4265. Albert Park Place (5)

One of my favourite walls in Bristol and one that changes probably less than once a year. The wall is tucked away in St Paul’s and has been brilliantly painted by a trio of Bristol artists, Wxttsart, Rozalita and Stika.

Wxttsart, Albert Park Place, Bristol, January 2022
Wxttsart, Albert Park Place, Bristol, January 2022

On the left of the triptych is a wonderful ‘Milk’ piece of graffiti writing by Wxttsart. I have seen a lot of his work about the place, but I think that this might be the first time I have posted anything by him. It will not be the last.

Rozalita, Albert Park Place, Bristol, January 2022
Rozalita, Albert Park Place, Bristol, January 2022

The centrepiece, and my favourite part of the collaboration is by Rozalita. I have said plenty in recent weeks about her diversification, and this is yet another outstanding example of her progress and development. It is a wonderful and slightly peculiar portrait piece with loads of expression and interest. Very lively.

Stika, Albert Park Place, Bristol, January 2022
Stika, Albert Park Place, Bristol, January 2022

To the right is some fine writing from Stika whose ability to switch from writing to character pieces is second to none. There is something quite logical, mathematical and regimented in his writing here, and it has a uniqueness to it. The colours match those of Wxttsart, and bring a completeness to the whole collaboration. Some lovely stuff here.

Wxttsart, Rozalita and Stika, Albert Park Place, Bristol, January 2022
Wxttsart, Rozalita and Stika, Albert Park Place, Bristol, January 2022

4205. Devon Road (14)

Devon Road is one of those street art/graffiti spots where the turnover is pretty low and consequently not a place I visit all that often. Recently, however, there has been quite a lot of activity from the LRS crew. This mobile phone piece from Stika being one of the newest.

Stika, Devon Road, Bristol, January 2022
Stika, Devon Road, Bristol, January 2022

This is the second piece from Stika I have posted like this, in which he has painted an ordinary household object, but given it a colourful makeover. The first was a camcorder at Greenbank. The phone looks  little like my first Nokia, and it looks like the snake game is playing out on the primitive digital display. How quickly things have moved on. A very nice stylised piece from Stika.

4191. M32 cycle path (158)

The LRS crew have really increased their profile in Bristol over the last year or two with Decay, Werm, 3F fino, and Sitka leading the way, and this is a wonderful recent collaboration for 3F fino and Stika (Apex_alloy) on the M32 cycle path.

3F fino, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2022
3F fino, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2022

Although this was a collaborative wall, the two elements are discrete and stand-alone. To the left is an interesting piece from 3F fino, with a pair of embracing characters, keeping their identities hidden with head/face scarves, which is a theme to be found in many of the artist’s pieces.

Stika, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2022
Stika, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2022

The other half of this wall is a fabulous Calvin and Hobbes piece by Stika, and what a brilliant piece it is, really showcasing Stika’s versatility. There is something really touching.no and heartwarming about this cartoon duo and Stika has captured that warmth perfectly in this piece. An absolutely cracking collaborative wall with two fine pieces.

4182. Greenbank (22)

For every piece that I post on Natural Adventures from Greenbank, there are probably a further twenty or so that never actually make it, which gives you some idea of just how many pieces there are on this long wall (hoarding).

Stika, Greenbank, Bristol, November 2021
Stika, Greenbank, Bristol, November 2021

This rather unusual piece, but all the better for it, is by Stika, AKA Apex_aloy, who has made a couple of appearances on this blog before. Everyday objects can be a surprising inspiration for artists, as this ‘camcorder’ seems to be for Stika. Another artist who is inspired by everyday objects is Merny, and both uses colour to the max. There is a charm about this piece, and an artist’s signature to be proud of. I’ll be on the hunt to find another Stika piece soon.

3884. M32 Cycle path (136)

When I saw this piece for the first time, I was instantly drawn to it – there was something about the form and colours and of course the penguin. It had been painted alongside work from LRS artists Eman and 3F fino, but I didn’t know who the artist was. I got lucky a week or two later when I met the artist, Apex_aloy, during a paint jam at Cumberland Basin and was able to put a name to the piece.

Apex_aloy, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, July 2021
Apex_aloy, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, July 2021

I believe Apex_aloy comes from a town near Bristol and visits from time to time, which is something I’ll have to look out for. I had difficulty making out the letters initially, but they spell out STIKA, and have been worked nicely to complement the colours of the penguin. The piece was painted freehand and has turned out rather well. A few more minutes working on the backwash would have taken it up a level… small details. Looking forward to seeing more from Apex_aloy.