Noise has had a rich spell of form recently, painting at least three pieces and probably a few more too that I don’t know about. This fabulous writing/character combination piece was painted during an LRS paint jam in Sparke Evans Park.
Noise, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2024
This lively piece, full of vibrancy and colour, has a very strong Noise vibe about it, but is a little different from his usual work with the inclusion of a cat character making up the ‘O’ of NOISE. The cat is really well crafted and it would be great to see him do more of this kind of thing. Combination pieces allow artists to showcase their artistic skills beyond writing or characters alone. Watch this space (like tomorrow) for more from Noise.
This is just brilliant, a new piece from Decay. A while back, Decay was a regular painter on Bristol’s streets, often teaming up with Rezwonk, but then he moved away, and his pieces pretty much dried up except for the odd appearance at a festival or occasional paint jam. I understand that there is a chance that he might be hitting Bristol’s walls a little more often, due to his business settling down a little and having a bit more available time.
Decay, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2024
Decay holds a special place in my journey as a recorder of street art because he was the first artist I ever spoke to while he was painting a piece down in The Bearpit. I am so pleased to see that he has lost none of his creativiy and skill and has produced this beautiful DK incorporating, of course, his Chuck character. I cannot tell you how pleased I was to find this piece, and I am greatly encouraged by his little message at the bottom of the piece, “Back in the Room”. Bravo!
Mind 49 and Fino, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2024
There was a good turnout for the LRS paint jam in Sparke Evans Park last month, with some really good pieces, including this collaborative work from Mind 49 and Fino (previously referred to as 3F Fino in Natural Adventures). The two totally different styles and subject matter of these two artists have combined really well.
Mind 49, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2024
Mind 49 is consistently turning out some outstanding portrait pieces at the moment, and pushing himself to continue refining and improving his work. I understand that his subjects are randomly selected images, and therefore represent anonymity. His style is edging towards photorealism although the textures of his artwork look very much like brush strokes. Great stuff.
Fino, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2024
It would appear that Fino has awoken from his winter slumbers and is starting to paint a little more now, and I was lucky enough to meet him a short while ago while painting with Tao Create on the M32 Cycle path. I thought that he might have moved away, but far from it… just a winter rest. The colours he has chosen for his FINO letters are exquisite, and the fills and borders are beautifully neat and tidy. This is a simple and attractive piece and a great counterbalance to Mind 49’s portrait piece.
This beauty from Wispa is another fine piece from an RBF paint jam in Sparke Evans Park at the end of February. Unfortunately, there are several unpublished pieces from this wall and I simply don’t know where I’m going to find the time to post them. I felt that this one from Wispa was worth prioritising.
Wispa, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, February 2024
As ever, Wispa’s writing is exceptional, and she embraced the paint jam theme by incorporation this magnificent Pokémon character, Vaporeon. I love the way that Wispa drifts in and out of Bristol tantalising us with her exceptional talent, and keeping us interested. Although her pieces are occasional, they are always welcome.
This is a really interesting paint jam piece from Evey, celebrating Desi’s and her own birthday a few weeks back. The reason that it is interesting is that Evey has gone with a totally different style of graffiti writing from her comfort zone. This piece is a little bit more ‘hard-core’ and traditional, demonstrating her growing confidence and skills with a spray can.
Evey, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, February 2024
I would say that this is a really great piece of writing, although I feel the bottom half is stronger than the top half, which may have something to do with the colour selections. The bottom half pops, the top half less so. This phenomenon is not peculiar to Evey, I see this in quite a lot of pieces of writing, where the top half drifts a bit. More contrast with the background might do the trick… but what do I know?
It is really good to see how Pekoe’s writing is improving at a terrific rate. I will admit that I was a little sceptical when she started turning her attention to letters, and wasn’t sure that she would be able to pull it off, and I was also worried that it might compromise her wonderful portraits. I needn’t have worried, her writing is great and she is still painting her portrait pieces.
