Mote is on fire at the moment. Barely a day goes by without another new piece appearing on the streets of Bristol, and I am having great trouble keeping up. Mote’s monsters are becoming larger and more sophisticated with each new piece, and it is a joy to witness his development.
Mote, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2022
I particularly like this character, there is something very endearing about it. In a departure from his recent approach, Mote hasn’t buffed the wall before painting this one, but it is strong enough to compete with the surrounding graffiti without being compromised. Another great piece from Mote
The RBF crew are very popular among other artists in Bristol, and birthdays are often an excuse for a whole group of artists to come together for a paint jam. Recently it was the turn of Bnie to celebrate, and there was a great turnout of artists in St Werburghs tunnel to join in the festivities.
Bnie, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2022
Bnie, certainly pushed the boat out with this design, which incorporates her customary beautiful letters, slightly jazzed up, and with a beautiful five colour horizontal fade across the letters. The letters (as if they weren’t already great) are brought to life under a white zig-zag line across the piece, where the colours appear where the white is, and outside the line, the letters are simply black with white outlines. A complex and beautiful piece of writing. Belated Happy Birthday Bnie.
T-Rex, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022T-Rex, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022Ryder, T-Rex, Conrico and Kool hand, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2022T-Rex, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2022T-Rex, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2022T-Rex, Alfred Street, Bristol, September 2021Ryder and T-Rex, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2021T-Rex, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2021Ryder and T-Rex, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2021T-Rex, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2021T-Rex, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021T-Rex, John Street, Bristol, September 2020T-Rex, Paint Festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019T-Rex, Alfred Street, Bristol, March 2020T-Rex, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019T-Rex, New Stadium Road, Bristol, August 2019Ryder and T-Rex, Moon Street, Bristol, June 2019T-Rex, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2019T-Rex, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018Ryder and T-Rex, Armada Place, Bristol, September 2018Ryder and T-Rex, M32, Bristol, May 2018T-Rex, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017Ryder and T-Rex, Bedminster, Bristol, September 2017Ryder and T-Rex, Stokes Croft, Bristol, July 2017Ryder and T-Rex, Stokes Croft, Bristol, July 2017Ryder and T-Rex, Stokes Croft, Bristol, July 2017T-Rex, Wilder Street, Bristol, May 2016
This piece, by Lazo, is one of the most arresting portraits I have seen in quite a while. It was painted during a Paint jam between some artists I know and some I have never heard of, including Lazo.
Lazo, New Stadium Road, Bristol, November 2022
There is some good shading work in tones of blue, green and yellow which provide plenty of depth to the face. Although this is not the best portrait piece I have seen, and there are some things that don’t quite work for me, I think it is very good and there is something about it that compels me to look at it. Perhaps it is the expressionless face, or the hanging hair, or the colours. Whatever it is, it fascinates me. I hope to see more from Lazo.
I was lucky enough to meet Cobo recently while he was spraying another piece of graffiti writing on the other side of this wall under Brunel Way. It turns out that he is a lovely bloke who has come to Bristol from New Zealand very recently and is looking for walls to paint. I hope I was able to help him with that in a small way. I’m not sure how long he will be staying, but expect to see more from Cobo in the coming weeks.
Cobo, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022
Cobo is clearly an accomplished writer, using the letters ‘COBER’ in this piece, although I know he likes to switch things up a little bit. These solid, strong letters, looking like a rocky outcrop, are beautifully laid out in two shades of blue, the darker shade with additional decoration. The dark green background sets the letters up really nicely, providing a buffer between them and the overpainted works beneath. A nice introduction to another talent to hit Bristol.
It is too easy in life to take things for granted, and sometimes we need something to remind us that special places, people and events are happening all around us all the time, if only we woke up and appreciated them. I had such an awakening yesterday, when photographing this Halloween paint jam from the RBF crew on the wall of the Coach and Horses. This spot is easy to drive past, but very difficult to stop and park near, but thankfully I found some obliging double yellow lines that I occupied for five minutes.
