Tag: M32

2271. M32 roundabout J3 (148)

It would seem that artists from Cardiff like to swing by Bristol every now and again, and when they do come they tend to paint together, I suppose a bit of a paint jam on tour really. This is a really lovely piece by Unity, a graffiti writer I met at Upfest last year whose work I don’t get to see too often so it was nice to find this one down at the M32 roundabout.

Unity, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
Unity, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019

Her work is quite organic in appearance, and this piece looks almost edible, like icing on a cake or something. Unity blends her colours very nicely and this piece drops from yellow to brown to pink without any harsh lines. Great work. It is a pity we have to wait so long between visits.

Unity, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2018
Unity, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2018

2269. M32 roundabout J3 (147)

Back to one of my trusty favourites with this beautiful piece at the M32 roundabout by Face 1st. Here he returns to his winning format of a sweet face covered with sumptuously decorated hair which spells out FACE if you look carefully.

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019

I like the way that Face 1st has diversified over the last few months, but kept these great face pieces in his locker. I hope to come across Face 1st again this summer and tell him that he has inspired me to give it a go myself. I tried copying one of his simple faces, but it didn’t work out too well. More to come from this Bristol stalwart.

2268. M32 Cycle path (28)

Ok, so another debut on Natural Adventures, this time a piece by Bnie. I have been aware of her work for quite a while and have several of her pieces in my archive (I’ll have to dig them out now, having broken the ice), but have just never posted any of them until now.

Bnie, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2019
Bnie, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2019

I believe she might have a Welsh connection, as I have seen her work alongside Smak before and also when Welsh crews come over to paint in Bristol her work is sometimes among them. She has a lovely touch and style to her work and this piece is beautifully filled. I wish I could do what these guys do, it just looks so good. I look forward to sharing more of her pieces and trying to find out a little bit more about her.

2264. M32 roundabout J3 (146)

I don’t know what I expected Elvs to look like before I met him but somehow it wasn’t what I saw. Maybe it was that he was much younger than I thought, but then isn’t everyone these days? I have been an admirer of Elvs’ work for a few years now, so it was great to catch him midway through doing a piece.

Elvs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019
Elvs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019

His work is so distinctive and intricate and appears to follow a general formula, the repetition of which, by his own admission, becomes recognisable as his work. I guess if you have done enough of these things you begin to master every curve and shadow and he seems to turn out perfect pieces every time. He didn’t seem to mind me chatting for a little while… it must be quite irritating having people asking inane questions, but if he was irritated he didn’t show it. Another great piece of graffiti writing from Elvs.

2237. M32 Cycle path (27)

Another tremendous piece of writing from Smak along the M32 cycle path from a few weeks back. In some of his more recent pieces I have noticed that he is going for this style of blocking out letters in different ways, along similar lines to SkyHigh, and here, the M and A in particular are outstanding.

Smak, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2019
Smak, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2019

All the letters are blended and yet individual, clever work, but for me the jewel in the crown is the box around the A and circle around the M which make this piece extra special. I had difficulty photographing this piece, because it was very bright every time I visited, and the way the light falls in this alleyway makes photography really tricky. Yet another outstanding work from Smak.

2227. M32 roundabout J3 (145)

This is one of my favourite Smak pieces of the year so far, and my goodness there are a lot to choose from. This is another of his ‘double vision’ pieces where he has written SMAK twice and in this instance has played around with fonts and styles reminiscent of another brilliant graffiti writer, SkyHigh.

Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019
Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019

Often when photographing street art, I am confounded by parked cars or wheely bins that wind me up a treat. It is funny how I am somehow much more forgiving of a tree obscuring the art, although being a naturalist at heart it shouldn’t be a surprise. Wonderful piece by Smak on a great wall.

2217. M32 roundabout J3 (144)

On the M32 roundabout we have yet another wonderful Cort and Laic217 combination. These two really do seem to enjoy painting together and somehow that personal chemistry comes across, even though their styles are completely different.

Cort, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019
Cort, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019

The Cort writing is so typically in his style, with unusual shaped lettering combining straight lines with curves and some rather tasty fillings too. The whole thing is set on what looks like a brick wall where the render has started to flake off, a great effect.

Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019
Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019

To the right is the Laic217 writing bookended with characters in one of his favoured red colours. For me this piece is the epitome of everything that Laic217 brings to his pieces, some great writing, great textures and skeletal characters with an element of menace about them. Nice to see a little shout out to Ryder on the right hand side of the piece too.

Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019
Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2019

I could sit and look at Laic217 pieces all day. I don’t think I necessarily share his fascination with death, acid, bucket hats or brick walls, but I appreciate how he conjures up these extraordinary pieces. A rich and magnificent piece.

2204. M32 roundabout J3 (143)

Yet another wonderful, happy piece from Soap which I have uncovered from my January archive… it must have been a busy month to overlook this piece. Without question these are happy mouths, and in recent times have softened.

Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2019
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2019

The colours are magnificent and I think the way that Soap has laid them down is rather clever and beautifully done. In my mind I am trying to work out the layering and sequence that the colours were laid down in. What I can say is this is an accomplished piece, and another belter from Soap.

2201. M32 Cycle path (26)

I have only met Ugar once and I remember him being a quiet and affable fellow. His work seems to crop up in all the main spots around Bristol, but this is the first piece I have seen along the M32 cycle path. Until recently, this spot became a bit of a ‘dead’ area because a tract of the path had been fenced off for development work. Since it re-opened about a month ago, turnover here has increased dramatically.

Ugar, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2019
Ugar, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2019

Ugar, in my view, has an extraordinary talent for filling his letters. His writing tends to be fairly organic and un-uniform, which makes it identifiable, but it is his unique variety of fills that scream out a Ugar piece. Always good and always interesting.

2195. M32 Cycle path (25)

The street art posts I bring you here on Natural Adventures are only a fraction of the total that appear on the streets of Bristol every day. My archives swell under the sheer volume of photographs and our computer barely functions due, in part, to disc space issues (time for a new one?). This means that I have to be reasonably selective about what I post, and this piece on my first trawl was marginal, because I have so many Soap pieces.

Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2019
Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2019

On a further inspection though it made the cut. I think that it is a wonderful piece, but the colours somehow send the whole thing into the background and if you weren’t on the ball you could easily miss this piece and walk straight on by. A lovely crown and halo, and ‘hair made of Soap tags. Glad I pulled this one out of the folder and posted it.