Tucked away in a lane not usually associated with Kid Crayon was this rather unusual two-tone piece from July 2017. One of the things that I would often associate with Kid Crayon is his abundant use of colour, so this was something of a change.
Kid Crayon, Hepburn Road, Bristol, July 2017
My guess is that this was a quick one that was more for his own amusement than for public display. I love finding works like this, because they show another side of an artist and the range and diversity of their work. Without the signature, this would be quite difficult to identify as a KC piece. I’m not sure what the speech bubble says, but it looks like ‘wired’ to me. Does it refer to KC himself or to the character of the piece?
Utterly inexplicable! how on earth did I fail to post this brilliant column piece by Kid Crayon back in June 2017? And how have I not retrieved it from my archives before now? I think this illustrates just how many pictures I have in my archives that get left behind and that what you see here on Natural adventures is just a fraction of what is out there on the streets every day.
Kid Crayon, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2017
What is quite unusual about this column piece is that it spans three sides of the column and so is impossible to enjoy from standing in one position.
Kid Crayon, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2017
On the first face (or is it the third?) is a purple-faced girl and monster, apparently unrelated. Purple or blue-faced characters is a bit of a trademark for Kid Crayon, as is the turquoise colour that he uses a lot in his work.
Kid Crayon, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2017
On the second face are some more rather weird animate and inanimate objects along with another face, this time I am pretty sure it is a self-portrait of the artist, and if it isn’t, it ought to be because it looks a lot like him.
Kid Crayon, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2017
On the third and final face of the column are a couple more characters one of whom is singing? a rainbow. Let’s embrace and own this as a Coronavirus rainbow of hope. This is unfathomable and simply brilliant work by one of my favourite Bristol artists and incredibly nice guy.
Hurrah! Seeing a wall like this just makes me so happy. A collaboration from two outstanding Bristol artists Kid Crayon and Subtle. Such a nicely prepped wall and great colour selection. Oh I do like this.
Kid Crayon, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
On the left is a fabulous Kid Crayon piece which sadly had been ‘got to’ by some idiot before I managed to photograph it. What possible joy can a person get from spraying over the face and eyes of a nice piece like this? Of course, apart from the character (and return of the floating crayon) the other outstanding feature is the pine car air freshener forming the A in crayon. Typically KC and typically appealing.
Subtle, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
On the right Subtle’s contribution is superb. Beautifully proportioned letters creating the word Subtle are combined from two colour schemes, one with white shades and one with black, the whole lot coming together neatly. I don’t know who Sophy is… why would I? But I love the shout out to her. This is a beautifully presented collaborative wall.
Kid Crayon and Subtle, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020
I am beginning to form the opinion that EAT crew are becoming something of a collaborative force in Bristol. EAT are of course SPZero76 and Kid Crayon and the pairing, whose styles are light years apart, seem to be able to create great work together like these two characters playing conkers (remember that?).
SPZero76, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2020
SPZero76 is an extraordinary character artist and has an amazing ability to create an insane amount of detail in his pieces, and his style is quite sharp and pointy, if that makes any sense at all.
Kid Crayon, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2020
On the other hand, Kid Crayon has a much softer style with plenty of curves and roundness about it. Stitch the two together and you have a complementary mix that somehow works very well indeed, better than you might expect.
SPZero76 and Kid Crayon, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2020
Kid Crayon, in particular has been very busy this year already, and that is music to my eyes, because he pretty much tops my list of Bristol artists and I have been enjoying watching him grow as an artist over the last six years or so.
SPZero76 and Kid Crayon, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2020
In addition to the fabulous collaboration, these two have signed the piece by commandeering a waste bin and leaving two little self-portraits. Creative, imaginative and fun. Looking forward to seeing more eat collabs in 2020.
Kid Crayon and SPZero, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2017
I love this. An old signboard, neglected and unloved, brought back to life through the skill of a talented artist. The artist in question is Kid Crayon, and he did this little ‘extra’ piece while painting a collaboration with SPZero76 on the wall opposite (coming soon).
Kid Crayon, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2020
I love the idea of inanimate objects being given personalities, a little bit like the engines in Thomas the Tank Engine stories. It doesn’t happen nearly enough in Bristol. Perhaps this could be the start of something new although finding the objects in the first place could be problematic. The simple face was probably spray painted pretty quickly and although a bit ‘rough and ready’ is absolutely perfect. More of these please KC.
