Tag: PWA

4611. Moon Street (95)

Many of you will know that Moon Street is one of my absolute favourite street art spots, although that accolade has possibly moved on a little in recent years due to the gentrification of the area. But even now, Face 1st continues to brighten the place up with his inimitable and irrepressible style, making me feel very much at home with this lovely piece.

Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, July 2022
Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, July 2022

Face 1st was one of the very first street artists I became familiar with, but it was a few years before I got to meet him in person. His work is at the heart of what I care about, and this piece is just so joyful and typical of the atmosphere he creates around his work. The girl with green hair in red dungarees is full of cheek and movement. My eye keeps getting drawn to the underside of her left shoe… it is completely absorbing. A nice piece to start the weekend with.

4547. M32 Cycle path (178)

The most consistently prolific artist over the last seven years is without doubt Face 1st. His tireless drive to keep producing wonderful pieces is enviable and really rather awesome. I don’t know where he gets the energy, or the cash for paint from. I guess I don’t need to know, but simply enjoy the benefits of his heroic efforts.

Face 1st, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2022
Face 1st, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2022

This is a rather nice FACE piece with a girl’s face in place of the ‘A’. The letters are large and bold, as if carved out of stone, and the grey of the letters contrasts wonderfully well with the Orange hair of the smiling girl. When the world grinds to a halt, Face 1st will still be out there painting letters and smiling girls on walls. It is just what he does.

4398. Dean Lane skate park (484)

In recent months, tattooist and street artist, Chill, has firmly established himself as a great cartoon character artist almost out of nowhere. His pieces have always been great to look at, but it is the frequency with which he has been painting them that has become so noticeable.

Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Chill, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022

This fine piece in Dean Lane is typical of his distinctive work. Chill typically paints black and white characters that look like they have been lifted from a cartoonist’s sketchbook, set on a red or orange background, creating great contrast which helps the characters to stand out. Chill has stretched his usual modus operandi by including some green foliage and some decorative dotty spheres, that look like dandelion heads. Plenty of fun and action in this piece and cartoon-style eyes to die for.

4372. Moon Street (91)

I think that I could quite easily fill up all my posts with work from about four or five artists in Bristol who seem to be unstoppable in their quest to brighten our streets and practice their art. One of those artists is Face 1st, who has been a constant drumbeat through the development and progress of Natural Adventures. Always there, always painting.

Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2022
Face 1st, Moon Street, Bristol, April 2022

This piece is in my favourite street, for sentimental reasons really, in Bristol, Moon Street. Definitely a quick one from Fac 1st, as so many of his pieces are, but even though it probably only took an hour or so to paint, there is a lot to like about it. The change of pink to orange as you read left to right, and the blending of the colours, works really well. Of course, no Face 1st piece is complete without a girl’s face somewhere, and in this one, she is lurking in the letter C.

4311. M32 roundabout J3 (393)

It is pretty much impossible to observe one of these classic Soap pieces and not feel a small wave of happiness wash over you. The stylised laughing mouths/skull shaped characters are a trademark mega-tag that Soap has been painting and refining for years.

Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2022
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2022

This piece in great bronze colours was one part of an outstanding PWA paint jam, that included Face 1st and Chill, and a guest appearance from Kool Hand. The finishing on this piece is first class and demonstrates amply Soap’s skills.

4307. Greenbank (29)

Just because I haven’t posted much from the PWA boys lately, doesn’t mean they haven’t been painting, it is more a reflection of just how much street art is being created in Bristol at the moment. This is a rather nice piece from Face 1st, alongside Soap.

Face 1st, Greenbank, Bristol, March 2022
Face 1st, Greenbank, Bristol, March 2022

Face 1st has been painting these blocky letters a lot recently and has managed to include one of his faces, although it is rather obscured by the letters A and C. Fun stuff from this prolific artist.

4240. M32 Cycle path (163)

If ever Altered Images wanted a new album cover for their outstanding LP Pinky Blue, this piece by Face 1st would definitely fit the bill. I know I have said it before, but I will never tire of Face 1st’s work, and although sometimes it is a little rough at the edges, it nearly always raises a smile.

Face 1st, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2021
Face 1st, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2021

This piece is perfect for the location and somehow just seems to have a great feel good factor about it. The colours set on the green background look fabulous and together with the 3D shading on the bottom of the letters lift the piece off the wall. More great stuff from Face 1st.

4193. M32 roundabout J3 (380)

Alas! This piece from Face 1st didn’t last very long, and certainly not as long as it deserved, but that is street art, and everyone knows it. Face 1st continues to be one of our most productive artists in Bristol, and I probably need to update his gallery, because it quickly gets out of date.

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2022
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2022

The piece tucked away to the left of the river side wall of the roundabout is a full blown writing and face combination. The striking colours attract the eye and the girl’s laughing demeanour is compelling. Face 1st has been using this form of block writing quite a lot recently, and I would say he is enjoying it. I love the clever touch of weaving the girl’s hair through the block letters. A wonderful piece from Face 1st.

4153. M32 roundabout J3 (373)

The PWA boys were so very busy in 2021, and their numbers swelled with the additions of Nightwayss, Zake and Chill. Few spots in Bristol were untouched by their joyful collaborations, among them this fine wall at the M32 roundabout.

Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021

To the left is a well crafted piece of writing from Soap with some curious and interesting ideas creeping in, including the slogan, much used by street artists, ‘eat the rich’. The whole thing is liberally sprinkled with cut gemstones, something I must ask Soap about next time I see him.

Zake, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021
Zake, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021

The middle section of this triptych is by Zake with a characteristic face, full of expression and beautiful contours exaggerated by skilful shading and highlighting. The face also has a hand which is operating a little string puppet. There is a story here, but I am not too sure what it is.

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021

The final part of the collaboration is by Face 1st and it is a really fabulous bit of writing, sans smiling girl. Lots of gunge oozing from the 3D lettering, which seems to have been a bit of a thing for Face 1st in 2021. There was a fourth part to this collaboration, which was the Nightwayss piece I posted a few days ago, but it didn’t sit as part of the symmetry of these three pieces.

Happy New Year.

4148. M32 roundabout J3 (372)

Part of a larger PWA collaborative wall, this piece by Nightwayss is a bit of a stand alone work and so I am posting it separately. In recent months Nightwayss has been experimenting with these fragmented self-portrait pieces, and he seems to be really enjoying them. They are certainly a bit of a departure from his monkey pieces, but nonetheless great fun.

Nightwayss, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021
Nightwayss, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2021

Nightwayss has used some strong red colours for the self-portrait, and has had great success with creating the reflections on his glasses with white patterning. There is a lot here that seems to be in development, but each of these new-style pieces seems to be better than the last. The portrait is interrupted with a superb bit of NIGHT writing in which Nightwayss seems to have created a bit of a fluid feel to the letters. The whole thing is an interesting study in a new direction.