Tag: Stivs

4828. Brunel Way (180)

Stivs, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022
Stivs, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022

Writing about street art and graffiti here on Natural Adventures isn’t a very slick operation. Because of the volume of artwork appearing on the streets of Bristol every day, it is pretty much impossible for me to keep up and report on pieces photographed yesterday or the day before. The time-lag is about three weeks, and that is why you are seeing this magnificent Halloween piece from Stivs on 21 November!

Stivs, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022
Stivs, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022

As ever, the calligraffiti offered by Stivs is of the highest order, and spells out ‘Halloween’, in the colours of the festival – green, purple and orange. It is funny how these colours have become adopted as the colours of Halloween… I guess the orange and green come from the pumpkin, and the purple is just a colour that complements them well. Anyhow, this is an absolute belter from Stivs.

4752. M32 roundabout J3 (433)

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2022
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2022

This piece is another fabulous tribute to Sear by Stivs. Hidden behind a small tree on the M32c roundabout, this calligrafitti piece brings out all that is best in Stivs, including his compassion for a fellow artist.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2022
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2022

The rich colours painted on a black background have a rather sombre tone and are perfectly fitting for a tribute piece.  The letters are beautifully proportioned and regular in size, with near-perfect accuracy and tightness. The drips simply add a great finishing touch.

4725. St Werburghs tunnel (311)

Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022
Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022

It is always tough to lose those we love and care about, and no matter how often it happens, it doesn’t seem to get any easier. Grief is a powerful and important emotion, and through it we remember what we have lost. Stivs has painted several tribute pieces for his friend Sear, and each one is a touching reminder.

Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022
Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022

This piece, at the farm-side entrance to the tunnel combines Stivs’ calligraffiti with a little bit of landscape in the orange circles. The colours are eye-catching and the whole thing on-point, although the lettering and the circles look a little bit out of balance, but maybe that is just me. A fine tribute from a loyal friend.

4660. M32 roundabout J3 (425)

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2022
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2022

Stivs has been knocking it out of the park lately, even more so than usual. Following on from his hugely impressive Sear tribute pieces he has created this wonderful birthday shout-out for a friend, Jane Barrow.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2022
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2022

The beautifully colourful letters in calligraffiti style spell out POGE or PAGE, I think, but I don’t know the relevance of the letters. It matters not what they say, because the colours, design and overall composition are outstanding. Can Stivs attain a higher level yet? I expect so.

4650. Dean Lane skate park (520)

Stivs, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, August 2022
Stivs, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, August 2022

Stivs has painted another tribute piece to Sear, and it is an absolute belter. In this piece, Stivs has used his skills at calligraffiti to great effect, creating an astounding backdrop of the word Sear written in patterns. I can’t think how long this would have taken to paint, but it is clearly a labour of love.

Stivs, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, August 2022
Stivs, Dean Lane skate park, Bristol, August 2022

The decorative calligraffiti patterns serve as ‘host’ for the magnificent multicoloured ‘SEAR’ in the centre of the piece. The letters stand out proud from the rest of the wall and are a welcome feast for the eyes. It is touching to see how artists have marked the loss of one of their friends. What a great gift a tribute can be.

4609. Cumberland Basin

From time to time, the street art community is rocked by the death of one of their fold. It might be felt by everyone or by just a few close friends. When it happens, it is common to produce tribute pieces for the departed friend, and some artists keep the tribute alive for days, weeks, months or even years, for example Haka keeping the memory of his friend CKone in our minds in most of his pieces even now.

Stivs, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022
Stivs, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022

This is one of several tribute pieces for Sear by Stivs, and there are several other tributes about the place. I haven’t ever really encountered Sear before, but he was a graffiti writer and close friend of Stivs’. This piece is a fine tribute, beautifully structured and proportioned and the colour combinations perfect. A work of love.

4531. M32 roundabout J3 (413)

One thing you can be pretty sure of is that when Stivs creates a piece, it is never sloppy or rushed, the calligraffiti style lends itself to accuracy and precision, and anything that deviates from that simply wouldn’t work. This is a lovely recent piece on the M32 roundabout.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2022
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2022

The colours are reminiscent of those used in fun fair art, and the style too. The letters are beautiful, spelling out STIVS, and the colours wonderfully matched, but it is the fills and decorations that steal the show on this one. A truly magnificent piece from Stivs

4410. Sparke Evans Park (42)

Mena is obviously a popular lady, and the turnout for her birthday paint jam was exceptional. This contribution from Stivs is an absolute beauty and a fitting tribute to Mena. The writing that spells out Menas is in his wonderful calligraffiti style and this one in particular really stands out.

Stivs, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, April 2022
Stivs, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, April 2022

The colour selection is nothing short of brilliant and possibly quite brave, where the letters, picked out in orange, pink and purple Are complemented by the turquoise surround. Stivs has picked out the 3D shading perfectly with a ‘suggestion’ of colour and stripes. Overall a superbly crafted high-quality piece of writing.

4388. River Avon (30)

It is not all that long ago, through the winter, when Stivs was producing new pieces at will and barely a week went by without one or two new works from him. This spring has been a slightly different story, and it feels like a while since I saw anything new, until I found this one on the River Avon path. Since finding this, he has been out a little more, and there are further new pieces to share with you.

Stivs, River Avon, Bristtol, April 2022
Stivs, River Avon, Bristtol, April 2022

Stivs is one of two brilliant calligraffiti artists in Bristol, that is artists who specialise in calligraphic writing. This is a real beauty in chrome with a blue 3D shadow and mint green border. Lovely regular letters spelling out STIVS. A scattering of mint dots to add a little interest, and hey presto! You have a banging burner.

4239. M32 roundabout J3 (383)

It took me a long time to get round to photographing this lovely piece of writing by Stivs, and when I got to it, the far right hand side had been ever so slightly overpainted by Elvs, but in a respectful way.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2022
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2022

Stivs has been knocking it out of the park over the last year, with each piece seemingly more complex and ornate than the last. His calligraffiti style of writing is so pleasing to the eye, but far less forgiving of mistakes, because of the uniformity of the letter style. A magnificent technical piece, painted for a friend’s birthday, it can’t get much better than this, or can it?