This piece seems to benefit from being framed by the snow and the heavy grey sky. It is by an artist I haven’t come across before, Sam Brentall, and my first impression is a good one.
Sam Brentall, Purdown, Bristol, March 2023
The stylised dog heads stacked on top of each other create a strong and colourful pattern, and the whole unusual composition is fun to look at. It looks like the black outlines have been painted using marker pens rather than spray cans, and this seems very much like the work of a studio artist who is exploring possibilities with street art. I sincerely hope to find more street work from Sam Brentall this year.
What I really like about Mote’s approach to street art is that he is a very tidy artist. He likes to have a buffed wall to paint on, so that there are no distractions, and he keeps everything clean and tidy. Nice solid fills and crisp sharp lines. I am guessing he is a bit of a perfectionist.
Mote, Purdown, Bristol, September 2022
This charming monster piece up at Purdown is a wonderful doodle character, with some nice colour fills and details. The eyes and eyelids work well, and the shadow cast onto the wall lifts the piece out. Altogether this is a rather good piece, one of many.
I believe that this is the third Morag piece I have posted on Natural Adventures, and I must say that I really love what he does. The simplest of thick black lines in an apparently continuous loop painted on a single colour background to create a perfectly stylised face.
Morag, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
There is definitely something in the simplicity that brings out the design really well, and actually, the simplicity is a little more sophisticated than it might at first appear. This picture was taken on a very bright day, and unfortunately I have cast a shadow over the piece. Hey ho.
There are some artists that paint so much, that the only way to showcase them here on Natural Adventures is to save up several and post them all at the same time. When I went up to Purdown a week or two back, I was confronted with several pieces by VZA (Veeez) on the concrete walls, and here they are.
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
VZA has three or four strong forms that he likes to paint, one of which is a simple character with big white eyes. The saying ‘less is more’ is probably appropriate with his work, like the famous London street artist Stik. I would like to think that the colour selection in this piece is in support of Ukraine
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
Another piece in a similar form, and again sporting the colours of the Ukranian flag, is this time presented in a landscape format.
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
Sticking with the two large eyes, the introduction of an arrow and an exclamation mark in red and white, is as good as any signature. Although the form is again simple, there is a lot of texture and character in the piece.
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
A similar piece only a matter of yards away indicates, through the similar colours used, that it was most likely painted during the same session, along with the final piece posted below.
VZA, Purdown, Bristol, March 2022
By placing all these VZA pieces together in one post, you can get a real sense of his style and his work rate. I have another whole pile of his work to share and will soon do another of these compilations.
Although Daz Cat has been steadily active over the last few weeks, I haven’t been able to find space to post any of his work, such is the volume of new pieces being produced like a relentless incoming tide, one which I welcome of course. I have a few in my folders that I need to share. I keep telling myself that I’ll be able to share them during a quiet period, but I don’t think such a thing exists.
Daz Cat, Purdown, Bristol, December 2021
This cat piece has been sprayed on one of the square concrete slabs which appear to have been built to protect the store areas around each gun emplacement, and which make splendid canvasses. Featuring a Daz Cat cat, it would seem that the artist has joined the ranks of street art philosophers with the written phrase “Never enough, show me new pathways. More than enough, put me in my place”, which on doing a quick Interweb search looks like it is an original thought. The cat itself in 3/4 aspect is superbly well painted and looks to have taken longer to paint than some of his throw up cats.
On Natural Adventures, I typically prepare the images in advance that I am going to post, so I might have maybe up to two week’s worth of material waiting in the wings. Then each morning, before work, I quickly pull some words together and insert the prepared images, and hey presto, we have street art post number 4046.
This approach means that I know, several days in advance what pieces I will be posting, so when Skronius posted this new piece on Instagram yesterday, I was able to inform him that I had coincidentally prepared a blog which I would publish today. I expect that this rambling is just too much information, so on to the piece.
Skronius, Purdown Battery, Bristol, October 2021
Skronius definitely seems to favour this spot, and I haven’t yet seen any of his work anywhere else in Bristol. His style is quite illustrative and is full of dynamism and movement. This bright and colourful creature munching on steps reminds me very much of the Buddhist art you might see in Nepal or Tibet, the theme, style and colours could all have been lifted from that region and placed here in Purdown. I am a fan of Skronius’ work which is refreshing and different. Looking forward to finding more, and seeing Skronius develop as a street artist.
A timely commentary piece from John D’oh, that is rightly sceptical about our ability to face up to the challenges of climate change, when we can’t even keep our rivers clean. As somebody who has spent more than half my working life on protecting rivers and river-based recreation, it is a pity that our rivers are still subjected to the most terrible pollution, but on the other hand, we must recognise the huge improvements that have occurred since the 1980s when Britain was referred to as the ‘dirty man of Europe’. I fear, for a host of reasons, that the phrase may once again be used to describe our nation as we continue to prioritise company profits over environmental outcomes.
John D’oh, Purdown Battery, Bristol, October 2021
The single-layer stencil from John D’oh features Brian Cox (I think) pondering whether “COP26 is going to be like our rivers… full of shit”. I sincerely hope not, and we must all rally round this conference as best we can to push forward better outcomes for our planet. The hard work begins now, and it will be up to citizens to demand more from their governments, but also to take personal responsibility for modifying their own behaviours. Less talk, more doing.
A thought-provoking stencil piece – thank you, John D’oh.
Of all the newer artists in Bristol, I think I know the least about Skronius. Keeping a low profile seems to be the order of the day, or maybe our paths simply haven’t crossed yet. Skronius certainly favours this spot, and since I only visit about once every three weeks or so, the likelihood of meeting are pretty slim.
Skronius, Purdown Battery, Bristol, October 2021
I would say that fantasy creatures and worlds are favoured by Skronius, and this dragon head is quite fabulous. His style really doesn’t look like spray-painting, and this piece in particular looks like it could be a watercolour. I think Skronius achieves this effect by laying down the character colours first and then adding in the detail with the black lines. However it is done, it is an unusual effect. I love the way it is signed in the smoke in the top left-hand corner.
Pekoe has had a little bit of a quiet period, after a year in which she has created so many of her fabulous portraits. The pause is over, and she is hitting walls once again with customary frequency.
Pekoe, Purdown Battery, Bristol, October 2021
This quick one up at Purdown Battery is eye-catching in its lovely white and purple colour scheme. The reference ‘I love you to the moon and back’ links to a children’s bedtime book called ‘Guess how much I love you’ by Sam Mc Bratney and illustrated by Anita Jerram. This was one of my daughter’s favourite books, and mine too, come to think about it. A lovely piece with some lovely sentiments.
In the background of this photograph, you can see the iconic telecoms tower that anyone who leaves Bristol along the M32 will be familiar with. And, in this hallowed spot, Smut has given us another beautifully crafted piece of graffiti writing in his very distinctive style.
Smut, Purdown Battery, Bristol, September 2021
These pieces by Smut are so easy to look at and enjoy. The simple curves are superbly clean, and he has really treated us with a beautiful wavy line intersecting the word horizontally and some great colour fades along the way. The little pink dots round the piece off nicely. I have to say I am loving Smut’s work and hope to see a whole load more.
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