Tag: Graffiti

4657. Upfest 2022 (44)

SoFreeSo, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
SoFreeSo, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

It is obvious from many of my posts on Natural Adventures, that I like butterflies, and this outstanding piece from SoFreeSo is an absolute beauty. The Swiss artist specialises in dreamy portraits and butterflies, and her pieces really come to life through the eyes of her subjects.

SoFreeSo, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
SoFreeSo, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

There is a lot to like about this piece, the overall composition and colours work very well, especially on sunny days, and those drips are to die for. Interestingly, the incorporation of eyes onto the wings of butterflies is an idea created by mother nature (or evolution if you prefer), where many species of butterfly have developed ‘eye spots’ on their wings to mimic a larger, more scary animal and deter would-be predators.

Peacock Butterfly, Haiku 1
Peacock Butterfly, Haiku 1

4656. Upfest 2022 (43)

DJ Perks, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
DJ Perks, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

I managed to bump into DJ Perks several times over the two days of Upfest this year, which is always a pleasure, and we swapped notes about some of the pieces being painted at the festival. This Popeye piece was DJ Perks’ official Upfest piece, but he did another quick one on the afternoon of the second day (to come).

DJ Perks, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
DJ Perks, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

DJ Perks is making great progress with his writing and character pieces, and this one featuring the spinach-eating sailor standing in front of some chiselled rocks spelling PE(R)KS tells a lovely story, the letters and the character being directly related tom one another. More great fun from DJ Perks.

4655. Upfest 2022 (42)

Iain Macarthur, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Iain Macarthur, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Although Upfest was Highly populated with local artists this year, there were also at least twice as many who had travelled across Britain, Europe or the world to the city. Iain Macarthur is an illustrator from London whose work tends to focus around the deconstruction of faces/heads, of which this Upfest piece is a fine example.

Iain Macarthur, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Iain Macarthur, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

This colourful piece explores what lies behind the face, and the answer here seems to be a tangled mass of blue and red organic tissue. Definitely an interesting study, and one that doesn’t present as gory or distasteful. A nice piece, well-designed for the tall, thin board.

Iain MacArthur, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Iain MacArthur, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

4654. Upfest 2022 (41)

Rosie Woods, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Rosie Woods, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

This stunning piece, by Rosie Woods, is a little bit tucked away and perhaps overlooked by many, but in my view is one of the finest abstract pieces in Bristol at the moment. We were honoured to have Rosie Woods at Upfest, because although she grew up in London, she now lives in Australia, and that is one hell of a trip… perhaps she was over in Europe visiting relatives and painting at a variety of festivals/commissions.

Rosie Woods, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Rosie Woods, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

The colours, depth and textures in this piece are seductive and compelling… it is really sumptuous. I have looked at a lot of Rosie Woods’ work on the Interweb, and am definitely a big fan. I very much hope that she will pay us a visit again, if ever she makes it over to the UK again.

4653. Greenbank (51)

Marckinetic, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2022
Marckinetic, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2022

It is amazing how quickly an artist can make an impression and become part of the norm. It really isn’t all that long ago that I posted the first piece by Marckinetic that I had been aware of, and now he is turning out quality piece after quality piece almost as if he has been painting in Bristol forever.

Marckinetic, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2022
Marckinetic, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2022

This is a nice solid piece, which deliberately or otherwise has a metallic feel about it. The main body of letters is filled with a kind of sky-scape on the top half and a black lower half, giving the impression of being a mirror, reflecting the scene behind the viewer. The writing is set on a dark pink cloudy/bubbly background. This is an exceptionally good piece, and might be my favourite from the artist so far. He seems to be a real specialist in atmospheric/cosmic/sky-scape backdrops/fills.

4652. St George skate park (15)

John D'oh, St George skate park, Bristol, August 2022
John D’oh, St George skate park, Bristol, August 2022

John D’oh has had another recent session in St George skate park, and I was able to get up there just before going off on my holiday. This fine stencil is one of several painted on the side of a skate ramp.

John D'oh, St George skate park, Bristol, August 2022
John D’oh, St George skate park, Bristol, August 2022

The artwork is deliberately retro, which seems at odds with the gentleman looking down at a mobile phone, a clever juxtaposition. It is the message that I love, and similar to one I often repeat here on Natural Adventures, encouraging people to look up and see the world around them, absorb it and enjoy the experience. A lovely stencil piece from John D’oh.

4651. Jamaica Street (26)

Tanith Gould, Jamaica Street, Bristol, August 2022

Tanith Gould, Jamaica Street, Bristol, August 2022This piece by Tanith Gould, from the Bristol Womxn Mural Collective (now seemingly the Bristol Mural Collective), is direct and straight to the point. It is one of several pieces on the Jamaica Street gallery highlighting reproductive rights.

Tanith Gould, Jamaica Street, Bristol, August 2022
Tanith Gould, Jamaica Street, Bristol, August 2022

The political piece is nicely done, and is a sentiment I happen to agree with.  The message is assertive, but not aggressive. The use of scissors in a piece like this could be construed as threatening, but somehow feels more illustrative. I am a fan of political statements in street art, and this one from Tanith Gould ticks my boxes.

4650. Dean Lane skate park (520)

Stivs, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, August 2022
Stivs, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, August 2022

Stivs has painted another tribute piece to Sear, and it is an absolute belter. In this piece, Stivs has used his skills at calligraffiti to great effect, creating an astounding backdrop of the word Sear written in patterns. I can’t think how long this would have taken to paint, but it is clearly a labour of love.

Stivs, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, August 2022
Stivs, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, August 2022

The decorative calligraffiti patterns serve as ‘host’ for the magnificent multicoloured ‘SEAR’ in the centre of the piece. The letters stand out proud from the rest of the wall and are a welcome feast for the eyes. It is touching to see how artists have marked the loss of one of their friends. What a great gift a tribute can be.

4649. M32 roundabout J3 (424)

Tack Jucker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2022
Tack Jucker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2022

Often a photograph simply doesn’t do a piece justice, and this wonderful tiger portrait by Tack Jucker is an example of this. The light conditions on the day I went were a little tricky, and the dappled shade on the piece takes away some of the detail.

Tack Jucker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2022
Tack Jucker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2022

Tack Jucker seems to improve with each piece I see and is growing in confidence. This is a superb piece, and he has incorporated his trademark Smokey wisps into the piece, which act almost like a signature. The expression on the tiger’s face has been well observed and captured. Evidence of yet more great work from the artist.

4648. St Werburghs tunnel (305)

Hemper and Benjimagnetic, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2022
Hemper and Benjimagnetic, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2022

Hemper does seem to love his collaborative walls, and has partnered so many Bristol graffiti writers over the years. In this piece in the tunnel he has paired up with Benjimagnetic, who has been a little quiet of late.

Hemper, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2022
Hemper, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2022

To the left is a superb piece of organic writing, so organic in fact that it is sprouting shoots and leaves, from Hemper. Spelling out HEMS, this is an utterly awesome piece of writing and shows off his talents to the maximum. I cannot really express how this piece is close to technical perfection and incredibly beautiful to boot, which is not always the case with technically great pieces. A masterclass in writing from Hemper.

Benjimagnetic, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2022
Benjimagnetic, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2022

To the right of the collaborative space is a bright and colourful piece that really brings out the best in Benjimagnetic. The letter fills, using straight lines, create a wonderful structural effect that gives the writing so much depth and texture. It is always a great pleasure to see any new pieces from Benjimagnetic.

Today I might get a chance to investigate a spot or two for the first time in 11 days. I wonder how much new stuff there is out there…