Tag: Graffiti

5723. M32 roundabout J3 (537)

Dibz and Jody, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Dibz and Jody, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

There is just enough time to squeeze one more utterly awesome piece from Dibz and Jody before the year is out. Although not overtly Christmassy, this piece does have a sense of celebration and festival about it.

Dibz and Jody, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Dibz and Jody, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

The wildstyle writing is from Dibz, and has a camouflage influenced design, offset perfectly with dark purple drop shadows. The letters, which of course are perfectly sharp and well finished, create a wonderful frame for the central portrait by Jody.

Jody, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Jody, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

Jody has actually painted a lot on the streets this year, which has been a huge bonus, and he has definitely saved one of his best for this end-of-year collaboration. There is a sadness and calm in the portrait, and it feels religious or spiritual in nature. Simply stunning.

5722. Dean Lane skate park (672)

Chill, Face 1st and Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2023
Chill, Face 1st and Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2023

This might be the last time I post about the PWA crew this year, and what a productive year it has been from this fabulous group of artists who have kept us entertained and enthralled during 2023. This collaboration, tucked behind the fence of the swimming pool, is by Chill, Face 1st and Zake.

Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2023
Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2023

To the left, chill says it all next to his character piece with the words ‘last one or not, 2023 was hot’. Chill’s cartoon character takes on something of a surreal appearance with lots of eyes, everywhere, and an extra mouth in the ear. Interesting and fun stuff from Chill.

Face 1st, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2023
Face 1st, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2023

In the middle is a little girl character by Face 1st, and guess what… she is having a lot of fun with a couple of spray cans, one in each hand. A small nod to the vampire genre, with fangs and blood dripping from her mouth, this girl is perhaps not as happy as most that Face 1st paints.

Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2023
Zake, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2023

On the right, Zake, who I think has run Klashwhensober pretty close as Bristol’s most productive artist of 2023, has painted a rather grotesque laughing face. Lots of mouth and teeth to deal with in this one, and the rather haunting eyes with no pupils that Zake often paints, adding mystery and some edge to the character. All good stuff from the PWA folks. I can’t wait to see what they create in the new year.

5721. Sparke Evans Park (86)

Nips, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, December 2023
Nips, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, December 2023

Counterintuitively, now that I have a little bit more time on my hands during the Christmas break, I am finding it harder to make time to write my blog. Perhaps it is the disruption to my routines – and I am a grumpy old man who has become rather fond of routine, which makes me a good companion for the dog. Regular patterns work for both of us. Today’s piece is a piece by Nips in Sparke Evans Park.

Nips, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, December 2023
Nips, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, December 2023

I haven’t posted all of Nips’ pieces, that I have seen, but will try to remedy this in the New Year, because I rather like her straightforward no-nonsense approach to graffiti writing. There is a lack of pretentiousness in her work, that is refreshing. The most notable thing about this piece is the outstanding fill design and execution. Modest and yet impactful, this is a really enjoyable piece from an artist I know little about.

5720. M32 roundabout J3 (536)

Unity, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Unity, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

Happy Christmas. Enjoy this magnificent ‘green man’ piece by Unity, which was painted as part of Pekoe’s RBF birthday paint jam in early December. It has a strong Christmas feel which is why I saved it for today. Where pagan meets Victorian Christmas.

Unity, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Unity, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

I mentioned a day or two ago that Unity is painting a little more often in Bristol, and it is so good that she is, especially when she creates something as special as this one. Enjoy your day wherever you are.

Unity, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Unity, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

5719. M32 cycle path (242)

Biers, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023
Biers, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023

Biers has had a very busy couple of months, producing some rally nice work along the war. This is a fabulous WD40 piece on the M32 Cycle path, following his usual formula of his letters accompanied by a character, although this time the character is at the right-hand end, rather than peering through the hole of the ‘0’.

Biers, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023
Biers, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023

The chrome writing is very nicely presented, although unless you knew it said WD40 is, in my view, very difficult to read. The character has defeated me, except I wonder if he is one of those little characters from Star Wars – Jawas I think they are called. Probably not, but my knowledge of popular culture is limited. May I wish you a very pleasant and restful Christmas Eve.

5718. Dean Lane skate park (671)

Dibz, Fade and Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Dibz, Fade and Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023

Good morning and happy Christmas Eve. A busy day for most, I expect, and definitely for me. One of my tasks today is to make a ‘Sussex Pond’ pudding, which is our alternative to Christmas pudding, which the kids and I don’t much care for. I’ll keep this short.

Dibz, Fade and Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Dibz, Fade and Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023

Wonderful work from Dibz, Fade and Jody, who have teamed up several times this year to produce some outstanding collaborations. This is a true collaboration where all the contributions are in the one piece. Jody painted the wolf, and Dibz the letters, so I expect that Fade painted the wonderful background.

Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023

Jody steals thee show a little with his magnificent wolf portrait in the centre of the piece. It is so good to see so many street pieces from him this year, and I hope he continues into next year.

5717. M32 roundabout J3 (535)

Wispa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Wispa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

This year, as in most recent years, Pekoe really celebrated her birthday in style with the RBF crew and associates. Wispa came along for the ride and painted this fabulous writing/character combination piece.

Wispa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Wispa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

Unfortunately I don’t know who the rather cute character with attitude is, but she is painted as beautifully as you’d expect from Wispa, who always finished her work so well, with crispness and sharpness. All aspects of this piece come together really well. Bravo Wispa!

5716. M32 Cycle path (241)

Zake, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023
Zake, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023

Well, this doesn’t happen very often. I completely forgot to write my blog posts this morning, and am now in a bit of a panic. I think it must be the disruption to my normal routine, and that feeling that I have an awful lot to do before Christmas. Perhaps the character piece by Zake adequately describes my state of mind today.

Zake, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023
Zake, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2023

This piece was part of a PWA paint jam, but alas, by the time I got there this was the only bit of it left. The laughing face full of depth and texture, has a fractured skull through which his brain appears to have turned to jelly. I suspect that there is some Face 1st influencing going on with this fun piece.

5715. North Street

Cheo, North Street, Bristol, December 2023
Cheo, North Street, Bristol, December 2023

One of the most pleasurable things about going on my rounds to photograph street/graffiti art in Bristol is that I am frequently surprised by pieces that I didn’t know about and that stand out from the crowd. Frankly, pretty much anything that Cheo paints stands out, and due to a significant drop-off in his street activity in recent years, their rarity makes them even more exciting.

Cheo, North Street, Bristol, December 2023
Cheo, North Street, Bristol, December 2023

Painted on 1 December, this piece almost feels like the opening window of an advent calendar (which has just given me a brilliant idea to pitch with Upfest). The rather likeable mischievous character is peering through a wall, and an arrow points off to the right. This might have been some kind of promotional commission, but I prefer to think of it as a joyful artwork. Only three more sleeps until Christmas.

5714. Brunel Way (250)

Sako, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2023
Sako, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2023

Although Sako has only painted a handful of pieces in Bristol, they have not gone unnoticed. His colour selection alone gives his work away, often opting for a magenta character, with blues and greens augmenting his work.

Sako, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2023
Sako, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2023

Originally from the Basque Country, it would seem that Sako has settled in Bristol for the last year or so. His mystical work seems to be centred around storytelling and mythology. In this piece, his female character appears to be bridging the space between the land and the sky. The urban landscape is represented with the blue circle, with a green mountain backdrop completing the scene. Although he painted this piece alone, Sako often paints alongside Zake and other PWA crew members. Great stuff, rather understated and modest. Time to hit a more prominent wall, I think.