5390. St Werburghs tunnel (375)

Chill, Zake, Face 1st and Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2023
Chill, Zake, Face 1st and Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2023

I am writing this last night in the full expectation that I will be heading off to the Cheltenham Paint Festival this morning, which means that in a short while, Natural Adventures will be awash with fabulous pieces from Cheltenham by artists from nearby and far, far away. On to this fine collaboration from the PWA crew, Chill, Zake, Face 1st and Soap.

Chill, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2023
Chill, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2023

There is a bit of a pirate theme going on (perhaps linked to PWA – Pirate Wall Art), and Chill kicks things off perfectly with this wonderful cartoon character wearing a bandana and brandishing a cutlass and crying out ‘AAARRRGH!!!’ The scar on the cheek and terrible teeth finish the character off brilliantly. A superb piece.

Zake, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2023
Zake, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2023

Next up, Zake goes a little bit off-topic both in terms of a pirate theme and indeed the colour scheme too. His piece is fantastic and a bit of a return to the kind of faces he was painting a year or two ago. Tons of depth is achieved with clever use of shading, which is a speciality of the artist.

Face 1st, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2023
Face 1st, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2023

Face 1st duly returns us to the pirate theme with his character, complete with skull and crossbones eye patch, makes off with a treasure chest full of gold and jewellery. It is a brilliant piece full of mischief and movement and so utterly Fac 1st.

Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2023
Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2023

Finally, Soap sticks with his graffiti writing, and continues the pirate theme and colour scheme. The letters spell out SOAP, and the Ice King ‘O’ is wearing an eye patch. The letter fills and dynamism of the piece are perfectly presented and add a distinctive element to the quartet of styles. A truly magnificent collaboration, so full of fun and mischief.

3557. Thomas Lane (1)

Life is full of surprises, which on balance is a fantastic thing, and finding this piece by SPZero76, which had been so totally off my radar, was a joyful moment. This is a part of town I rarely visit and I was passing through between two spots that I more regularly visit. This piece has a ‘sister’ which I will post in due course.

SPZero76, Thomas Lane, Bristol, March 2021
SPZero76, Thomas Lane, Bristol, March 2021

This pirate scene is on the wall of the Seven Stars Inn, adjacent to the music venue The Fleece. I think SPZero76 probably has an arrangement with the landlord, because on Google maps, there is a different piece by him here. These pirates follow a sort of convention that the artist likes to paint, with a combination of human characters and part-mechanised characters. It is a theme he returns to again and again. The execution as ever is spectacular. A good find.

Night pirates

 

In the night

they came with their swords

and stole dreams

in the night

buccaneers of my tired mind

left me with nothing.

 

by Scooj

1187. Anchor Road (3)

I was very fond of the Andrew Burns Colwill piece that was previously on this container in Anchor Road, but I have to say that this vibrant ‘Welcome to Bristol’ mural by SPZero76 is an absolute gem.

SPZero76, Anchor Road, Bristol, October 2017
SPZero76, Anchor Road, Bristol, October 2017

What a lovely welcome, and I guess the topic might have something to do with the location of the Bristol tour bus that runs from nearby. The artwork shows a rather pimped boat surging through the mine-infested waters of Bristol harbour, with the M Shed and distinctive cranes in the background.

SPZero76, Anchor Road, Bristol, October 2017
SPZero76, Anchor Road, Bristol, October 2017

Of course no SPZero76 piece would be complete without his lovable and slightly unhinged dog, or in this case two dogs. The execution of the piece is absolutely first class, so clean and tidy, but what makes the whole thing is the frenetic humour and little details to study. A tip top piece.

SPZero76, Anchor Road, Bristol, October 2017
SPZero76, Anchor Road, Bristol, October 2017

 

 

940. Upfest 2017 (14)

This was one of my favourite pieces of the South Street Park site at Upfest 2017. The picture of a Pirate is beautifully illustrated and has all the nostalgic feel of a children’s picture book. I would willingly pick up and read a book with pictures such as this. It tells its own story, for example, the writing on the pirate’s knuckles spells ‘FREE’…

Rame13, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Rame13, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The work is by Rame13 an Italian artist born in Pisa. She has been painting from an early age, but has only been producing street art since 2016, so a relative newcomer. Her Facebook page confirms what I already know…that I love her style, and the kind of work she produces, it is well worth a quick look.

Rame13, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Rame13, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Looking at the work in progress, it is interesting to see how she works in blocks, rather than in layers, like spray artists tend to do. Indeed it is refreshing to see street artists working without spray cans – there were a few at Upfest this year.

Rame13, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Rame13, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I think it would be easy for me to become a big fan – I hope she returns next year. Lovely work.