Tag: Spray can

5191. M2 Cycle path (213)

Bean, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Bean, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

There is always something rather nice when a new artist starts to land pieces about the place, it keeps things fresh, and adds to the incredible volume and diversity of street/graffiti art in Bristol. Bean has hit the ground running and stamped his brand in several popular spots, including on the M32 cycle path, where this is the second one that I have found here.

Bean, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023
Bean, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2023

Although I have seen a piece of writing from Bean, I think that the main focus is on character pieces, which are cartoon in style and usually pretty bright and bold. A common theme in street art is for the character to be holding a spray can, reflecting the work of the artist themselves. This blue-faced, red-haired character is holding a rather nice orange can. This piece is beautifully presented, with great shading and highlights. I am looking forward to a whole lot more from Bean this year.

4994. Dean Lane skate park (563)

Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2023
Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2023

The waits seem to get longer between finding new Laic217 pieces, which is a real pity. I can only hope that the reason behind his slow down in street activity is that he has other great things going on in his life. It is not uncommon for street artists to go through peaks and troughs in activity, and that is all part of the game.

Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2023
Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2023

This is Laic217 at his classic best, a skeleton holding a spray can, wearing a puffer jacket over a hoodie. There is tons of shape and texture in his work, especially on the clothes. Seeing this piece reminds me just how good he is and how much I miss his work.

4797. Greenbank (59)

3F Fino, Greenbank, Bristol, October 2022
3F Fino, Greenbank, Bristol, October 2022

It is getting very difficult to keep on top of the street art scene in Bristol at the moment. The sheer number of artists and the frequency with which they are painting, means that many pieces never see the light of day on the pages of Natural Adventures. An artist who doesn’t appear as much as he should is 3F Fino, and I have a great many of his pieces lurking in my archive.

3F Fino, Greenbank, Bristol, October 2022
3F Fino, Greenbank, Bristol, October 2022

I have managed to include this recent one from Greenbank, painted alongside LRS crew friends. The letters FINO are half decorated in a bubble style, that 3F Fino has used before at L Dub, if my memory serves me right. The design as very effective and unusual. Alongside the letters, the artist has painted a masked character jumping out of the side of a spray can with a brick wall motif, used a lot by street artists. All good work from 3F Fino.

4709. Elton Street (9)

Sled One, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
Sled One, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

The latest array of billboard pieces in Elton Street have been outstanding, and this special ‘outdoor gallery’ just seems to be getting better and better. The colour scheme has been replicated across all the pieces, and this one from Sled One is an absolute banger.

Sled One, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
Sled One, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022

Sled One has created an apocalyptic scene in which a skeleton is bearing a canister on his back with some soil and a small plant. The canister is actually a spray can, and presumably Sled One is making a link between the life giving qualities of the natural environment and of spray-painting. The character is set in a scorched earth surrounding. Sled One’s paint work is absolutely outstanding and this is a really classy piece.

4560. St Werburghs tunnel (299)

With the very congested field of artists currently painting in Bristol, and the addition of Upfest and a trip to Porto, my cup overfloweth with captured images of street art (I am still covering June art!). It is important that in all this excitement I don’t ignore our good old regulars who paint day in and day out to keep our walls decorated.

Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2022
Kool Hand, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2022

This is a lovely piece in the tunnel from Kool Hand, featuring his orangutan character using a spray can with pink paint to decorate the tunnel walls. The piece is framed in a black bordered rectangle, which almost looks like a window into the orangutan’s world. A nice stand alone piece.

4109. Dean Lane skate park (444)

One of the most enjoyable thing about chronicling street art and graffiti is that every day has the potential to bring with it surprises. Those surprises are like gifts, presents from the artists to anyone who cares to enjoy their work. This lovely collaboration from Ros(z)alita and 3F fino was part of a larger collaboration that included Tao.create, but I am reserving her piece for a later date.

Rosalita and 3F Fino, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Rosalita and 3F fino, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

This is as special as it is unexpected, and although these two have collaborated before, I think that this is so nicely done and combines their styles and preferred subject matter really well.

Rosalita, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
Rosalita, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

On the left is another carnival face from Rosalita (who now spells it Rozalita, hence the discrepancy in the body of this text), where the makeup this time is much more in the style of a Venetian masquerade mask. The frilled collar adds to the clown element of the piece. Beautiful.

3F Fino, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021
3F fino, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2021

To the right, a slightly more edgy character by 3F fino is apparently spraying the clown. I often wonder with pieces like this whether they are self-portraits, or at least based on self. There are some nice elements to this cartoon-style character and his cans, and the clothes and face mask all add to the ensemble.

All in all a nice, large and vibrant collaboration from these two.

3960. Sparke Evans Park (10)

The long wall at Sparke Evans Park has always been a showcase for some great art, and in recent months, the turnover has increased significantly as has the quality of some of the pieces. It is a top graffiti art spot, but a complete menace to photograph, the dappled sunshine percolating through the adjacent leafy trees has rendered many of my photographs unusable. This is definitely a spot for winter and overcast days.

Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, September 2021
Laic217, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, September 2021

This is a superb tribute piece by Laic217 for KFAS. I don’t know anything about the backstory and instead have simply focussed on the piece itself. A spray can artist at work with tons of movement (clever use of three hands to create a busy scene), and a massively exaggerated mouth. A characterful and lively piece, and a worthy tribute.

3121. Dean Lane skate park (340)

I am really struggling with the new WordPress editor. Everything takes twice as long as it should, and there is simply too much functionality for a user like me. I just want to write posts on my blog, not design up a personal website. Oh well, I’m sure I will get better at it with practice, which is something that definitely applies to street/graffiti art, and when you see apiece like this from Rusk, you know that it is on the back of a huge amount of hard graft over the years.

Rusk, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2020
Rusk, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2020

The overall design of the letters and the selection of chrome and green are very nicely done. At the right hand end of the RUSKY letters is a muscle-flexing spray can squirting a neon green jet of life into the piece… a nice character. A fabulous piece from a highly accomplished writer and complete gentleman.

2978. Dean Lane skate park (318)

For me, the best thing about the relaxation of lock down restrictions has not been my own personal freedoms… I have changed virtually nothing, but the appearance of Laic217 back on our streets with a vigour that is unparalleled. I have found five new Laic217 pieces in a fortnight, so expect more soon.

Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2020
Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2020

This vibrant red skull-face is clutching a spray can in its jaws set on a background of green cheeseplant-type leaves. I think that Laic217 needs to practice his leaf forms a little bit more (says the biologist in me) and look forward to more of this kind of background. Bold and interesting your face’ it is impossible not to see this striking piece. Bravo!

2882. Shoreditch, London

I have encountered Zabou’s work in London, Bristol (at Upfest) and in Cheltenham at last year’s paint festival, where I was lucky enough to meet her and have a quick chat, in which I basically gushed about her work and probably made a bit of a fool of myself. I seem to recall that I said I would send her some posts I had written about her work, but typical of my general uselesness I haven’t done it.

Zabou, Shoreditch, London, August 2016
Zabou, Shoreditch, London, August 2016

This is a fabulous piece in Soreditch of two angelic figures looking like they are going to get up to no good with spray cans at the ready. The piece has a kind of ’50s retro feel about it, maybe it is the hairstyles. If one took a look at it today, it might be easy to assume that the masked ladies were protecting themselves from the Coronovirus with their facemasks. It is interesting how things can be seen in different ways depending on the context or socio-political landscape.