Mural – Natural adventures

4965. Cheltenham Road

Tanith Gould, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, December 2022

I have been meaning to post this outstanding and captivating shopfront commission by Tanith Gould in Cheltenham Road since I first saw it a few months back. Finally, over the Christmas break, I managed to get out on foot and grab some nice pictures from the opposite side of the street.

It is great to see what Tanith Gould can do at scale, and she has absolutely nailed it with this octopus piece over two levels of the building. The words “for where your treasure is, there your heart shall be also” sounds like a quote from Pirates of the Carribbean (especially with the octopus prompt), but is actually a biblical quote (Matthew 6:21)

The piece is beautifully finished, and has enough detail and mischief to keep you looking at it, and it seems to work perfectly on this old city shopfront. I would love to see more commissions from Tanith Gould, who thus far, has been painting on the streets with the Bristol Mural Collective at their occasional paint jams.

4954. Hurlingham Road

Spike Clark, Hurlingham Road, Bristol, June 2022

I know exactly why I never posted this outstanding mural by Spike Clark in Hurlingham Road, it is because I was waiting for a clean photograph without cars parked in front of it. Well, I have given up. I think the cars are super-glued to the road, so I will have to post the pictures I have.

I had thought that Spike Clark was from out of town, and had written a paragraph about not needing to hire artists from elsewhere because there was such a pool of talent in the city, but it turns out that Spike Clarke works out of Bristol, so I have rewritten that paragraph. Spike Clark has produced this mesmerising ‘the quick brown fox’, which has become a significant landmark in this part of Bristol.

The honeycomb decoration is absolutely stunning and provides the perfect backdrop to the leaping foxes, each cell beautifully filled and colour coordinated. Liberal use of shadow black, or some other similar paint, provides the depth for each cell, creating a fabulous 3D effect.

The whole piece feels a bit like a time-lapse capture of the fox as it leaps along the wall. Foxes are always associated with Bristol, long before urban foxes were a national ‘thing’, Bristol had a strong and healthy population of foxes, and at one point played host to the most dense population of foxes ever recorded in the UK (on my allotment, in fact).

Maybe one day I will manage to capture this beauty in one face on photograph, but I am not holding my breath.

4927. Church Road

Farrah, Church Road, Bristol, December 2022

Accidental finds are often the most rewarding, and to come across a mural of this size that I had no idea existed was a particular joy. Farrah has painted commissions all over Bristol, and her unique brand of abstract brush stroke pieces are becoming another established feature of the Bristol USP.

This end of terrace wall was sponsored by Park Insurance, for which we are all grateful I’m sure. Farrah, in her Instagram feed, talks about the importance of trees that give us “shelter, stability, food, water and oxygen”. Trees give us a whole lot more, including habitats for wildlife, food, carbon storage and an enormous sense of wellbeing. Although this tree mural can’t provide all of those things, it can certainly help to remind us how important trees are.

Farrah has expertly crafted the tree and some of the creatures in it, such as the squirrel, using her attractive brush stroke style that seems so effortless when you watch videos of her at work. It is a technique that she has perfected and seems to be taking to a higher level all the time. This is a piece definitely worth seeking out if you happen to be in the St George area of Bristol.

4853. Porto (11)

Although I have more than enough Bristol pieces I want to share on Natural Adventures, I feel it would be wrong not to also feature a few more pieces from my trip to Porto in June this year. It is remarkable how different these pieces are from the kind of thing we see back home, and it illustrates how each country/city has its own distinct style and culture.

This small selection is from Hazul, who would appear to be the most prolific artist in Porto, alongside Costah. Judging from the aged look of some of Hazul’s pieces, I would guess that the artist has been painting the city walls for quite some time.

Hazul specialises in beautiful abstract designs, normally painted in soft muted colours, and quite often incorporates a crystal, acting like a signature. I think that I have enough photographs of Hazul’s work to do a little gallery, which demonstrates both the endurance and proliferation of the artist’s work.