Hazard, Coach and Horses, Bristol, November 2022
Hazard is a phenomenon. Her work goes from strength to strength and this recent Halloween portrait is absolutely exceptional. The detail, the shading which provides depth, and the expression are flawless. I love this piece and Hazard’s work, and I do not take it for granted, rather I see it as a privilege that I get to see her work on a regular basis. Brilliant.
I have said it countless times before on Natural Adventures, and will unapologetically say it again, that some of the most satisfying rewards can be found when diverting course from the familiar. Yesterday, I switched up my spots a bit and decided to visit the Star and Garter, because I haven’t been there for a while. On arrival, I spotted a large mural down Brook Street, that I hadn’t been aware of. As I approached I felt the excitement rising, and was blown away by this magnificent piece by Sled One.
Sled One, Brook Road, Bristol, November 2022
This morning I took a quick look at Sled One’s Instagram account, and it turns out he painted it back in August, which makes me feel a bit useless. The mural itself seems to be an eclectic mix of components slapped on the wall resembling a collage of memories. A cat, razor wire, a knight’s horse, some flowers and a merry-go-round, with a rather sinister body precariously lying horizontally on a seat. The stuff of dreams and nightmares.
Sled One, Brook Road, Bristol, November 2022
There is a photorealism in this piece that I wouldn’t ordinarily associate with Sled One, as more commonly he paints cartoony surreal pieces. His talent, whatever the style, is immense. My favourite part of this mural has to be the cat, although the razor wire does add a sense of threat that is rather uncomfortable. What a privilege to stumble across this piece.
As part of a collaborative wall, this is something rather different from Kosc, but the high quality of the piece is there for all to see. Taking a break from his writing, which he seems to have been enjoying of late, Kosc has created this amazing rat skeleton character.
Kosc, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2022
There is more than a little menace about this rat, brought about by its posture and open mouth. You can tell that Kosc enjoys the anatomy of the creature and clearly has a good understanding of skeletal structure. There is some complementary artwork from Saor, whose part in this collaborative wall was just to the left, that cuts through the rat’s tail. Fabulous artwork from Kosc.
Smak and The Art of Sok, Cheltenham Paint Festival 22, Cheltenham, July 2022
The pavilion in Cheltenham is an absolutely perfect place for long wall pieces and collaborations. Set on the edge of a football field, the building plays host to some of the most memorable pieces from the Cheltenham Paint Festival over the last few years. This year, Smak and The Art of Sok painted this awesome collaboration.
Smak, Cheltenham Paint Festival 22, Cheltenham, July 2022
To the left is a remarkably tight piece of wildstyle writing from Smak. The sensational colour scheme combined with a crisp design, delineated with white and black borders, contribute to an outstanding eye-fest of colour and form, clearly the work of a super-talented graffiti writer.
The Art of Sok, Cheltenham Paint Festival 22, Cheltenham, July 2022
I haven’t come across The Art of Sok before, but I am guessing from the dragon on the character’s chest that there is a Welsh connection. The piece itself is outstanding, so clean and crisp, full of character and movement. The blocked-out colours are very stylised, presenting a highly designed feel to the work. Overall, this is a superb and compelling collaboration. Bravo!
Eyesaw, Cheltenham Paint Festival 22, Cheltenham, July 2022
I was not aware of Eyesaw until Upfest this year, where he painted at least two and possibly three pieces over the festival period. I have not posted those yet, but this piece from the subsequent Cheltenham Paint Festival, is typical of his style.
Eyesaw, Cheltenham Paint Festival 22, Cheltenham, July 2022
Eyesaw’s works are painted with the colours and blur of 3D pictures, and to date I haven’t tested them with the blue and red specs that you get from time to time, because I haven’t got any (note to self – get some 3D specs). This one is of a tiger flexing its muscles. The designs are clever, but are slightly lost on me without knowing for certain that they work.
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