Today we discover Pula, which on first impressions is my kind of City, with a huge Roman and Italian influence. Definitely looking forward to getting out there and exploring the place. The casualty in this happy state of affairs is this fine column piece by Maybe.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2022
Maybe has switched-up his face to face composition with a rather more angular version which is rotationally symmetrical, and very easy on the eye. A year on from his first appearances under Brunel Way and I am still very much enjoying finding Maybe’s work.
On a regular basis, Maybe Paints manages to charm us with his imaginative and creative pieces, usually on the columns underneath Brunel Way. This piece, which is larger than many I have seen, was painted a couple of weeks ago at a height that would have required a ladder or platform to stand on – possibly an anti-tagging measure.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2022
There is a tranquillity and serenity to most of Maybe’s work, and in this piece we see one of his stylised faces experiencing the start of the hay fever season, a significant moment in my annual cycle – the tree pollen has already got to me. Maybe’s technique of blending colours works so well, and his style is utterly unique in Bristol. I very much hope to see more from Maybe over the summer.
With a little bit of Angry Face peeping in from the left, we have the second piece from Maybe Paints in support of Ukraine. I have to say that I am deeply moved by the spirit of the British people (not including our despicable government), in the outpouring of support for Ukraine, a country on the periphery of our collective consciousness only a few weeks ago. My local high street is festooned with Ukrainian blue and yellow flags from top to bottom, and I am proud of that.
Maybe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022
This small and humble piece by Maybe Paints is typical of his face to face work and sometimes, with pieces like this, less is more. The tear tells us all we need to know. It is great to see Maybe working a little bit further away from his safe zone inner Brunel Way. Selfishly, I hope to see more of his work in North Bristol.
This is another stunning tribute to the honour and bravery of the people and government of Ukraine in the face of an invasion directed by the Russian dictator Putin. Maybe Paints, to give him his full moniker, is without doubt going from strength to strength and is grabbing the attention of the Bristol community, as evidenced in this lovely interview he recently gave to Bristol 24/7 which is well worth a listen.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2022
This column piece (he talks about columns a lot in the interview) is in his favoured Brunel Way location, and features two face profiles, in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, looking at each other, with the sun, the earth and the moon between them in an inky black starry sky. His techniques include the use of stencils, and a ‘secret’ method for creating the planets. I have enjoyed following his progress over the last year, and am excited about what he has in store for us in the future.
It feels like Maybe has slowed down just a tad with his frequency of work, but the quality has certainly improved since his early pieces first started appearing on the columns under Brunel Way.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2021
This is a fine piece of two faces, one smoking a cigarette and the other a face in the smoke. The composition is thoughtful and tells a story, and the soft colours typical of the work of the artist. I recently published a gallery of Maybe’s work, so if you like this piece, the gallery is certainly worth a squint. One of the finds of 2021.
Maybe, Merrywood Road, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2023Maybe, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2023Maybe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2023Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2022Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2022Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2022Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2022Maybe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022Maybe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2022Maybe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2022Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2022Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2021Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2021Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2021Maybe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2021Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, April 2021
The Maybe (or MaybePaints) factory continues to churn out more high quality and charming face pieces under Brunel Way. Maybe has definitely carved out a niche for himself in Bristol’s street art scene and is becoming established for what he does, and all of this in under a year.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021
Due to his prolific painting I have to group his pieces. If I didn’t ether wouldn’t be enough room on Natural Adventures for anyone else. This first column piece combines ideas that the artist has had, with a series of three interlocking faces, the central orange one being sandwiched by two planetary space scenes.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021
Another theme running through Maybe’s work is aggregating profile faces into geometric shapes, and in this piece he has three kissing pairs on three sides of a cube, which is very nicely done, adding perspective to his work.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021
The third piece in this group is probably my favourite and is a little less structured. It is more of a story-telling piece with one of his face characters communicating or taking a selfie on his cell phone across an oceanic sunset. Beautiful and tranquil, it should perhaps be entitled ‘face time’. All great stuff from an artist I have yet to meet.
Regular readers of Natural Adventures will know that I am really enjoying the work of Maybe . His small murals are improving all the time and he is starting to make his mark in spots all over Bristol, spreading out from his ‘safe space’ under Brunel Way.
Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
This first piece on a ramp at Dean Lane skate park might just be my favourite yet from Maybe. The colours are superb, and the blends from dark to light in each colour tone are exceptional. Calm and pleasing, it has the appearance of an Eastern European children’s cartoon that were so much a thing in the 1970s and 1980s about it.
Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2021
The other two pieces in Dean Lane are small Yin and Yang badges composed of interlocking faces, which is the ‘trademark’ of Maybe. Some really great creative stuff here, and he just keeps on producing.
Brace yourselves for some more wonderful pieces by Maybe, which although this post is titled Cumberland Basin, actually come from three different spots in Bristol. The feature image was the first piece that I found from Maybe that wasn’t under Brunel way, but was posted on a column on the north bank of Cumberland Basin.
Maybe, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2021
This first piece has two face balloons whose strings are lovingly intertwined as they drift off into a galactic scene. It is also a dreadful photograph and slightly out of focus. My camera is getting a bit goofed up and I think I will be replacing it fairly soon.
Maybe, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2021
The second piece was in Dean Lane skate park on one of the ramps and it is the only one I have seen there to date. Here a face looks on as a hand picks out a star, once again on a galactic background. There is a calmness and serenity about most of Maybe’s pieces that makes them really accessible for all to enjoy.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2021
The final piece from this group was from Brunel Way, where most of his pieces have been painted, and this one features another face and hand combination, where the hand is actually another face. All of this curiousness is set on a stunning Red Sea and red sunset. A true beauty. We have come to a point where expectations of his work are getting higher and higher, because his pieces are getting better and better.
Today I bring you a couple more miniature murals from the king of columns under Brunel Way. Maybe (@maybepaints on Instagram) first appeared on my radar back in April this year, although I think one or two of his earlier pieces had been around for a little while. As time has gone on, not only has Maybe been very productive, but he has also been creative and bold.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021
The first piece in this post is an ice cream kissing faces concept. The idea of two contrasting forces coming together in a yin and yang manner is a gift for Maybe, and he has done a brilliant job achieving a witty and enjoyable spectacle here.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2021
On a column not too far away is this square face-off, with four pairs of faces in contrasting colours. Maybe has created a lovely effect which is enhanced with the dark vertical shading down the middle, which provides a little bit of depth to the piece. All good and so much more to come.
Natural adventures 