This wall is a little out of the way and not favoured by many artists in Bristol. It is however a favourite for the Bristol Mural Collective to host occasional paint jams, so I was a little surprised to find a couple of Werm pieces on this stretch, which may have been there for some time, as I don’t visit the spot all that often.
Werm, The Paintworks, Bristol, October 2023
This striking piece by Werm exploits the contrasting nature of Pink and Black, a combination used to great effect by Lee Roy and Waste in Brunel Way a little while back. Judging from the letter shapes, I would say that this piece is relatively recent, and it is dated 2023. I think I prefer his work when it is slightly less busy and cluttered, so I am enjoying this new direction.
Mr Crawls, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023
Demonstrating that he is not a one-trick pony, Mr Crawls has painted this ‘stripped back’ version of one of his bird characters. Painted on a pink background, the chrome and black piece is quite unlike his other work, and shows the artist playing around with his characters.
Mr Crawls, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023
I am very much enjoying Mr Crawls birds cropping up all over the city, and likening the way that he is switching things up from time to time. It is interesting to see that he has started signing his work, and I wonder if that is something to do with his level of confidence, or maybe even starting to market his brans a little. Unusual and enjoyable.
Such is the volume of pieces dropping in Bristol these days, that I am still posting pieces from Werm’s birthday celebrations, like this one by Kool Hand, from some weeks ago. I don’t think that I am ever going to get close to getting on top of this and perhaps need to be a little more judicious in my selections, although this is a challenge, because part of the point of the graffiti/street art posts on Natural Adventures is to showcase the range and diversity of pieces, from high-end to beginners, without prejudice.
Kool Hand, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2023
In this piece, which is pink, consistent with the colour choice for the paint jam, Kool Hand has reverted to his staple orangutan character and the letters KH. As Kool Hand has developed his artwork, so this character, which has a three-quarter profile and loads more depth than some of his earlier renditions, shows off how far he has come and continues to improve. A nice piece with a familiar face.
I don’t quite know if Mind 49 has moved to Bristol, the West of England or something like that, but he is painting in the city much more frequently than he used to and, I have to say, he is knocking it out of the park on a regular basis. This pink portrait piece was his contribution to Werm’s birthday paint jam a little while back.
Mind 49, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2023
Mind 49 has a great touch, and his artwork almost looks like it has been painted with brushes. His portrait work is excellent, and he hasn’t gone down the route of super photorealistic, giving his pieces a bit of street authenticity, I like to think. The material on the jacket has been well painted, with plenty of texture, shading and folds that give it depth. Mind 49 is really establishing himself with this kind of portrait work in Bristol.
Observing Raid’s progress is a genuine pleasure. Each time I see his work I see some improvement, and a boldness or confidence that is growing. I also like it that he is adapting his style from piece to piece, settling for a while and then moving on.
Raid, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2023
This is a nice one in the tunnel from a few weeks back, and uses that tried and tested colour combination of pink and light blue. The letters are beautifully presented, and the fills very nicely done indeed, with a swathe of stars running horizontally through the letters and pink ‘ribbons’ at the top and bottom. A decent drop shadow and blue backdrop round the piece off perfectly.
Since first encountering Raid earlier this year, he has been one of the most productive forces on the streets of Bristol, and right now, that is some achievement. I have met the artist on a couple of occasions, and he seems to be a really decent bloke, he also told me how he is enjoying playing with his letters, trying new ideas, but with the same general style.
Raid, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2023
These pinky-purple letters on a light pink background are easy on the eye. His fills have been very nicely executed and provide plenty of interest, and the turquoise/white sparks running through the piece add a detail that rounds the whole thing off nicely. More in the pipeline from Raid.
This was my third attempt at photographing this fine collaboration from Lee Roy and Waste, under Brunel Way, because of the rather irritating light and shadow that is cast on sunny days from the left. I got there in the end. I was lucky enough to be there when the artists were painting the piece and I got to meet Lee Roy for the first time, and what a genuinely lovely person he is – we chatted plenty.
Lee Roy, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2023
The collaborative wall is clever in that each side is a reversed-out colour version of the other, and how different they look, using the same powerful pink and black colour scheme. Lee Roy talked to me about his rather free style and said that he used to write really tight letters, in a more traditional graffiti manner, but that he found it increasingly unenjoyable, striving for perfection and instead has adopted a more liberated style, tending towards anti-style. He certainly seems to be happy with his current work, and has been churning out pieces at a terrific rate so far this year.
Waste, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2023
I don’t know much about Waste, other than that he is a friend of Lee Roy’s from out of town. I forget where… Cardiff? Swindon? I should have made a note. I like this piece a lot, and note that Waste has made things easy for himself, using the ‘tram-lines’ in the wall to keep his letters regular. All in all a very nice collaborative wall, which fortunately remained undogged long enough for me to get some decent photographs.
This is the second of two ‘lost treasures’ that somehow got stuck in my publishing system from January, and which continues to be a bit of a mystery to me. It is a stunning and bright piece by Smut, and a great reminder of his outstanding talents.
Smut, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Smut always creates arresting pieces with bright bold letters and the cleanest finish of any artist in Bristol. His work is always immaculate and precise, and a benchmark for others to strive for. The black letters, with a white 3D shadow and border, are interrupted by a school of pink ovals passing through, with an element of ‘transparency’ where they drift in front of the black lettering. Brilliantly conceived and executed.
Taboo, is definitely going through a pink period, in fact it is a very popular colour all round in Bristol at the moment, and I don’t think I have seen so much pink paint since Stupid Stupid Meathole was active. I wonder what happened to him.
Taboo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2022
The unruly letters spell Taboo, with a skull and sphere making up the OO at the end. There are lots of little detail s and distortions to keep the eye busy in this piece, and a nicely worked PLB crew mention. Great work from Taboo, tucked away.
Another fabulous Pekoe portrait in a series of recent pieces that it has been a pleasure to witness in recent weeks. This one was painted alongside her RBF friends in Sparke Evans Park a couple of weeks ago.
Pekoe, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, April 2022
There is something very special about the colours that Pekoe uses and the blue and pink in this piece are absolutely perfect. There is enough shading on the face to give some depth to the features, and we can sense a sad expression, which the tears reinforce. The big hair is magnificent, but again alludes to sadness with some unhappy faces in place of smiley ones. The crown is well deserved and appropriate. A fine piece from Pekoe.
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