Tag: Graffiti

3401. St Werburghs tunnel (216)

Holiday breaks are good for so many reasons, especially the opportunity to free up some time to do the things we love. There has been a big upsurge in productivity of street/graffiti art over the Christmas period in Bristol and my photograph folder for December is heaving. Having only seen a few pieces this year from Mr Sleven and Mr Klue, it was great to see this collaboration, the second in as many weeks from this pair in the St Werburghs tunnel.

Mr Sleven and Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2020
Mr Sleven and Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2020

These two create fully integrated collaborations, which I love, where their art becomes a synthesis of their styles, rather than two adjacent pieces in similar colour schemes. The Grinch has made a lot of appearances on the walls of Bristol this year, perhaps as a conscious/unconscious reference to COVID-19 spoiling things a bit. Here, Mr Sleven’s nicely drawn Grinch is emerging from a wispy Mr Klue atmosphere. This is a fine piece and there is a nice reference to COM.64 – the crew that these two belong to.

3400. M32 Spot (97)

Rosalita has been smashing it out of the park lately and this new column piece under the M32 is just the latest in a string of fine works she has created in the area. From what I have seen, Rosalita is particularly fond of painting carnival faces which she does on walls but also with the application of makeup on people, which she has a talent for.

Rosalita, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2020
Rosalita, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2020

Rosalita (who often signs her pieces RAW, has nothing to do with the Bristol-based crew Read and Weep, and that the use of the same initials is entirely coincidental) has used the column space perfectly and flooded it with colour and drama. The piece is a little unsettling, with the orange eyes dripping onto the cheeks. Great to see more from Rosalita. Keep it up!

3399. Dean Lane skate park (373)

Rezwonk is an artist whose work I simply haven’t seen enough of this year, I guess we have been spoilt previously by the frequency with which he was hitting walls, and it was inevitable that it would slow down at some point. A similar pattern has been shown by Decay, and it is interesting that these two who used to collaborate a lot, haven’t done so for a long while.

Rezwonk, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2020
Rezwonk, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2020

This Fabulous piece of graffiti writing in a frosty cold blue (to match the winter temperatures) looks like it was painted n collaboration with a Pekoe piece just to it’s left (coming soon). As well as the technical brilliance of the piece with it’s riveted sections, the prep work has made all the difference with the fully buffed wall in a neutral colour lending support and focus to the writing. A fine piece from Rezer.

3398. Brunel Way bridge (83)

It is very difficult for me to keep up with the massive productivity of street/graffiti art in Bristol. As it is, I only post a fraction of the pieces I photograph here on Natural Adventures. The rest go into the archives, which is a real shame but that is how it is. Seasonal pieces, such as this one from Mr Draws are nearly always out of sync because I have a queue of pieces waiting to post – an artefact of the system I use.

Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2020
Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, December 2020

I love this one from Mr Draws – it has a generous and kind spirit about it and manages to convey the moments of Christmas cleverly by incorporating Christmas puddings, lights and a Christmas tree. The letters are sharp, and it looks like Mr Draws has put a lot of love into this one. I only wish I had been able to post it at Christmas, but you’ll have to make do with it now.

3397. Cumberland Basin

The third piece from an outstanding recent paint jam on the long wall at Cumberland Basin that I have posted on Natural Adventures is by Sled One, and features a Raccoon (something that SPZero76 is a specialist in painting) off on its travels.

Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2020
Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2020

I saw a little video clip on Sled One’s Instagram feed which had a little raccoon dropping a piece of ice into some water and getting utterly confused when the ice just disappeared like magic… so beyond the poor mammal’s comprehension. I think this piece is a retelling of that little snippet of film through the imaginative lens of Sled One. This surreal piece is rooted in experience and naturally has been painted with supreme expertise. Classic Sled One.

3396. Cheltenham Road

This is the perfect way to end 2020 with a spanking new and rather beautiful mural on the Cheltenham road just before the Arches heading north. The mural is by Alex Lucas and covers the entire wall of what was Flour and Ash but is now a new vegan Mezze bar called Koo Cha

Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2020
Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2020

I had been anticipating the unveiling of this piece for some time as I live nearby and had seen Alex painting it on a large scaffold erected in front of the building. It certainly didn’t disappoint, in fact I think it might be one of my favourite pieces by the illustrator/muralist. 

Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2020
Alex Lucas, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2020

The cheetahs are absolutely stunning and stand out well on the blue background and the flowers are a beautiful touch that ‘glue’ the whole thing together. We are so lucky in Bristol to have Alex Lucas whose work lights up the city and brings such happiness to its citizens. Bravo Alex, bravo!

It has been an extraordinary year for street art and graffiti in Bristol and around the country. A succession of lockdowns and an extended period of social distancing behaviours haven’t done anything to stem the tide of wonderful artwork and I have had difficulty keeping up with it all. I think this year has been the most productive since I started Natural Adventures almost six years ago. The quality of work has increased too and there has been an influx of artists from the UK and beyond. 

Some artists have gone to ground for periods this year, reflecting what had been a troubling time, and work patterns have gone haywire too which will have affected some people’s ability to choose when they can make time for street art. In spite of it all, it has been an outstanding year on Bristol’s streets. Here’s to more in 2021.

Happy New Year all. Bring on the new!

3395. St Luke’s Road (2)

On the eve of 2021, it think it is appropriate to post this beautiful piece by Gage Graphics as a way of looking forward to the summer when we can be ourselves once again and figure out what our world looks like. It might not be like it was, but it will surely be better than right now.

Gage Graphics, St Luke's Road, Bristol, December 2020
Gage Graphics, St Luke’s Road, Bristol, December 2020

This large sunflower mural is one of several on this row of houses that overlook Victoria Park, and represents one of the best ‘free galleries’ in Bristol. Gage Graphics is responsible for several of them. There is something very special about sunflowers, I’m not sure what magic they possess, but I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t marvel at their magnificence. I think that they grow from a seed in such a short time and produce large happy flowers adds to their popularity.

Gage Graphics, St Luke's Road, Bristol, December 2020
Gage Graphics, St Luke’s Road, Bristol, December 2020

Gage Graphics has captured the majesty of the sunflower perfectly and in addition the services it provides to pollinating insects such as bumblebees. This is an outstanding mural and emblem of hope.

3393. River Avon (12)

This awesome piece of writing, which I photographed back in November, along the River Avon cycle track, is by Spanish artist Claro_que_sssnoh or Claro for the purposes of this post. The Spanish crews are absolutely smashing it all over the city this year and have brought about some joy in a very difficult time for us all.

Claro_que_sssnoh, River Avon, Bristol, November 2020
Claro_que_sssnoh, River Avon, Bristol, November 2020

This piece was sandwiched between two depictions of Satan to form the central element of the collaborative wall. I’m not too good at deciphering this writing, but I think the letters spell out NOHSE, or something similar. Claro is assured with his writing and can paint in several different and contrasting styles. This is an assured and beautifully sprayed piece.

3392. M32 cycle path (98)

It was while she was finishing off this piece that I first formally met the wonderful Pekoe, thanks to an introduction from Paul H. It was so good at last to meet her, and especially nice because she knew exactly who I was and was appreciative of the posts I had written here on Natural Adventures and on Instagram.

Pekoe, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2020
Pekoe, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2020

Pekoe, as well as finishing off her own piece was helping a friend with practising his own art work adjacent to her portrait. The act of a kind and helpful person. Her green three-quarter profile is exquisitely offset by the shock of orange hair collected into a bun, making great use of the space available on the panel she was painting.

Pekoe, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2020
Pekoe, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2020

Big hair is a major part of Pekoe’s portraits and in this one she has really excelled herself in my view. The decorations intertwined in the bright orange, red and yellow hair show off her signature style. I love this piece and will always associate it with making her acquaintance for the first time of many I hope.

3391. St Werburghs tunnel (215)

A nicely disguised signature on this two-tone piece reveals it to be the work of Mind Control, whose work is becoming more frequent in Bristol, in particular in the St Werburghs area.

Mind Control, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2020
Mind Control, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2020

There is an element of optical illusion work going on in this piece where the central character appears to be cradling a rabbit, although looking at it another way it might simply be the folds in his jacket. A clever piece from an artist with great ideas and lots of attitude.