Good morning all. A fine start to a brand new week, the sun is shining and in the blink of an eye it will be Friday and the beginning of another weekend. This amazing cartoon portrait piece by Zake was added on to an existing collaborative wall, and looks like it could almost be a part of the paint jam, but it was added a day or two later.
Zake, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2023
Perhaps a little bit creepy, Zake’s face is less than happy, with large tears rolling down the cheeks and a rather snotty nose. The open mouth looks like an archetypal cartoon whale mouth, if you know what I mean. The face is sitting over a daisy and a bed of clouds. There may be some symbolism here, but I can’t quite fathom it out. I also don’t think the balance of the piece is quite right, and although I can’t put my finger on it, it leaves me a little uncomfortable.
Desi, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2025Desi, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, December 2025Desi, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2025Desi, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, February 2025Desi, Greenbank, Bristol, February 2025Desi, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, January 2025Desi and Lupa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2025Desi, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2024Desi, River Avon, Bristol, August 2024Desi, Peel Street Green, Bristol, May 2024Desi, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2023Desi, Frome Side, Bristol, November 2023Desi, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2023Desi, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, October 2023Desi, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, October 2023Desi, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, August 2023Desi, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2023Desi, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, February 2023Desi, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, February 2023Desi, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2023Desi, Greenbank, Bristol, November 2022Desi, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, November 2022Desi, Peel Street Green, Bristol, October 2022Desi, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2022Desi, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, August 2022Desi, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, August 2022Desi, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022Desi, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, March 2022Desi, New Stadium Road, Bristol, March 2022Desi, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, January 2022Desi, River Avon, Bristol, November 2021Desi, River Avon, Bristol, September 2021
Coincidentally, this stunning floral piece by Peggy is a birthday tribute, and although it was not planned this way, I happen to be posting it on my Wife’s birthday, and that feels good.
Peggy, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023
The piece has all the wonderful attributes you would expect from Peggy. Beautiful leaves and petals with some concealed eyes. When I next see Peggy I’ll need to ask her if there is any symbolism involved. I love Peggy’s work, and it brings a different a different element to the Bristol scene.
The quickest of quick ones this morning. It is my wife’s sixtieth birthday today, and there is much celebrations to do, and guests to prepare for.
Lee Roy, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023
Sunny days and a dazzlingly bright piece from Lee Roy, who has been painting a lot lately. He has jazzes this piece up a little with the inclusion of a rather scary cat. Great work, marred only by the sight of a shadow-selfie… it happens sometimes.
To The quickest of quick coffee breaks and then I must resume housework. Another tip trip completed and lovely hoovering with our brand new hoover (Shark)… wow, our old one was useless. So much dust and fluff! Just a moment to post this lovely piece by the returning Nightwayss
Nightwayss, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, May 2023
It is a bitter sweet experience when Bristol artists migrate away to other towns and cities, as Nightwayss has, and it is when they return that we get to reacquaint ourselves with what we have been missing. This is a brilliant portrait piece, I’m guessing of a DJ or musician, painted in shades of purple and black, with a bank of speakers behind and a record deck between. Fine work from a lost brother of Bristol.
SkyHigh, Lighthouse Community Garden, London, April 2023
A super-quick one this morning… lots of housework to do. Tomorrow is my wife’s 60th birthday, and we are having a small family gathering. Our house has been a bit of a tip, so we have spent the last week or so cleaning and clearing. Lots more to do today!
SkyHigh, Lighthouse Community Garden, London, April 2023
As I mentioned in yesterday’s Roo piece, where there is one of hers, a SkyHigh piece is never far away, and this stunner was on the next but one board. Both of these pieces looked relatively fresh, which can’t be said for some of the pieces on these hoardings. This one from SkyHigh is typically brilliant and beautifully designed. Still more to come from this London honeypot.
Roo, Lighthouse Community Garden, London, April 2023
This whole-block hoarding is the gift that keeps on giving. Having stumbled upon this spot completely by accident, I have been revelling in its treasures. This piece by Roo is in her home town. Most of her work that I have featured in Natural Adventures is from Bristol, so it is always great to see some of her work in her own back-yard.
Roo, Lighthouse Community Garden, London, April 2023
This beautifully painted cat, who is settled down for an evening of screen entertainment, is full of character and charm. Although Roo’s character work appears to be quite simple, with solid fills, strong outlines etc, don’t be fooled. These are carefully crafted and brilliantly designed pieces with a lot of attention to detail, especially with the highlights and shadows, for example the yellow strip on the left-hand edges, suggesting a reflection from a light source. This piece gave me a warm feeling of familiarity inside. Now all I had to do was find a piece by SkyHigh.
This road was one of the first I wrote a blog post about, in fact it was number 21 (this is 5,217), and the portrait piece was on the other side of the road, by Dora, an artist whose debut on Natural Adventures was in fact her first and last appearance. This piece is by the irrepressible Kosc, and what a belter it is.
Kosc, Norrisville Road, Bristol, May 2023
The colour palette of the piece is exquisite and works beautifully with the blue buffed background. There is often quite an industrial/urban feel to Kosc’s work, but the letter fills in this one are a little bit softer, almost dreamy, although I can see a few ‘rivets’ here and there.
It is amazing to see how far this artist has come over the last few years, from his early pieces under a different name, to being in the top division of Bristol writers. There is so much to love about this one.
Pieces like this are the best ones to find. I went for a dog walk with my wife last week and on the way back to our house, we came across this Inkie piece on a garage door. I don’t recall ever seeing it on social media, so for me, it was a completely new discovery.
Inkie, Bishopston, Bristol, May 2023
The portrait piece is so typical of Inkie’s style, incorporating all the design elements that one associates with the artist, with the interesting addition of a pair of yellow-tinted glasses. This piece is pure Inkie class, and possibly the closest piece of street art to where I live, and yet I have only just discovered it.
3Dom and Sled One, The Carriageworks, Bristol, May 2023
We have some very special artists in Bristol, and two of the very best are 3Dom and Sled one, and every once in a while these two combine to do something completely amazing. They like to refer to themselves when they paint something like this as the hi-vis crew, becoming invisible when they wear official-looking high visibility clothing.
3Dom and Sled One, The Carriageworks, Bristol, April 2023
I was lucky enough to be passing when these two were still painting these pieces, and it was in fact the first time I have met 3Dom properly, and I have to say what an absolutely lovely bloke he is. These arches have had some fantastic pieces painted on them over the years, and 3Dom and Sled One are continuing that great tradition. I fear that it won’t be too long before the authorities clamp down on painting this wall, but until such time we can only enjoy it.
3Dom, The Carriageworks, Bristol, May 2023
Both artists have a surreal and fantastical approach to their artwork, which in many cases it is probably best not to try and interpret. 3Dom presents a character whose head is made of a balloon filled with water and a couple of fish that might be the character’s eyes and a syringe that forms the mouth. The target and fez are details that add intrigue. Upside-down clouds and a cityscape round off the piece nicely. Brilliant.
Sled One, The Carriageworks, Bristol, May 2023
Sled One has created a portrait piece of a woman smoking a cigarette. Her skin, however, has been stripped away from the middle third of her face, exposing a cartoon-style skull. This is without doubt one of the odder pieces that Sled One has painted, but is certainly arresting and powerful. Also brilliant.
3Dom, The Carriageworks, Bristol, April 2023
If you ever wondered how these artists reach the higher bits of a wall, here is the answer. A perfect collaborative wall from the masters.
Natural adventures 