these two paint really well together and seem to get the best out of each other.

Bnie, Frome Side, Bristol, November 2023

Both artists have adopted the colour palette used for the paint jam and both have included characters from the to cartoon show, Dil and Tommy Pickles. I was just a little too old to enjoy the show, but my kids used to watch it when they were little. The accomplished piece of writing from Bnie is filled with four horizontal shades of pink/purple, creating depth and interest in the work.

Vozie, Frome Side, Bristol, November 2023

To the right of Bnie’s letters, Vozie has reflected the fills in her own distinct lettering. Both have also created a complex letter border of green with white and yellow highlights, a black drop shadow, completed with an orange outline finishing the piece off beautifully. Great work from this talented duo.

5725. St Werburghs tunnel (393)

Phour, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2023

Phour is one of those graffiti writers whose work either lasts for only a day or two in the more popular spots, but because he paints in some unusual places, some of his work stays visible for months and months. This piece, in the tunnel didn’t last very long at all (I think, but I am now starting to doubt myself).

His strong letters and colour selections always draw attention. This one is perhaps a little more sophisticated than it might look at first glance. There are three layers of green, very nicely presented with drips falling from one to another layer. A black drop shadow and white border round the piece off very nicely.

5724. M32 Cycle path (243)

Todoaciem, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

I haven’t seen many pieces by Todoaciem this year, and I hope that his lack of painting on the streets is because he has other important things happening in his life, such as employment or family etc. The rarity makes each piece even more enjoyable to find, and this piece of calligraffiti alongside the M32 motorway is an absolute belter.

The writing spells out CIEM ONE in rich gold and purple tones, the colours of royalty. A light dusting of light blue serves to lift the letters a little. Todoaciem is a master of calligraffiti, and his letter proportions and shapes are outstanding, to leave us with a superb example of this style of writing.

	equinoxio21 on 1752. Newfoundland Road
	equinoxio21 on 7613. David Street
	M. on 7612. M32 roundabout J2 (…
	Sheree on 7613. David Street
	paulh121 on 7611. St Werburghs tunnel…

	equinoxio21 on 1752. Newfoundland Road
	equinoxio21 on 7613. David Street
	M. on 7612. M32 roundabout J2 (…
	Sheree on 7613. David Street
	paulh121 on 7611. St Werburghs tunnel…

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