4808. Brook Road (3)

Sled One, Brook Road, Bristol, November 2022

I have said it countless times before on Natural Adventures, and will unapologetically say it again, that some of the most satisfying rewards can be found when diverting course from the familiar. Yesterday, I switched up my spots a bit and decided to visit the Star and Garter, because I haven’t been there for a while. On arrival, I spotted a large mural down Brook Street, that I hadn’t been aware of. As I approached I felt the excitement rising, and was blown away by this magnificent piece by Sled One.

This morning I took a quick look at Sled One’s Instagram account, and it turns out he painted it back in August, which makes me feel a bit useless. The mural itself seems to be an eclectic mix of components slapped on the wall resembling a collage of memories. A cat, razor wire, a knight’s horse, some flowers and a merry-go-round, with a rather sinister body precariously lying horizontally on a seat. The stuff of dreams and nightmares.

There is a photorealism in this piece that I wouldn’t ordinarily associate with Sled One, as more commonly he paints cartoony surreal pieces. His talent, whatever the style, is immense. My favourite part of this mural has to be the cat, although the razor wire does add a sense of threat that is rather uncomfortable. What a privilege to stumble across this piece.

4754. Upfest 2022 (51)

In one of the prettiest backwaters immediately off North Street is the perfect street art wall. This miniature park, ‘Ebenezer Pocket Park’, has benefitted from some stunning murals over the years, and at Upfest 22 it was the turn of Philth.

Philth is perhaps best known for his floral designs, one of which can still be seen in North Street Green, not far away from this piece. In this outstanding mural, which has a retro feel to it, Philth has painted a beautiful young lady in amongst an ocean of mushrooms and fungi. The ribs under the caps have been cleverly observed and recreated. What makes the piece special is the green tones that have been used and the splashes of red, lifting the whole design to another level. A truly wonderful Upfest piece.

4745. St Andrews Road (4)

Alex Lucas, St Andrews Road, Bristol, October 2022

I don’t often go to this part of Montpelier, but I had been to the Italian delicatessen in Picton Street a couple of weeks ago and decided to go a little wander. I was rewarded by finding this very recently completed mural by Alex Lucas, and what a beauty it is.

I think that this wall was very much off the radar in the street art community, as the first I saw of it on social media, was a few days later from Alex Lucas herself, which made me think that I must have been there very shortly after completion and scaffolding removal. This is a classic piece of Lucas artwork, with a fabulous design of two birds with a floral accompaniment. This is truly magnificent stuff. It won’t be long before every building in Montpelier will be adorned with one of her works.

4724. Elton Street (11)

Slakarts, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

It was a genuine pleasure to see this lovely piece from Slakarts, because I haven’t seen much of his work lately. I am hoping that his absence from the streets is an indication that his work is going well. Balancing work and pleasure can be a challenge, but you’ve got to keep those shekels coming in.

Adopting the same colour scheme as the other pieces in this collection of Elton Street pieces, Slakarts has painted a rather special mural, with a lot more content than his customary stylised portrait. There is a semi-rural landscape, some high rise flats and flowers, accompanying the character. On-point and very clean, this is a wonderful piece from Slakarts.

4723. M32 Spot (144)

Creamylines, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2022

It is interesting how some artists simply appear out of nowhere, without warning. Sometimes you get to watch an artist from the start, working on their style and developing their skills, but at other times a fully ‘up to speed’ artist just starts painting, either a visitor to Bristol or a recent mover to the city.

Creamylines is one of those ‘just appeared’ artists, and three new pieces under the M32 and another one in Easton are there for all to enjoy. His style is so very different from anything else we have in Bristol, and you can see how he goes about his work in this Instagram post on the artist’s thread. It is a privilege to welcome him to the Bristol scene.

4558. Porto (10)

This is the last in this short sequence of pieces from Porto, but for me they represent a fun departure from the focus on Bristol street art, and make an introduction to the different styles that you can find in different cultures around the world.

The fact that I am sharing this piece with you at all can be attributed to the street art hunter’s philosophy of being guided by curiosity – what lies down that alley…? should I walk just a little bit further…? Had I not followed my instinct, I would never have found this magnificent piece by Mesk in an alleyway off the beaten track. The soft tones in browns and pinks, are a bit of as trademark of this artist, and work really well together. The cartoon-style is also really appealing. I have another couple of pieces by Mesk from this trip and look forward to sharing them with you soon.

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