5620. River Avon (53)

Laic217, River Avon, Bristol, October 2023
Laic217, River Avon, Bristol, October 2023

We live in a crazy world. On the one hand there is everything to be excited about, all the beautiful things that our planet has to offer – nature, culture, science, poetry, art, landscape, architecture, sport, friendship and so on, the list is almost endless, and yet, on the other hand I feel stifled by all the horrors that surround us, from wars to disease to the rise of authoritarianism, the grip of advertising, selfishness, profit and greed, that list too is almost endless. My small gesture of kindness to myself is to keep writing this blog, all elements of it, as an antidote to the evil and to bring a little focus on the good things that I am grateful for.

Laic217 among many, many others brings me pleasure and happiness, both on discovering his work and then on recording and writing about it. This is a particularly good one from him on the cycle path between Sparke Evans Park and Temple Meads station.

Laic217, River Avon, Bristol, October 2023
Laic217, River Avon, Bristol, October 2023

The character, wearing a wooly hat and smoking, has a dark and sinister appearance, cleverly created by the absence of any white in the eyes, which is unsettling. The brilliantly painted skull tattoo adds a little threat and menace. No need to sign this one as it is pure Laic217 at his best, and although his choice of subject might not suit everyone, his mastery of technique is a sight to see.

5614. River Avon (52)

Pl8o, River Avon, Bristol, October 2023
Pl8o, River Avon, Bristol, October 2023

A graffiti writer and artist who regularly pops up on Natural Adventures, Pl8ohas recently had a bit of a purple patch, painting several pieces in the space of a month or two. This is a large burner on the cycle path that runs along the river Avon between Sparke Evans Park and Temple Meads station.

Pl8o, River Avon, Bristol, October 2023
Pl8o, River Avon, Bristol, October 2023

This large (larger than it looks), bold and humorous piece is a great example of Pl8o’s work, always well executed and fun to look at. The letters/number he uses are so easy on the eye, and here he has added an extra ‘o’ to create an excellent pair of eyes, a mechanism used by artists with ‘oo’ letters to great effect, such as Boogie and Scooj (hah!). Over the years, Pl8o’s contribution has not been insignificant as evidenced by this gallery of his work.

5468. River Avon (51)

Wxttsart, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023
Wxttsart, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023

With the turnover of art in Bristol being such as it is, I get an awful lot of pieces left behind in my archives, and then I forget whether I have posted them or not. I guess that this is a bit of a first-world problem, but it troubles me a little. I was certain that I had posted this piece by Wxttsart, but it would seem as though I hadn’t. It is still in great condition, so perhaps it is relatively recent, and I am mistaking it for another similar piece. Anyhoo, it is a bit of a blinder.

Wxttsart, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023
Wxttsart, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023

I describe Wxttsart’s work as a bit of a blend of calligraffiti with a touch of anti-style. I’m not too sure how the artist would describe it, but it is unique and always recognisable. The red script letters spelling MILK are nicely proportioned (a feature of calligraffiti) and have been bestowed with a deep 3D drop shadow in lilac shades. The whole thing is set on a fine green cloudy backdrop which contrasts well with the letters. This is another great piece from Wxttsart.

5457. River Avon (50)

Fink, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023
Fink, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023

I met Fink briefly at the Cheltenham Paint Festival recently, and he was good enough to stop for a quick chat. I mentioned to him that I had seen some of his work in Bristol from quite a while back and had been following his work on Instagram for a while. It turns out he lives now in Dubai and makes his living from his art commissions, which is pretty amazing. It seems that on his trip to the UK he dropped in to Bristol for a quick stop and painted this magnificent piece not far away from the back of Temple Meads station.

Fink, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023
Fink, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023

Fink’s abstract portrait pieces are special, drawn with a continuous line, a bit like sketching a face on paper in one go without lifting the pen. The golden face is made up of smaller faces painted in the same way, that give the whole piece texture and interest. This is a very fine piece from a visiting artist, who has some history with Bristol.