This is just the kind of collaboration that I absolutely love, and that one of the artists is Kid Crayon makes it a whole lot better. The other artist, I am Ian (Ian Moore) is new to me, and I understand from his Instagram account hasn’t painted a wall for five or six years.
Kid Crayon, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020
The tunnel in St Werburghs has been a very busy venue for artists this autumn/winter, I suspect because we have had so much wet weather for such a long time.
On the left of the collaboration is a snoozing king by Kid Crayon, complete with orb and sceptre, and large bags of money.
I Am Ian, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020
While the king snoozes, a naughty goblin-like wannabe king is making off with some stolen cash and the crown, leaving behind a mischievous fart cloud in his wake. I rather like this character and if this is anything to go by, I can’t wait for I Am Ian to hit a few more walls this year. The whole thing is a witty story beautifully portrayed, and everything I look for in a piece of street art. I salute you KC and IM. Turn the letters around and you have a new crew name MICK!
Kid Crayon and I Am Ian, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020
Finding this wheatpaste by Kid Crayon was like finding an old friend. I was on a slight detour from my usual route to work, and just caught a glimpse of it in my peripheral vision. How could I have never found this until now.
Kid Crayon, Dove Street, Bristol, December 2019
I think that this was probably pasted up around five years ago when Kid Crayon was doing a lot of this kind of work. Considering it’s age, it has survived remarkably well and I guess the fact that it is in a little recess in the wall has protected it a little from the elements. The find of the month, and it made me really happy.
Roughly every six months or so this wall on the side of Domestic Drain Services gets a makeover. It is not a commission as such, more like permission and the cost of the paint thrown in, the payback is that the company get a beautifully sprayed landmark that can just about be seen from this busy motorway junction.
This piece is a collaboration between SPzero76, Squirl and Kid Crayon.
SPZero76, Millpond Street, Bristol, October 2019
On the left is the highly detailed work of SPZero76 full of busy action and cartoon capers. The words ‘Lost Eats’ on the side of the rocket is a conflation of two crews, the Lost Souls, which SPZero76 and Squirl belong to and Eats which is the pairing of SPZero76 and Kid Crayon. A nice touch.
Squirl, Millpond Street, Bristol, October 2019
The central part of the collaboration is a much more tranquil almost abstract space idea going on from Squirl. I have seen a little bit of his work on his occasional visits to Bristol for Upfest so it was nice to see this contribution from him.
Kid Crayon, Millpond Street, Bristol, October 2019
Finally, on the right is a rather splendid space woman alien kind of thing with the astronaut clad in terrestrial clothes holding the earth with a little space shuttle breaking through the atmosphere. Great, imaginative stuff.
This whole collaboration seems to have the brief of space, but beyond that each artist has absolutely done his own thing, so this is a three-way individual collaboration loosely based on a single idea.
Yay! more wheatpaste antics from Kid Crayon, following a quick binge with Jimmer Willmott pasting up sketches around Bedminster. I really appreciate wheatpaste art and in my book its status is as high as spray can art. One of the big advantages for wheatpasters is that they can place their art in all sorts of places where spraying simply isn’t an option because in a matter of minutes the dirty deed is done and there is little chance of being caught. Because of this most wheatpaste art can be placed in illegal spots – having said that, the long-term impacts are far less damaging than spray paint… a bit of tired old paper here and there, that’s all.
Kid Crayon, Merrywood Road, Bristol, September 2019
A funny character wearing a silly party hat and a crayon floating in front of his mouth. What could be more fun than that? The crayon thing is part of Kid Crayon’s USP, and used to be the key identifier or signature on his early work, it is not seen so often these days. So pleased that he has had this little retrospective binge.
I have waited a very long time for this, so I will enjoy it while it lasts. It was the wheatpastes of Kid Crayon that first drew me in to the world of Bristol street art some five years ago, but then he moved on to spraying and left his paper days behind him, until a week or so ago. This was a little trip down memory lane with his partner in crime Jimmer Willmott.
Jimmer Willmott, North Street, Bristol, September 2019
These two got together and pasted up some rather fun greyscale pieces. Jimmer Willmott opting for a sketch of one of his figures with a ring doughnut for a head. Surreal, quirky and fun, I could ask for no more.
Kid Crayon, North Street, Bristol, September 2019
Alongside doughnut head Kid Crayon has pasted a party animal who doesn’t look too much like he is enjoying the party. Great also to see the Crayon making a comeback. Hurrah for this little foray into wheatpasting from these two… more to come from this session. Please don’t leave it quite so long before the next batch.
Natural adventures 