Tag: Skull

5394. Greenbank (85)

Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2023
Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2023

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.

Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2023
Laic217, Greenbank, Bristol, July 2023

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
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.

Claro_que_sssnoh, Greenbank, Bristol, June 2023
Claro_que_sssnoh, Greenbank, Bristol, June 2023

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
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.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

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.

Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

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
Laic217 and Hire, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2017

5210. M32 roundabout J3 (475)

Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
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, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Mudra, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

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.

5125. M32 Spot (160)

Unknown artist, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2018
Unknown artist, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2018

We’re going back a long way with this piece, photographed at the top end of Stapleton Road in May 2018. I don’t know who the artist is, and I expect that is why I never posted it at the time.

Unknown artist, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2018
Unknown artist, M32 Spot, Bristol, May 2018

It looks like it might have been by Dabuten Tronko, but I think the tag is from the piece to the left. The familiar theme of a skeleton using spray cans is often associated with Laic217, but this is certainly not one of his. I guess it will remain a mystery who the artist is, but it was too good to leave in my archive once I have revisited it recently.

5054. Cumberland Basin

Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023
Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023

I haven’t seen a character piece from Werm for quite a while, so it was really great to find this one in the little tunnel at Cumberland Basin. Werm has definitely been concentrating on his writing, which has been going from strength to strength, but I have to say that I miss his characters, because they brought something a little different to our streets.

Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023
Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023

In this piece, Werm hasn’t entirely dispensed with his letters. The skull makes up the letter ‘R’ in the three-letter acronym LRS – an international crew that Werm belongs to, called Last Radical Souls. The shading work on the skull and letters is beautifully executed, and the white border is nice and sharp. This is another great piece by Werm.

4974. Purdown (51)

Full Time Ghoul, Purdown, Bristol, January 2023
Full Time Ghoul, Purdown, Bristol, January 2023

It feels good to post a new piece by Full Time Ghoul, because so many of his pieces end up in my archives without ever seeing the light of day, something I must resolve somehow, because I genuinely like his motif and the way he fills spots all over Bristol.

Full Time Ghoul, Purdown, Bristol, January 2023
Full Time Ghoul, Purdown, Bristol, January 2023

This trio of green skulls set on a fiery red and orange background is really rather special. I’m not too sure bout this, but the top of the skulls look like they spell OSM, although I have no idea what this stands for. Nice work from FTG.

4832. St Werburghs tunnel (321)

Kosc, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2022
Kosc, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2022

I was once told that to assume something will make an ‘Ass’ of ‘U’ and ‘Me’, a very helpful tip in the communications world. The assumption here, is that this unsigned piece is by Kosc. The evidence supporting my assumption is that NTS is a crew he belongs to, and he is the only artist I can think of who produces accurate anatomical pieces.

Kosc, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2022
Kosc, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2022

I am no expert, but looking at this magnificent skull, I would say the dentition suggests a grazing lifestyle and the horns would lead me to think this was an ungulate (a hoofed mammal). I would plump for some kind of bovine, possibly a buffalo of some kind, maybe an African buffalo. A lovely piece, and something a little different.

4794. Frome side (20)

Full Time Ghoul, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022
Full Time Ghoul, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022

I have said it before, but Full Time Ghoul is under-represented here on Natural Adventures. I have many of his mega-tag pieces in my archives, but simply haven’t posted many of them. This post begins to address the situation.

Full Time Ghoul, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022
Full Time Ghoul, Frome side, Bristol, October 2022

The eye-catching knot over the skull is an original idea and makes for a powerful identity. It also lends itself to columns and doors, which FTG certainly specialises in. This is a blue variant of the motif with a red border, although more often he uses yellows and greens. FTG has hidden this one under the M32.

4446. Stokes Croft

Perhaps one of the most famous and ubiquitous artists of recent decades is Sweet Toof. Some of his iconic pieces in Bristol remain, but they are dwindling in number, so imagine my utter surprise when I saw this new (and very fresh) piece by Sweet Toof in Stokes Croft recently. To have known he had been in the area only a day before when he painted it is quite something. Even though I didn’t get to meet him I felt a little star-struck. I have seen pieces by Sweet Toof in London and New York as well as here in Bristol, and they just seem to fit in as part of the street art culture and history.

Sweet Toof, Stokes Croft, Bristol, May 2022
Sweet Toof, Stokes Croft, Bristol, May 2022

I sincerely hope this small piece remains intact and untagged, and is given the respect it deserves. I suspect that many of the people who sit enjoying a meal in the outdoor seating area of the eatery, probably have no idea of the significance of this small piece, although many of them might remember his most memorable skull from just up the road which alas has now gone. What luck to have found this so soon after being painted.

Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016
Rowdy and Sweet Toof, The Carriageworks, Bristol, December 2016