Completely unplanned I appear to have posted two chrome pieces in a row, from two artists that are known for the colourful work, Nips yesterday and Kid Krishna today. I’m not sure I have seen an entirely chrome and black piece from Kid Krishna before, but I like what I see, and it appears to have worked really well.
Kid Krishna, River Avon, Bristol, November 2024
The letters, as always spell out CRIE, and having spoken to Kid Krishna recently, we will soon know why he uses these letters. In the middle of this combination piece is a crazy cartoon character bursting out and looking rather sketch-like. A fun two-tone piece.
One of the highlights of 2024 has been the appearance and constant presence of the brilliant wildstyle graffiti writer Grimes. I am fascinated and excited by his writing that contains so much energy that it looks likely to burst in an explosion of coloured paint at any moment.. he has a very special talent.
Grimes River Avon, Bristol, November 2024
This stunner spells GRIMES, which if you look hard is actually quite easy to see, once you have your eye in. The colour selection is, as ever, spot on, but the magic is in the way that all the components come together to create a coherent whole. This is outstanding writing at its best.
Werm is a graffiti artist who can divide opinion with his carefully thought out and intricate pieces. I am rather enjoying his recent designs though and I consider this to be a first-class piece of graffiti writing.
Werm, River Avon, Bristol, September 2024
The curves Werm has designed in to the letters take away the stark edges that the letters WERM naturally have. He has also endeavoured to create some clever bilateral symmetry to the piece, which is a device he has been working on for a little while. The fills are coherent throughout the letters, and the colour scheme works well. This is an admirable piece from the versatile artist.
After a short spell away from Bristol, I think in his native Spain, it would appear that Todoaciem has returned recently and started dropping pieces in his favoured haunts. Alongside Stivs and Wxttsart, Todoaciem is a wonderfully accomplished calligraffiti artist, whose work is as tight as a nut.
Todoaciem, River Avon, Bristol September 2024
I would like to say that this is a particularly elaborate example of his writing, but looking back at his work, I would simply say that it is typical and no more elaborate than most of his work. The letters are beautifully filled with a blended gradation of reds. The white border is augmented with a fine 3D drop shadow drifting to the left of the letters. There is enough of a background to mark out the whole piece from the graffiti writing beneath. Great to see Todoaciem back in Bristol.
Desi and Mr Two Gram, River Avon, Bristol, August 2024
Recently I have become more organised and started writing my blog posts the day before, giving myself a buffer if things get a bit tight before I start work. So far this revised approach seems to be working really well. What it means is that I wrote this post yesterday and that any references to weather or the news might well be a little out of kilter. However, I am pleased to report that it looks like we will be having a bit of a dry spell in Bristol for the next week or so, and Donald Trump continues to be weird.
Desi, River Avon, Bristol, August 2024
I don’t think that I post nearly enough pieces by Mr Two Gram, and Desi seems to have had a slightly slower summer, so it is great to be posting this collaboration from them. Desi presents her letters in a uniform style, filling them with a patchwork of greens, blended in a ‘paintbrush’ style. A generous smattering of pink hearts finishes the piece nicely.
Mr Two Gram, River Avon, Bristol, August 2024
Mr Two Gram has painted a fair bit over the summer, but inexplicably I haven’t posted much of his work. I might need to do a trawl at some point and present a mini-gallery of his work. His letters are consistent in form and here spell 2GRAM and his fills composed of blues, purples and magenta. The piece is tight and the collaboration modest, tucked away on a wall with little footfall. Great work from the pair.
My rather loose description of this spot, which I call River Avon, is actually a cycle/foot path that runs alongside the river from Sparke Evans Park to Temple Meads Station, where light industrial units back on to the pathway for most of its length. This piece by j9449j (or dr3amc0re94) is at the Eastern end of the pathway, and quite easily overlooked… I only spotted it on my return leg of my walk.
j9449j, River Avon, Bristol, June 2024
The joy of j9449j’s work is in its organic simplicity. I suppose you could class it as kind of anti-style graffiti writing, but it is perhaps a little bit more designed than that. As ever, I struggle to read the letters in this piece, so shall have to remain content with the fills and suggested vegetation. j9449j is an artist I am keen to meet – I have so many questions!
Returning to what I would call ‘everyday’ Bristol street/graffiti art after an Upfest interlude (more of those to come), I present another wonderfully busy piece by Grimes. This is a graffiti artist who burst onto the scene a few months ago, and has settled in immediately, producing some realy good pieces along thee way.
Grimes, River Avon, Bristol April 2024
This one on the cycle path alongside the River Avon has something of a carnal feel about it. There is no doubt that his pieces are full of movement and vibrancy. If you look carefully, you can make out the letters GRIMES, but it is the outstanding fills and clean borders that lifts this piece above the ordinary into the next level. I am very much enjoying the emergence of this graffiti writer in Bristol.
Another Mote monster to add to the ever-growing back-catalogue. Mote’s work tends to go through themed phases where he will produce a sting of monsters with a particular design idea, such as monster birds and monster fish and recently, monsters with one white eye and another heavily lidded eye.
Mote, River Avon, Bristol, April 2024
Because Mote themes his work in these ‘periods’, it can be possible to date his work to within say a six month time-frame. This monster is clean and tidy with a solid purple fill and pleasing ‘ribbon’ of green running through. And those teeth!
Natural adventures 