Tag: PWA

2287. M32 Spot (42)

Face 1st is doing a great job of  switching it up a bit at the moment, and this fabulous column piece in the M32 Spot is a case in point. I really like the full figure pieces that Face 1st has been doing lately that complement his faces so well.

Face 1st, M32 spot, Bristol, June 2019
Face 1st, M32 spot, Bristol, June 2019

Here we have a young woman in a stripy outfit sporting a fine head of purple hair sucking on a lollipop. It is a piece that fits the column so well and kind of has a bit of youth culture and attitude about it. It is a fine counterbalance to other columns in this spot that have been painted by Silent Hobo.

2275. M32 roundabout J3 (149)

Wahey! Another sensational Soap piece, and it seems like there is absolutely no stopping him at the moment… he’s on a roll. This is a crazy and eclectic piece that draws on a whole bunch of styles, patterns and colours to spell out SOAP.

Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019

I just get the feeling every time I see his work that there is a lot of joy going on at the moment and it really comes across in his work. With some artists you can spot angst or pain or sadness or perfectionism and so on, but Soap’s work simply screams out happiness.

 

 

2274. Dean Lane skate park (222)

Great to see Soap and Tasha Bee teaming up to paint this collaboration in Dean Lane skate park. What is interesting about this piece is that both artists are doing something a little different from what we normally see.

Soap, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019
Soap, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019

I’m not too sure why, but Soap has been doing a few chickens recently. I think it might be a bit of a legacy from a mini paint jam he took part in at St Werburghs City Farm. I think I have some pictures somewhere. I rather like the way that he has done a speech bubble with his tag in it. A fun piece.

Tasha Bee, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019
Tasha Bee, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2019

Tasha Bee has been doing a bit of writing recently to accompany her beautiful styalized portraits and her choice of letters is LUNA. I think that she rather likes the symbolism of the moon and skies, of nature and love. Luna is a really great word and will lend itself to all sorts of writing variations. I totally adore her colour selections here and I have been using similar colours in my ‘teach yourself spray painting’ activities. Note to self, ‘get hold of some of that gold’. Very nice collaboration.

2269. M32 roundabout J3 (147)

Back to one of my trusty favourites with this beautiful piece at the M32 roundabout by Face 1st. Here he returns to his winning format of a sweet face covered with sumptuously decorated hair which spells out FACE if you look carefully.

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019

I like the way that Face 1st has diversified over the last few months, but kept these great face pieces in his locker. I hope to come across Face 1st again this summer and tell him that he has inspired me to give it a go myself. I tried copying one of his simple faces, but it didn’t work out too well. More to come from this Bristol stalwart.

2218. Moon Street (68)

Aah… Moon Street, one of the last remaining strongholds for street/graffiti art in the Stokes Croft area. Gentrification has arrived and is accelerating and it won’t be too long before most of these walls are gone and replaced with yet more student accommodations. The entire city is being overrun with these, surely the bubble has to burst at some point.

Anyhow, here we have quite an unusual and rather lovely little piece by Face 1st in one of his favoured spots.

Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019
Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, May 2019

I think that this might have been a bit of a practice, because since he painted this apple in Moon Street, I have seen it (on Instagram) as part of a collaboration elsewhere in Bristol… I must hunt it down, one of many that I haven’t yet found. Face 1st’s characteristic girl’s face is incorporated as part of an apple which appears to have been sliced and has ‘stuff’ brains maybe falling out. A slightly macabre scene and unusual for Face 1st who normally paints such charming faces. Nice to see him pushing the boundaries.

2204. M32 roundabout J3 (143)

Yet another wonderful, happy piece from Soap which I have uncovered from my January archive… it must have been a busy month to overlook this piece. Without question these are happy mouths, and in recent times have softened.

Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2019
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2019

The colours are magnificent and I think the way that Soap has laid them down is rather clever and beautifully done. In my mind I am trying to work out the layering and sequence that the colours were laid down in. What I can say is this is an accomplished piece, and another belter from Soap.

2195. M32 Cycle path (25)

The street art posts I bring you here on Natural Adventures are only a fraction of the total that appear on the streets of Bristol every day. My archives swell under the sheer volume of photographs and our computer barely functions due, in part, to disc space issues (time for a new one?). This means that I have to be reasonably selective about what I post, and this piece on my first trawl was marginal, because I have so many Soap pieces.

Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2019
Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2019

On a further inspection though it made the cut. I think that it is a wonderful piece, but the colours somehow send the whole thing into the background and if you weren’t on the ball you could easily miss this piece and walk straight on by. A lovely crown and halo, and ‘hair made of Soap tags. Glad I pulled this one out of the folder and posted it.

2161. M32 roundabout J3 (139)

This brightly coloured piece by Soap looks almost good enough to eat. Lots of stuff in there that looks like delicious confections, and the trademark mouth/teeth seem to be getting stuck in.

Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2019
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2019

I have said it before about his recent work, that Soap seems to have found a new spring in his step and there is a joi de vivre in his work over the last year or so. It is great to see this, and in my view his work just seems to be getting better and better.

2157. M32 Spot (40)

I spotted this one a couple of days ago while searching out some of my favourite spots. I almost drove straight past without seeing it because it is a thin bit of one way road with double yellow lines that is difficult to be observant and drive properly.  I just caught it out of the corner of my vision and parked up further on.

Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, April 2019
Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, April 2019

Ah what joy, Face 1st at his best with my favourite beautiful character. This is a large piece on a great wall which allows Face 1st to show us what he can do. The striking thing for me is the flowing pink hair that has been filled with pretty intricate patterns that give it something special. This kind of filling is a technique used by a few other Bristol artists such as Tasha Bee.

Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, April 2019
Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, April 2019

The other obvious feature of the piece is the skull being held by the woman. I have seen this before in Face 1st’s work and must remember to ask him what it symbolises next time I see him. I love this piece and am so glad I managed to see it in such good condition.

2130. St Werburghs tunnel (72)

There was a time, and it wasn’t too long ago, when I thought that Soap only ever produced his mushroom-shaped mouths, in a variety of different styles and colours. However, over the last year or so, he has really branched out a whole lot and is doing a lot of writing – it seems many bristol artists are currently doing the same (Decay, Kid Crayon and Tasha Bee has just started too)

 

In this piece Soap has incorporated his mouths into a rather clever and intricate word SOAP. I love the two triangles that kind of hold the whole thing together and add interest. It reminds me a little of a mint choc-chip…it’s a colour thing.