Tag: Soap

3440. Frome side (7)

There are some pieces that will have very limited audiences, and this is one of them. Soap has painted one of his trademark smiley mouth-skull pieces on the back of a pillar under the M32 overlooking the River Frome. The only way of getting to see it is by dropping down under the motorway and walking along the reinforced bank of the River Frome. It can’t even be seen from the overlooking M32 Spot.

Soap, Frome side, Bristol, December 2020
Soap, Frome side, Bristol, December 2020

One might ask why paint something that so few people will see, but that might be missing the point a bit about the motivations behind why graffiti and street artists do what they do. It tends to be for the love of doing it. This is a particularly nice example of his mouthy face, with a lovely yellow background and sharp lines with some nice fills. The white highlights work really well to give it that 3D lift. A great column piece.

3366. M32 Cycle path (95)

This door is getting some great attention, with Daz Cat, Slakarts and now Soap all giving it a coat of paint in recent months. This is a classic piece of soap work, almost like a mega-tag and takes me back to when I first became aware of his style.

Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, December 2020
Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, December 2020

I don’t know what Soap calls this character/tag but to me it looks like a double mouthed skull, clever stuff. I imagine that Soap can probably spray throw ups like this one in his sleep, although that probably belittles the skill needed to spray anything half-decent on a wall and this is way more than half-decent.

3320. Brunel Way bridge (72)

Sometimes it is really easy to just like a piece instantly, and with this fine piece of writing from Soap, that is exactly how I felt when I first saw it. Painted as part of the Face 1st birthday/Halloween paint jam extravaganza, this colourful graffiti writing stands out.

Soap, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2020
Soap, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2020

Obviously spelling out SOAP, the grim themes; a scythe slicing into a skull and  a sword at the ready, have a light cartoony touch that brings a smile to the face. The colour selections are first-class and those pinks, purples and blues work so very well together – just ask SPZero76. A fine, fun piece of writing from PWA’s Soap.

3270. M32 Cycle path (81)

Ah deep joy. Where would we be without these Pirate Wall Art (PWA) compatriots decorating our streets? What I like about collaborations betweeen Soap and Face 1st (apart from the obvious) is that they simply appear, unannounced and often unInstagrammed (if that is a word), so finding them is usually a pleasant surprise.

Face 1st and Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, September 2020
Face 1st and Soap, M32 cycle path, Bristol, September 2020

The piece is quite small when compared to some of their collaborations but is typically full of optimism, life and fun. On the left, is a trademark megatag mouth from Soap ond on the right two faces from Face 1st, each sporting lettered hair FA and CE respectively. Let’s hear it for these pirate heroes…

3208. William Street (1)

It always, always pays to switch things up a little bit and alter the routes taken to reach regular spots. I decided to drive down the City Road a week or two back, something I rarely do, but was most excited to catch sight of this bright red vision to my left. I parked up and went to investigate.

Face 1st and Soap, William Street, Bristol, September 2020
Face 1st and Soap, William Street, Bristol, September 2020

Deep joy. The red flash was this magnificent collaboration from Face 1st and Soap and by the look of it was rather recent – certainly I hadn’t had any tip offs on social media. Sometimes you just get lucky.

Face 1st, William Street, Bristol, September 2020
Face 1st, William Street, Bristol, September 2020

The left hand side is by Face 1st and depicts two happy girls mucking about with spray paints and their combined big hair spelling out FACE. This is a joyful and fun piece, which this artist is so good at creating, spreading a little happiness.

Soap, William Street, Bristol, September 2020
Soap, William Street, Bristol, September 2020

To the righ is the Soap half of the collaboration where he uses the same righ red colours to spell out SOAP with the most elaborate fills and highlights, so full of detail. Of course there is his trademark mouth, although it looks a little different in style to his usual one. A lovely collaboration surprise.

3110. M32 roundabout J3 (246)

What the world needs more of in these difficult times is great collaborative happy street art like this magnificent recent collaboration from Soap and Face 1st. These PWA (Pirate Wall Art) friends have been painting together for a long while now and their work is so perfectly in tune. They have their own identities, but when they paint together the work is seamless.

Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

On the left is a classic piece of soapiness from Soap with the characteristic mouths spelling out SOAP. The squiggles between the A and the P are superbly done and the arrows just add that touch of graffitiness about it all. A very fine bit of painting from Soap.

Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

On the right Face 1st treats us to one of his charming cheery faces with big hair spelling out FACE. The matching colours with Soap and white highlights on the curves create teriffic read-across between the artists. A lovely collaboration.

2991. M32 Spot (74)

Something good pretty much always results when these two PWA artists collaborate, which fortunately for us is often, this time under the M32. Soap and Face 1st seem to have a telepathic connection like Pires and Henry (I had to choose Arsenal players, but think of any deadly football partnership and you’ll know what I mean), and their collaborations feel so comfortable and easy if you know what I mean.

Soap, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2020
Soap, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2020

I don’t quite get what the story is but there is consistency across the whole collaboration. On the left Soap is the writing of Soap which is filled with a sophisticated array of colours and techniques and is truly a thing of beauty. Soap’s fills just seem to get better and better.

Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2020
Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2020

On the right we have a rather unusual Face 1st piece of a girl riding on the back of a cigarette-smoking frog waving a bee on the end of a stick in front. What?!? I must ask him what on earth is going on in this piece next time I see him. Wild, imaginative and wonderful.

2869. Brook Road (2)

It took me a rather long time to find this collaboration from Face 1st and Soap. I knew it was in St Paul’s but it was not in the bit of St Paul’s where I thought it was. I found it on one of my Covid-19 dog walks, where I tend to walk down as many side streets as I possibly can – poor dog, gets dragged all over the place.

Face 1st, Brook Road, Bristol, April 2020
Face 1st, Brook Road, Bristol, April 2020

Painted just before lock-down, the Face 1st half visits a theme he has been experimenting with lately of a face being inside a face and I think it works very well. He has an amazing talent for conveying the emtion of his faces with such simple features, just a mouth and eyes, this one seems to be having fun.

Soap, Brook Road, Bristol, April 2020
Soap, Brook Road, Bristol, April 2020

The Soap side of the collaboration continues the theme of being part above and part below a waterline and the colour of the paints used is commensurate with this difference and is skilfully done (by both artists in fact). Overall this is a lovely collaboration. Due to the very bright conditions, the colours are not quite so well represented in these pictures.

2778. Lawrence Hill roundabout (12)

I am not too sure how old this one from Soap is because I haven’t been to this spot for quite a few months. It looks a bit chipped along the bottom but is otherwise in rather good condition, so I would guess it is from the back end of last year.

Soap, Lawrence Hill roundabout, Bristol, February 2020
Soap, Lawrence Hill roundabout, Bristol, February 2020

This mouthy piece is typically cheerful and bright from an artist who appears to have had something of a renaissance over the past year or so. I like the incorporation of swirly colours around the character and line drawn ones within it too. It was painted alongside Bad Taste who Soap has collaborated with before and which I wrote about on Christmas Day. It just shows that it is worth checking out these spots from time to time.

2765. M32 Spot (58)

Finding a piece like this magnificent collaboration from PWA artists Soap and Face 1st gives me such tremendous pleasure and confirms for me that the time I spend finding, photographing and writing about street art is time very well spent. These two are capable of creating some magical images and there is a real sense of fun and mischief about these ones.

Soap, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020
Soap, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020

First up is a sword–swallowing act from Soap in which his mouth character lends itself to a different take on visualising this dangerous act. There are many things to admire here, such as the garland of flowers and the carefully thought out use of blue tones, I particularly like the swirl patterns in the shading.

Joining the two elements of the collaboration is a lovely splat pattern, but it is difficult to be sure which of these two painted it.

Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020
Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020

On the right is one of my favourite Face 1st pieces ever, and that is a very high bar. There is something so joyful about these two giggling girls mischievously spraying each other with paint and there is a balance to it reminiscent of yin and yang. What Face 1st lacks in sharp, crisp lines he more than makes up for in heart and soul. His work speaks to me.

Soap and Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020
Soap and Face 1st, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2020

On the one-way top end of Stapleton Road, it would be nice to think that drivers would glance to their right and admire this free art to cheer up their lives, but I bet most wouldn’t even notice it.