5450. River Avon (49)

Todoaciem, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023
Todoaciem, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023

This is a piece that I thought I had posted, which makes me think that it might have been painted some time ago. Having said that, it might be a recent piece. It is so difficult to keep on top of street and graffiti art in Bristol at the moment, because I have never known the turnover to be so high, nor the number of new entrants into the urban art community. Each time I go out, which is most days, I can find between 5 and 10 new pieces, which gives you some idea of the scale of activity in our vibrant city.

Todoaciem, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023
Todoaciem, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023

Todoaciem is one of two top-class calligraffiti writers in Bristol, the other being Stivs. Most of the time Todoaciem will write the letters CIEM in a Gothic style typeface, maintaining strict conventions in the letter shapes and forms. There is no room for error, as even small mistakes would be obvious in the overall look of the piece. From the photographs and from memory, it is difficult to tell if this is chrome and red or white and red, but I think it is the former. Whatever the colours, the form is fabulous and the piece another fine example of great calligraffiti from Todoaciem.

5444. River Avon (48)

Zake, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023
Zake, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023

I don’t often hunt down specific pieces that I have seen on social media, preferring to come across them on my walks, as that somehow feels more authentic and retains the element of surprise. However, occasionally I see something, know where it is and actively seek it out and use the opportunity to photograph anything else that takes my fancy. This piece by Zake was one of those I had to go and look for, before it got too tagged up.

Zake, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023
Zake, River Avon, Bristol, August 2023

Zake has played with faces within faces, or emerging from faces before, but not quite as mesmerisingly as this. Is the bigger face consuming the smaller one, or is the smaller ne wearing the larger one? Either way, this piece has all the hallmarks of a Zake work, with definition of the features achieved through light and dark shading, creating the most wonderful 3D effect. This piece was well worth the slightly longer walk than I usually do in the area.

5386. River Avon (47)

Raid, River Avon, Bristol, June 2023
Raid, River Avon, Bristol, June 2023

When a new artist makes it on to your radar, it becomes very difficult not to see their work everywhere, especially if they are as productive as Raid seem to be. Raid made his debut on Natural Adventures back in March this year, and since then he has appeared seven times, and I still have some of his work in my files. Look out for a gallery before Christmas.

Raid, River Avon, Bristol, June 2023
Raid, River Avon, Bristol, June 2023

The letters RAID, I imagine, are quite fun to play with, and the way that Raid writes with large bold lettering, gives him plenty of scope for interesting fills. The letters are joined at the base, and the fill bleeds from one letter to the next. Some nice swirly psychedelic forms and shapes fill the space nicely Some nice touches include a thin orange border on the right-hand side of the letters and a decent 3D drop shadow capped off with a tight black border. This is another fine piece from Raid.

5380. River Avon (46)

Mote, River Avon, Bristol, July 2023
Mote, River Avon, Bristol, July 2023

It is difficult to make it through a week without coming across something wild and wonderful from Mote. Not only is he becoming one of Bristol’s most prolific artists, but he is also improving and pushing his boundaries with incredible pace, and I am thoroughly enjoying the journey he is taking us on.

Mote, River Avon, Bristol, July 2023
Mote, River Avon, Bristol, July 2023

This magnificent bird beast is on the larger side for a Mote creation, but fills the space really well. The face and beak are picked out in red and pink colours, separating them from the rest of the head, in shades of blue and green. The monster has three eyes, each decorated with Mote’s unique take on pupil representation. The decorations are interesting and eradicate any danger of too much solid fill space. This is an attractive piece that adds to the artist’s growing and improving portfolio. Time to see him at a festival or two?

Slack water

.

Opposing forces

river flow meets high water

equilibrium

.

by Scooj

5353. River Avon (45)

Sober, River Avon, Bristol, June 2023
Sober, River Avon, Bristol, June 2023

I am writing this late last night, because my son and I are taking a trip to Perugia tomorrow morning and want to leave before it gets too hot. Klashwhensober is no stranger to these pages, but doesn’t appear as much as he should, I hope this post addresses this somewhat.

Sober, River Avon, Bristol, June 2023
Sober, River Avon, Bristol, June 2023

His letters spelling ‘Sober’  are written in the most beautiful colours transitioning from green to blue.  The letters are nicely defined, and towards the middle of the piece, there is a little face in a bubble. This is a nice tidy piece from Klashwhensober.