Tag: RAW

2814. Dean Lane skate park (291)

Rusk is so, so busy just at the moment as you will notice on Natural Adventures in coming days/weeks. This piece was painted on a very special day last week when there was a gathering of some of the best Bristol graffiti writers including Rusk, Soker, Inkie and Hemper. I got extraordinarily lucky as I had decided to take the dog for a walk in Dean Lane at the exact right time (more on the others coming soon).

Rusk, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Rusk, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020

Rusk is a friendly guy and when I arrived he made time for a quick chat and even posed for a picture. I have said it so many times before, but I’ll say it again, his work is always tight and he takes a lot of care in keeping it tidy. In this piece the colour fills are merged vertically, which is quite unusual and which looks rather nice.

Rusk, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020
Rusk, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2020

I have separated out his piece from the others that were painting at the same time, because this end of the wall is somewhat separated from the rest of the wall in terms of photography due to a wall opposite it and being in a narrow space.

2808. Wilder Street (39)

I don’t quite know why, but I don’t think I post nearly enough piece by T-Rex on Natural Adventures as I should. I have a great many in the archive and inn time they will surface. I guess the same could be said for most of the artists I write about, but I feel I might have neglected T-Rex a little more than most, so it is time to put that right.

Ryder, Wilder Street, Bristol, February 2020
Ryder, Wilder Street, Bristol, February 2020

This is a lovely romantic Valentine’s day piece by T-Rex painted in the colours of love and with a little heart under the T. She has put a little ‘Queen’ tag with an arrow pointing at the work, which I think is more than deserved. I’m not too sure who painted the little cupid, but it might have been Rusk whose piece was adjacent to this one. Lovely to see this piece in Wilder Street.

Scratch all of the above

The piece was by Ryder, T-Rex’s partner. Thank you Paul for pointing this out. Now the piece makes so much more sense.

2805. M32 cycle path (52)

One of the most consistent writers in Bristol is Rusk, always meticulous in the turnout of his pieces. This is a gorgeous example of his great work on the M32 cycle path, adjacent to an already featured piece from Soker.

Rusk, M32 cycle path, Bristol, February 2020
Rusk, M32 cycle path, Bristol, February 2020

The letter shapes are most pleasing and the blue 3D shading contrasts beautifully with the chrome letters and red gaseous background. This wall is no push-over as it conceals a metal door, so the surfaces are pretty uneven and made of different materials, not that you’d know it from looking at it. Rusk is pretty busy just at the moment, which is a very good thing as far as I am concerned.

2777. M32 Spot (60)

Sometimes it is better not to write too much about a piece, especially when it is this good. Smak posted this on Instagram and said what a banging board this is, and I quite agree. Hats off to whoever erected it under the M32.

Smak, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020
Smak, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020

This writing is close to perfect and there is something that is extra good about it, it might be the choice of vibrant and contrasting colours. Anyhow it is simply a really good example of how great technical graffiti writing can be.

2769. St Werburghs tunnel (145)

Well, he’s on fire really isn’t he? Each time I do my rounds of well known street art spots there seems to be a Smak piece lurking there somewhere. This relatively recent one is bang in the middle of St Werburghs tunnel. I am quite pleased that the photograph has come out reasonably well considering the dire light conditions there.

Smak, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020
Smak, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020

This has all the elements of a typically technically brilliant Smak piece. Sensational design and lines, clean and tidy, wonderful 3D and fill work. I’m not sure he ever has a ‘bad hair day’ and if he does, I’ve yet to see it.

 

 

2756. M32 Spot (58)

This is not an easy place to photograph. The spot is sandwiched between two busy slip roads underneath the M32, and just for added difficulty, access is over fences and the River Frome runs through the middle. I haven’t yet ventured into the spot and these photographs are taken through a bit of railing some distance away.

Smak, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020
Smak, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020

There is little I can say about Smak’s work that I haven’t said dozens of times before, but even in this tricky spot where only a few will ever get to see the piece his work is 100 per cent on point. There is a consistent font style to his letters and his shadinngs are utterly awesome. One huge advantage about this spot is that tagging tends to be pretty much absent.

2733. L Dub (11)

L Dub, (Lawrence Weston) is a spot I visit infrequently, but one that always rewards the effort. It is my premium dog walking spot, because it takes ten minutes of walking through a curious wasteland to get there and is close to Kings Weston where the dog and I spend many happy hours, particularly in the excellent cafe (doggie ice creams!)

Smak, L Dub, Bristol, January 2020
Smak, L Dub, Bristol, January 2020

On my most recent trip I was greeted by this magnificent piece of writing by Smak. He really is a brilliant writer and all round street artist and seems to be at the top of his game at the moment. The best way to try to understand just how good this piece is, take a good look at it and consider the colour transitions, the sharpness of the letters, the overall design, the shadows, the outline in blue and the decorative fills. All of these elements are brought together in a vibrant crisp clean piece… stuck out in the middle of nowhere where footfall is minimal. The joy of an artist in form.

2714. St Werburghs tunnel (136)

I don’t think I feature enough of Ryder’s work on Natural Adventures – there is no obvious reason for it, I guess the same could be said for any number of Bristol artists. I would think that for every piece that I post here there are probably two or three that never make it.

Ryder, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020
Ryder, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020

This particular offering is a simple chrome graffiti piece with trademark faces worked into the lettering. The chrome colour in the tunnel picks up all sorts of light bouncing around and it is difficult to believe the artist hasn’t used more than one colour. Altogether a nice one from one of Bristol’s best.

2710. Brunel Way Bridge (26)

I really don’t think I need to say too much about this one from Smak. It is brilliant. Strong clean lines, a sensational letter style, outstanding colours that slap you in the face and the graded fills are first class. I’ve said enough.

Smak, Brunel Way bridge, Bristol, January 2020
Smak, Brunel Way bridge, Bristol, January 2020

2020 has started off with a bang in the Bristol street art scene. Even though the weather hasn’t improved much, there have been a few dry days and artists have been out in force. So much for being able to catch up with lost treasures in my archive. I am going to struggle to keep up this year. I can feel it in my bones. Still, I’ll have plenty of material to blog about into my retirement.

2671. M32 roundabout J3 (186)

Ooh, there is so much to like about this gorgeous piece of graffiti writing from Rusk down at the M32 roundabout. The colour choices are magnificent and it is clever how the chrome/gray at the bottom of the piece matches the buffed background. The transitions between the the green/white/chrome are masterfully done, with an intermediate green to gently soften the blend.

Rusk, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2019
Rusk, M32 roundabout, Bristol, December 2019

As always it would appear that Rusk has taken time and care to produce this tight and very clean piece. Even the attention to detail on the smaller yellow RAW and RUSK is of the highest level. This is a classic Rusk piece and showcases really well his skills. Surely it must be time for a gallery of Rusk’s work – I’ll get to it.