Classy. It is something of an overused word on Natural Adventures, but in this case it is simply the best word I can think of to describe this amazing piece of graffiti writing by Claro_que_sssnoh. To make things a little easier I am going to call the artist Claro, that should save me about five minutes in typing time.
Claro_que_sssnoh, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2020
The letters spell out SNOH, but it is the superb way Claro has layered colours onto the chrome structure, with really interesting letter shapes that stands out in this piece. It is clean, creative, complex and he has even thrown in a little character for good measure. It is great to see a quality piece like a this on this wall.
Happy Haloween folks – although I’m never quite sure whether Haloween is supposed to be happy or scary – I’m still a bit old fashioned and struggle a bit with the commercialisation of this pagan festival, but then again isn’t it the same with Christmas? I digress…
I have done something a little unusual today, I am posting a piece that I only photographed this morning. This is a rare occurrence mainly because of the processes I have to go through to prepare my blog posts and the time I have available to do it. I tend to line up photographs in batches and upload them onto wordpress which means I can write the blogs from my iPad if necessary. But today I have seen something amazing and I have a moment of time to bump my queue with this outstanding Haloween piece by Smak painted only yesterday.
Smak, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2020
This was one of those wonderful discoveries. I had been to the recycling centre (tip) and on my home stopped off at St Werburghs tunnel and then on to the M32 Spot and cycle path just on the off chance that there might be something new… and there was lots, but right up there with the very best discoveries was this magnificent horror ventriloquist’s dummy by Smak.
Smak, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2020
I have had a little Google play and I think that the puppet might be Billy from the film Dead Silence, but not being fond of the horror film genre (I get scared tooo easily) I can’t be too certain. The portrait is masterfully painted and care and attention have been given not only to the subject but also to the background.
Ah deep joy. Where would we be without these Pirate Wall Art (PWA) compatriots decorating our streets? What I like about collaborations betweeen Soap and Face 1st (apart from the obvious) is that they simply appear, unannounced and often unInstagrammed (if that is a word), so finding them is usually a pleasant surprise.
Face 1st and Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, September 2020
The piece is quite small when compared to some of their collaborations but is typically full of optimism, life and fun. On the left, is a trademark megatag mouth from Soap ond on the right two faces from Face 1st, each sporting lettered hair FA and CE respectively. Let’s hear it for these pirate heroes…
I am increasingly being drawn to the conclusion that Whos is the same artist as Alos, and if that is not the case, then they hang out together a lot and share a style. So here is a dilemma for me. Do I aggregate all their pieces under one name or do I wait for some kind of certainty and continue to treat them as separate artists until I know better.
Well, I had a little bit of luck half way through writing this… I had an unplanned meeting with Paul in the St Werburghs tunnel and he confirmed for me that they are indeed two separate artists, and that’s that.
Whos, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2020
I rather like this one from Whos, and consistent with most of his work it painted with only a few colours which gives it a simplicity and honesty. I particularly like the way he sprays the ridged running through the centre of each letter. Unusual but great to see.
This piece was painted a little while back by Decay, but I decided to dig it out because it marks further experimentation from an artist, who, when I first met him only painted in black, white, red and grey colours. His artistic journey has blossomed over the last three or so years and his pieces are becoming more and more interesting as a result.
Decay, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, August 2020
Most unusually, Decay has gone for orange and purple colours with green highlights and arrows. More unusually he hasn’t used black outlines for his letters, although his little Chuck character does have an outline. Spelling out DECAY, I see this piece as pivotal in the artist really pushing himself to try new ideas. I love the orange splashes above the A. Looking forward to more developments.
There is no stopping Daz Cat these days and he seems to derive pleasure out of both quick throw up pieces and more considered cat characters. This one on the M32 Cycle path seems to be a bit of a blend of the two.
DazCat, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, September 2020
I expect this piece will make a further appearance with Thursday Doors sometime in the future so appologies in advance for the duplication. This alley cat looks quite at home in these surroundings, complete with its missing tooth and slightly unkempt appearance. Another one for the collection.
Cort is an artist who appears to slip under the radar a bit in the street art community. His pieces don’t often appear on Instagram and he isn’t often talked about. I guess his graffiti writing is sometimes overlooked when painted adjacent to PADY crew member Laic217, whose pieces may ‘steal the show’ a little because of their vibrance. Nonetheless, this quiet and modest artist cracks out some really nice pieces like this one on the M32 cycle path.
Cort, M32 cyc;e path, Bristol, August 2020
Cort’s writing is unusual and assymetrical and the way he presents his colours and shadings is rather unconventional, but in being so also makes his work very distinctive. In this piiece I particularly like the yellow lines and rings and the orange and white circles both of which are regular motifs used by Cort. Note to self – time for a Cort gallery soon.
One of the constants of the Bristol street/graffiti art scene, the beating heart, has to be the ever-present work of Face 1st. He appears to be tireless, and there is rarely a week goes by without a new piece from this happy-go-lucky artist.
Face 1st, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, August 2020
This cheery piece on the M32 cycle path is not dissimilar in style and colour regime to the one he recently painted on a caravan nearby. Of all the artists in Bristol, if Face 1st were to stop painting, I think I might miss home the most.
My camera (or its operator) goofed with photographing this piece from Laic217 on the M32 cycle path. Most of my pictures were way out of focus, but I managed to retrieve a couple that were ok. This is my explanation of why I have put a close-up in the feature image, something I rarely do.
Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol August 2020
Laic217 has always had productive patches, but I can’t recall one quite as busy as this summer. It comes as no surprise that this piece is a skeleton, nor that the fabric of his jacket is superbly painted, Laic217 is really mastering painting clothes and materials. Nice to see a little shout out to Pl8o.
There is quite a lot of development work going on around this spot, and the cycle path has been diverted. As a result, this spot has become a bit of a backwater recently, but it is always worth taking a quick look.
Smak, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, October 2017
On one of my visites, I came across thuis wonderful Smak piece, that personally I think is really classy. I know that wildstyle writing is a fairly acquired taste, but the more you look at it and the more examples you find, the more absorbed you become. The skill needed to create pieces like this I think is vastly underestimated by the casual passer-by, indeed, many consider it messy and unartistic. I do not count myself amongst those people. I love this piece.
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