5812. M32 roundabout J3 (549)

Werm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2024
Werm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2024

Having not seen Werm for an eternity, it was really nice to bump into him while he was painting this piece. What made the encounter stranger still was that we had been communicating the day before about a RichT piece that I had posted. Sometimes it is difficult not to believe in coincidence, although I know there is a whole ton of evidence to dismiss it.

Werm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2024
Werm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2024

Werm is trying out something a little different in this piece, and has definitely edged away from his ultra-complex wildstyle pieces of the last year or two. The notable thing about this piece is the gently pastel colours softly transitioning across all of the letters in a seemingly random sequence. The strong 3D shadow, green border and trimmings and the black buffed wall help the piece to stand out nicely. A good start to the New Year from Werm.

5763. M32 roundabout J3 (548)

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

Ooh! The colours of this wonderful piece by Hypo burst out of the wall and immediately infect the viewer with a sense of optimism and wellbeing (results based on a survey of one!). A sensibly neutral buffed wall add to the sense of energy and excitement generated by this cornucopia of colour.

Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

The letters spell out HYPO as you’d probably expect, with a couple of nice graffiti arrows incorporated. I really like the way that Hypo produces something utterly different with each of his pieces, although there is always an underlying style that seems to permeate through. A delightful piece from Hypo.

5761. M42 roundabout J3 (547)

Lupa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Lupa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

Although she has been writing for a little while, Lupa only made her first appearance on Natural Adventures last summer, and I have tried to keep her represented as much as I can. I do feel though that I need to trawl through my archives to dig out some of her older pieces.

Lupa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Lupa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

This is a lovely green piece of chunky writing that, helped by a thick 3D drop shadow, pops out from the wall. Lupa’s finishing is sometimes a little crude, but in a way that is her style, so it kind of works. In this piece, it is the fills that excel, with a blend of green colours and shapes working very nicely together. Rounded off with a couple of trademark faces, this is a piece full of fun.

5757. M32 roundabout J3 (546)

Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

I suggested recently that we would be seeing a lot more from Minto in Bristol, because I believe he has moved westwards from London, and so it seems to be, confirmed by another original and captivating piece on the M32 roundabout at the end of last year.

Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

The letters MINTO are very well disguised in this piece of multiple characters, I can see at least four of them. There is plenty to look at in the piece, and the paint work is really classy, even Minto’s signature is classy. A really nice imaginative piece, and I expect to see a whole lot more from Minto in 2024.

5755. M32 roundabout J3 (545)

Bloem, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Bloem, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

I was absolutely thrilled to meet Bloem for the first time at the weekend, when she was painting a new piece alongside SUB (yet to appear on these pages) at the M32 Spot at the top end of Stapleton Road. As is always the case with meeting most street artists for the first time, she was nothing like I had imagined and, in my old eyes, so very young.

Bloem, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Bloem, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

This piece is a variation of one that she has painted in this spot before back in June 2023, but even in that short time there has been a definite tightening up and improvement in her can control and technique. The idea is a good one, and so original, you simply don’t see anything like her work from anyone else in Bristol. I am expecting great things from Bloem this year, and hope I am fortunate enough to watch her painting again sometime.

Hiccup, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2023
Hiccup, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2023

5752. M32 roundabout J3 (544)

Omie_wan_kenobi, M32 roundbout, Bristol, December 2023
Omie_wan_kenobi, M32 roundbout, Bristol, December 2023

Pekoe’s birthday paint jam in December was a real treat not least because it introduced me to the work of Omie_wan_kenobi for the first time. I have a feeling that I must have seen Omie’s work before, but perhaps it passed me by. I am pleased, however, to be posting this piece now.

Omie_wan_kenobi, M32 roundbout, Bristol, December 2023
Omie_wan_kenobi, M32 roundbout, Bristol, December 2023

This is a wonderful piece of ‘organic’ writing from Omie which is all rather original, with each of the letters OMIE having a rural landscape/nature feel to them. This is a nice way to celebrate Pekoe’s birthday and a great opportunity to showcase work. I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more from Omie_wan_kenobi, who I presume is a member of RBF.

5751. M32 roundabout J3 (543)

Mr Crawls, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Mr Crawls, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

Mr Crawls had a very productive end to 2023, and has picked up where he left off already this year, and is collaborating a lot with Mote, which is so good to see. This is a solo piece from December , one of two similar pieces in the area that were probably painted as a pair, the other was sited at the end of St Werburghs tunnel.

Mr Crawls, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Mr Crawls, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

Mr Crawls has stayed true to his bird character theme, but has been adapting the subject to great effect lately. This one is a partial skeleton bird – a little bit sinister, but not really. His artwork is all good, with some strong lines and suitable shading which adds depth to the bird’s head. I predict a big year ahead for this relative newcomer who has already made a significant mark on the Bristol scene.

5748. M32 roundabout J3 (542)

Zeks, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Zeks, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

I was lucky enough to meet Zeks late last year while he was painting with Hypo and Dun Sum on a different part of the roundabout, and learned that they all live in Lawrence Weston (L Dub). Fortunately they make the trip into the centre from time to time and decorate our walls. Although I have photographed a handful of pieces by Zeks, this is the first I have published on Natural Adventures.

Zeks, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Zeks, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

I have to say that this is one of my favourite pieces of 2023. It has an originality and lightness of touch that really makes it stand out. The letters spell ZEKS, although I might have struggled to work it out without knowing the artist (and seeing the signature, of course). The pastel colours on a grey background work incredibly well, but it is the two stylised faces, with their mysterious expressions, accompanying the writing that set it off perfectly. A very nice piece indeed from Zeks – I must dig out others of his, if I can find them in my archive.

5742. M32 roundabout J3 (541)

Evey, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Evey, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

The Natural Adventures accolade for most improved and diligent artist in 2023 goes to Evey, whose work last year has been nothing short of inspirational. A regular member of RBF paint jams, Evey has gone from strength to strength and appears to be a much more confident artist than she was a couple of years ago. Practice really does make perfect.

Evey, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Evey, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

This superb piece was painted during a paint jam celebrating Pekoe’s birthday back in December. She has painted some solid letters with wonderful fills in three shades of green, and a host of decorations and squiggles. The exclamation mark at the end makes reference to the people of Palestine and their struggles in the face of daily Israeli bombing raids. A great piece to round off her excellent 2023.

5735. M32 roundabout J3 (540)

Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

Happy New Year. I am thrilled to start the year with this magnificent portrait piece that Pekoe painted during an RBF paint jam organised to celebrate her birthday. I can only say that she smashed it with this outstanding portrait painted in her own unique style.

Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023
Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2023

As with so many of Pekoe’s portraits there are three key elements that combine so well in her work, and they are the face, the hair and the decoration. In this piece, the face is beautiful, with eyes glancing left, a delicate nose, a mouth with gold markings and an ear with plenty of piercings. The hair is brilliant, tied up in bunches and the decoration in gold surrounds the portrait with leaves and peace symbols. A truly wonderful piece from Pekoe.