A really unusual piece from Soap and the third element of a collaborative wall which included Ryder and Conrico. An all black and silver/chrome design from Soap is not what I’d expect to see at all as he usually bathes his work in bright and cheerful colours.
Soap, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2021
The basic style is there from Soap with gaping mouths, and he has added a geological feel to it with a rocky appearance and gems embedded within the rock, ripe for mining. A curious piece and one that is at odds with Conrico’s and Ryder’s to the left.
This excellent piece from Conrico is part of an unlikely three-way collaboration from Ryder, Soap and Conrico himself, tucked neatly under the M32 motorway. The piece is an incredible mash up of Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny, where the former seems to have been a little careless with his shotgun.
Conrico, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2021
This is a fine piece that showcases Conrico’s distinctive style so well. There is always a lot of movement in his pieces, illustrated with fluid lines, rather than the cleaner stiffer lines adopted by other character artists. It is especially nice to see this, because I have sometimes had some difficulty finding recent pieces by him.
Many of the old classic Disney films would have a weird and frankly rather disturbing sequence, often adopting a different illustrative style to the rest of the film. Ryder has brought one of those to light with this magnificent pink piece at the M32 Spot. Who can forget the drunken pink elephant hallucination scene from Dumbo? – what was that all about in a children’s cartoon?
Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2021
Ryder has done a magnificent job with his elephant characters and an equally disturbing set of faces incorporated into his RYDER lettering. Part of a collaborative wall, this is a wild and stunning piece of graffiti writing and shows off Ryder at his very best.
At times photographing and writing about street art requires some detective work, tracking down who might have painted a particular piece. This is especially true when new artists burst onto the scene. I shan’t go into the detail of how I found Tao.create, suffice it to say that it wasn’t easy.
Tao.create, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021
I believe that this might be her first wall in Bristol, although I might be wrong there, but if it is, what a fabulous debut. The trapeze artist has a lovely feel about her and a grace and poise that comes across really well. The colours and shadings are very nicely done and the framing of the subject works very well on a column – it would look rather awkward on a landscape wall. Let’s hope this is the first of many.
It seems that every week there is another artist new to the Bristol scene, or at the very least new to me. This bright column piece is by a young lady going by the name of Big Hev, and it is a privilege to witness the start of her journey painting walls.
Big Hev, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021
There is something very appealing about this portrait, its simplicity and its bold colours. In time the shading and so traits will come, but I really like the striking nature of this piece, it demands to be looked at and enjoyed. I have found one other of her pieces, but am looking forward to many, many more.
I have expressed before how much I like this wall. Protected from the rain, it is a wall that can change at almost any time without warning. Sometimes you need to be patient to photograph it because this is a DIY skate park and it can get quite busy, but there are often some really nice pieces here, including this one from T-Rex, so it is worth waiting.
T-Rex, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021
Spelling out T-REX, this is an extraordinarily colourful and happy piece, with each letter having at least two fill colours and patterns expertly and cleanly executed. I have a feeling it is dedicated to Ryder – perhaps a birthday or anniversary or something like that. This is great graffiti writing.
The most common phrase I have used when writing about the work of Face 1st is “I will never tire of the work of Face 1st” and that phrase is as true now as it ever has been. Big or small, throw up or intricate piece, it just doesn’t matter, his art chimes for me, and he and those like him, are the engine room of Bristol graffiti art.
Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2021
The new(ish) ramps at the M32 Spot are proving to be quite a fertile ‘canvass’ for our artists and Face 1st has painted this back board with one of his characteristic winking girls with hair made up of FACE. I love everything about this. There is an element of Marine Boy anime in those eyes.
in writing that last sentence I got distracted by Marine Boy. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, take a trip down memory Lane with typing Marine Boy into YouTube. Enjoy.
It was great to see that Zace was getting into the Christmas spirit down at the M32 Spot with this alien face wearing a Father Christmas hat. One of the good things about 2020 for me has been the sheer number of new artists spraying their work in Bristol of which Zace was one.
Zace, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2020
I think the best part of these new artists is the diversity they bring. One might think that the ‘market’ was flooded, but as with all art, there are no limits to the variety of styles and subjects that people bring with them. I am really looking forward to watching Zace develop over the coming year.
I got lucky a few days back when I got to meet 3F Fino for the first time while he and some friends were spraying a column not too far away from the one featured in this post. I chatted for a while and it turns out that he has only recently arrived in Bristol, I think he said from Reading, it I might have got that wrong. He has only done a few pieces in Bristol so far, but looks like he’ll be something of a fixture on Natural Adventures going forward.
3F Fino, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2020
This piece resembles one he painted down in Cumberland Basin and features a woman (?) draped in a headscarf covering most of her face. Although a simple concept, the shading from left to right works really well. I look forward to seeing more from 3F Fino over the coming months/years.
What a delightful surprise and late Christmas present from Epok and Sepr at the very top end of Stapleton Road. It is especially nice to see Epok back in Bristol, as he seems to do most of his writing in the Stroud area in abandoned buildings that I haven’t yet discovered.
Epok, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2020
I think the last piece I saw from Epok was back in July in the ASK collaboration in New Gatton Street, so this is a long-overdue treat. Epok’s writing really is out of the top drawer and his heavily designed shapes and colour schemes never cease to amaze. The letters here spell EPOK, but it might take a little while to ‘get your eye in’.
Sepr, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2020
To the right of the glorious Epok writing is a witty reflection of 2020 by Sepr. Last year will be remembered as the one when irrational panic buying of toilet roll became almost as widespread as the Covid-19 virus. Here Sepr has painted a loo roll (avec crown) seeing in the New Year with a bottle of wine.
Epok and Sepr, M32 Spot, Bristol, December 2020
Finding this collaboration pretty much made my day and was a perfect way to wave goodbye to 2020.
Natural adventures 