Skull – Page 3 – Natural adventures

6208. M32 Spot (186)

I get a little bat squeak of excitement when I see a piece that is obviously by an artist new to me, tempered by mild anxiety that I don’t know who they are and may not get to post their work until I find out more. Everything happened quite quickly with this wonderful piece by Nuke, thanks to Instagram, and I am thrilled to be able to post this debut piece for Natural Adventures.

This is a very interesting and compelling graffiti writing/character combination piece that has an interesting quality to it. It has a ‘soft-focus’ appearance and yet is clearly defied and masterfully painted. The 20 years refers to the length of time that Nuke has been painting, and his experience certainly plays out in this piece. I don’t know if he was passing through or whether he is staying in Bristol, but this is one of two recent pieces painted in the city by the artist.

5820. M32 roundabout J3 (550)

Laic217, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2024

Throughout the winter, Laic217 has been in a good rhythm of painting, and I think that it has a lot to do with teaming up with the PWA. Although this wonderful piece isn’t part of a collaborative wall, it was painted at the same time as an adjacent PWA collaboration.

This skull piece draws on so many of Laic217s trademarks, such as the brick wall, which hasn’t made an appearance for a little while, and the wonderful folds in the fabric of the clothes the skeleton is wearing. I don’t think I will ever tire of his work, or lose that spark of excitement I get every time I find one of his pieces.

5740. Cumberland Basin

Laic217, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, December 2023

All in all, 2023 was a very good year for Laic217, with 18 pieces featured in Natural Adventures, some of which I would rate as his best pieces to date. This piece features a skull character wearing a devil mask, I mean why not? I also got lucky that I photographed it on an overcast day, as this wall can be very tricky to capture when the sun is out.

Everything you’d expect to find from a classy Laic217 piece is here… the skull, something of the grotesque and threatening, the devil mask which is suspended by a gold chain, a bucket hat and of course outstanding folds in the fabric of the characters’ clothes. You can see a large gallery of Laic217’s magnificent work here.

5671. Leonard Lane (42)

Alex Arnell, Leonard Lane, Bristtol, November 2023

Tell me that this isn’t scary or alarming, and I’ll buy you a beer should we ever meet. I think that Alex Arnell may have paid Bristol a swift visit in October or November this year, because I have come across a few of his highly distinctive scribble pieces recently, and I know that he is not a local artist.

Although the piece is a child-like scribble, it is in fact far more sophisticated than that and the subject is highly unsettling. Lots of colour and layers combine to give us this angry/scary portrait – the stuff of nightmares. I am not sure what materials Alex Arnell uses for his work, but it would be interesting to see if he could scale it up and use spray paint to create the same effect. Interesting and distinctive.

5553. M32 roundabout J3 (515)

Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023

As a rule, Mudra usually paints alongside other artists and it has been a long time since I found a piece that he painted alone… until I came across this one last month. The piece is carefully placed around the southern tunnel entrance on the M32 roundabout, where the River Frome emerges from its culvert.

In painting around this corner, Mudra has had to remove the posters that blight this area, doing us all a favour in the process (although a quick trip to the bin might have been in order). Mudra has painted his letters in a subtle blend of colours from bronze to rose to grey/white, an unusual combination that looks quite spectacular. The centrepiece is the skull, taking the place of the letter ‘D’, which has been really well observed and recreated. Sometimes skulls just don’t look like skulls, but this one looks pretty anatomically correct from what I can see. A smoking cigar has been added for additional effect. This is an unusual and unexpected piece from the brilliantly creative Mudra.

5480. M32 roundabout J3 (507)

Lee Roy, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2023

Lee Roy is no stranger to Natural Adventures, nor is he a stranger to this spot on the M32 roundabout, and I have a feeling that he might have overwritten one of his own pieces to paint this one, or at least a short while after.

In this piece we see Lee Roy’s free approach that touches on anti-style, full of energy and activity. The colours are rich and complementary, but the eye is immediately drawn to the skull, with red ‘lightening’ coming from its bloodshot eyes. This feels like a good old-fashioned piece of graffiti writing.

5394. Greenbank (85)

Although he doesn’t paint as often as he used to or as often as I’d like, Laic217 has managed to get into a steady rhythm this year, painting about once a month or so. This archetypal piece appeared on the long wall of hoardings at Greenbank earlier on in July.

Set on a large orange ‘L’, which I assume stands for Laic217, the skull character comes complete with a bucket hat and large chain around the neck. These are stock items for a Laic217 piece, but it is his trademark skill at painting fabric that really stands out. The folds created with shadows and highlights give the material an almost velvet appearance. A nice tidy piece from a firm favourite on Natural Adventures.

5307. Greenbank (83)

Claro_que_sssnoh, Greenbank, Bristol, June 2023

There is a very strong international component to the Bristol street/graffiti art scene in Bristol. We have artists from all over Europe, but in particular a host of Polish and Spanish artists, without whom the vast spectrum of artistic styles would be greatly impoverished. Claro_que_sssnoh belongs to the Spanish group of artists, although I’d like to think that he also belongs to Bristol.

This piece on the ever-shrinking Greenbank hoarding is painted in unusually dark colours, which I have to say I struggle with a little bit. I don’t think the colour selection here brings out the best in Claro_qhe_sssnoh’s work, and although as technically intricate as his other pieces, it doesn’t quite do it for me on this occasion. I do, however, like the addition of the skull wearing a fancy headdress on the right, with his laser stare.

5280. Dean Lane skate park (605)

Hire and Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

I remember quite clearly the first collaboration I saw between these two artists, and it was also the first time I encountered Hire’s work; it was in Armada place and had a vibrant pink background. That was in April 2017, and both artists have come a long way since then.

To the left of the collaboration is a squat HIRE from Hire. There is a softening of the jagged edges he is known for, but other elements of this style are intact, such as the mid-line running through his letters. Two things help this piece stand out, the subtle flame coloured accent lines which give depth to the shadow and the solid white border, so very neat and tidy.

To the right, Laic217 continues his purple patch with this typical skeleton character. As ever, the folds in the fabric of the hoodie and baseball cap are trademark skills that the artist excels at. Interestingly, the skull has an ear, which adds to the intrigue. The piece is brought to life with the red skull badge on the cap, without which the piece simply wouldn’t shout so loudly. This is a fine collaborative wall from the Polish artists.

Laic217 and Hire, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2017

5210. M32 roundabout J3 (475)

Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

Unfortunately, this wonderful and unusual piece by Mudra, didn’t last too long before being dogged. I simply don’t get some people and their determination to spoil other people’s work. I know that there are no real rules, especially on illegal walls, but a little bit of respect is always a good thing, and the rule of thumb is that if you are going to go over a piece, you should cover the whole thing, and preferably with something of equal or superior quality.

Mudra’s skull and patchwork of design elements give this piece something of a 1980s surreal look. I expect that there is quite a lot of symbolism in the piece, but I’m not too sure I can work it out. Mudra is one of Bristol’s busiest and most creative artists at the moment, and certainly seems to be enjoying himself this year.

	beth on Shards
	scooj on Thursday doors – 8 Janua…
	scooj on Thursday doors – 8 Janua…
	scooj on 7391. Peel Street Green (…
	scooj on Thursday doors – 8 Janua…

	beth on Shards
	scooj on Thursday doors – 8 Janua…
	scooj on Thursday doors – 8 Janua…
	scooj on 7391. Peel Street Green (…
	scooj on Thursday doors – 8 Janua…

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