Pekoe, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, February 2024
This piece, part of a birthday paint jam for Evey and Desi, picks up on the day’s theme which was Pokémon, and a ball features in her letters. Pekoe has included a character from the series/game/cards which I believe is Phantump, and she has included a graffiti crown for good measure. This is a lovely colourful piece which really gets into the spirit of the paint jam.
A short while ago, Desi and Evey celebrated their birthdays with a paint jam in Sparke Evans Park, the theme of which related to Pokemon, which is not one of my strong points, having struggled for years with my son’s obsession with the cards when he was at primary school. While I understood the concepts and watched the TV show a few times, I was always concerned that my son knew more about Pokemon characters than he knew about British wildlife in his own garden. Things have changed considerably since then, for the better (IMO).
Jody, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, February 2024
This is an absolutely stunning piece by Jodi, featuring a Pokemon character called Eevee – you can see what he did there. Jodi is one of Bristol’s very best street artists, who seems to keep a healthy balance between his street work and his studio work. In this piece he has captured the cartoon quality, faithful to the Pokemon brand, and presented Eevee on a rocky ledge with some atmospheric clouds in the background. Another wonderful piece from the incredibly versatile Jody.
Counterintuitively, now that I have a little bit more time on my hands during the Christmas break, I am finding it harder to make time to write my blog. Perhaps it is the disruption to my routines – and I am a grumpy old man who has become rather fond of routine, which makes me a good companion for the dog. Regular patterns work for both of us. Today’s piece is a piece by Nips in Sparke Evans Park.
Nips, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, December 2023
I haven’t posted all of Nips’ pieces, that I have seen, but will try to remedy this in the New Year, because I rather like her straightforward no-nonsense approach to graffiti writing. There is a lack of pretentiousness in her work, that is refreshing. The most notable thing about this piece is the outstanding fill design and execution. Modest and yet impactful, this is a really enjoyable piece from an artist I know little about.
This was the piece by Smak that I had intended to post yesterday, but my system (a bit like a production line) got all into a muddle. This is a really classy piece with some hints of 1930s design in some of the letters, given a contemporary twist.
Smak, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, October 2023
The piece was painted alongside a mammoth Halloween paint jam from two all-female crews, RBF and FKB (Full Killer Burners). Note to self – post the FKB pieces in a single post. Smak’s work is simply so classy, both in his overall design and in his extraordinary talent and skill. The colours used in this piece are rich and sumptuous, giving a commanding and confident aura to the piece. Brilliant work from Smak.
Desi, Peggy and Evey, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, October 2023
I don’t know how old this lovely triptych by RBF bedfellows Desi, Peggy and Evey is, but I think it slightly predates the much larger RBF Halloween collaboration just to the left. A rather pleasant appetiser to its immediate neighbour. Desi has adopted her joined up writing for this piece which is neatly and tidily presented.
Desi, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, October 2023
Desi leads off on the left with another Veil piece using the light blue and yellow colour palette adopted for the collaboration. I have to say that I don’t think the colour combination is an especially good one, looking a little anaemic against the autumn leaf litter in front of it. Desi has some nice horizontal fills and subtle dot details and the 3D drop shadow helps it to pop out from the wall.
Peggy, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, October 2023
Peggy has made an oblique reference to the colour scheme with the incorporation of a yellow colour in some of her details. The floral display, complete with an eye at the centre of the flower is exactly what you’d expect from Peggy, containing some nice detail in the levels and petals. I don’t know what the letters AIZH stand for, but you can make them out at the base of the piece. Peggy’s work lends itself very well to being the decorative filling between two pieces of graffiti writing.
Evey, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, October 2023
To the right, the effervescent Evey has knocked it out of the park once again. Her letters are nicely thought out and she has reflected the horizontal fill regime in Desi’s work on the other side, and has come up with some decorations in the letters that make them feel substantial without being too busy. More great work from these three who appear to enjoy painting together.
