Street art – Page 18 – Natural adventures

7246. Frome Side (60)

Totosoapcity, Frome Side, Bristol, September 2025

Frome Side, as I like to call it, is a spot that runs underneath a stretch of the M32. The concrete walls are on either side of the canalised River Frome, and crossing from one side to the other is perilous to say the least, across slender concrete slabs, about 2ft wide without a handrail. I tend to remain on the east bank, where the access is, and photograph the west bank from there, looking across the river. This piece from Totosoapcity was on the far west bank.

Totosoapcity has a unique and easy to recognise letter style which tends to remain pretty much as standard from piece to piece, and it is the decoration and fill that provides variation. The letters ARS(Z)A have a symmetry about them, and are filled with an unusual selection of colours in a radiating geometric pattern. The background is decorated with what looks like piles of rocks. Interesting stuff from Totosoapcity.

7245. Dean Lane skate park (876)

Pekoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2025

This small piece by Pekoe marks the return of her ‘XXX hates fascists’, theme, which in this instance declares that is it Bristol that hates fascists, and one can be on fairly safe ground that it is indeed the case. It would look odd if somebody raised a hand and said “well, actually, I quite like fascists” – we know that they are out there though.

The piece was painted for Dean Lane Hardcore, I think. I feel that I haven’t seen enough of Pekoe’s work this year, and there has been a period of quiet from the regular drumbeat of RBF (Resting Bitch Face) paint jams this year – Family life seems to be a factor for some members. As ever, I look forward to more from Pekoe.

7244. Frome Side (59)

Sketch, Frome Side, Bristol, September 2025

Finding my way back down to the Frome Side spot after it had been gated off for a while was a bit of a treat, because there were plenty of new pieces and a handful of new artists waiting for me. Ont of the new artists is Sketch, who has been fairly busy underneath the M32.

This Picassoesque column piece really appeals to me. Of course the style is wholly derivative, but there is no shame in that at all, because the same could be said of most art. The features of the character are painted in black and white, set on a background of colours in the broad shape of a head. I think I met sketch a while back, and he told me he was learning and practicing, which is great to hear. As he develops, he will get bolder with his black lines, and stronger definition. I love this and celebrate this relative newcomer.

7243. Dean Lane skate park (875)

It feels like Asre’s comeback is complete. He is painting pretty frequently all over Bristol, although he has switched in the large part from his character portraits to his writing, and appears to be enjoying it.

This is a particularly neat piece from Asre, with some great colours, and precision throughout. The letters are beautifully filled reds and oranges decorated with reversed-out spots. The bold black border is thick and strong, helping the letters to stand out. The piece is set on blue ‘clouds’ which also have strong black outlines – a typical element of Asre’s work. Lots more to come from the artist.

7242. Greville Smyth Park (5)

Paul Monsters, Greville Smyth Park, Bristol, October 2025

I have just swigged down half a cup of cold coffee, a regrettable decision, but one that has brought about a bit of focus for the day. Lots of things I have to do before settling down to the Arsenal v Crystal Palace match this afternoon. Weekends are short, too short, there is never enough time to do the things I must do and the things I want to do.

This is an absolute belter from Paul Monsters painted on the small building up at the bowling green in Greville Smyth Park, a spot often reserved for Upfest pieces, but with a small turnover between festivals.

Paul Monsters is known for for his outstanding geometrical designs and use of complementary colours to create light and shade which adds depth to his work. In this piece he has combined geometric crosses with concentric circles from the centre, an incredibly technical piece of artwork. Brilliant stuff, although I’m not too sure the dog was overly captivated.

7241. Leonard Lane (50)

Alex Arnell, Leonard Lane, Bristol, October 2025

Every once in a while, Alex Arnell makes a visit to Bristol, and when he does, he seems to gravitate towards Leonard Lane, an ancient narrow lane that used to be the boundary of the old city wall. Over the years it has been a favourite ‘safe spot’ for graffiti and street artists, although recently many of the walls have been buffed, perhaps in an effort to tidy up the lane.

Alex Arnell, whose characters are grotesque and nightmarish, has cleverly painted eight panes of glass on this window, with one screaming skeletal character in each. This is outstanding placement and use of an existing feature, although the owners of the window might argue with that. Alex Arnell’s scribbled style is pretty unique and negates the need for a signature. On this trip he left a few pieces, so watch this space for more.

7240. M32 roundabout J3 (723)

Noise, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2025

Although the letters in this piece are a little skinnier than one might expect from Noise, they are nonetheless unmistakably his. Of course, the fact that the letters spell NOISE removes any doubt whatsoever about the artist.

I would say that this is, in my view, one of Noise’s best pieces yet. By thinning his letters, he has created more scope for borders and intricate design, that perhaps his fatter letters restrict a little. The two tones of red and orange throughout are beautifully blended, and perfectly offset by the light blue border highlight. Even the grey buffed wall has been disrupted and made more interesting with some cracks. A really nice piece.

7239. Cumberland Basin

Minto, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2025

It has been rather good to see Minto maintaining a regular drumbeat of pieces going this year, continuing on from a strong 2024. This piece has quite a heavy feel to it, probably exacerbated by the dark blue buff background, which I fear slightly dominates the overall presentation.

In my mind, Minto’s work feels like it has been deconstructed and then reconstructed, like an apple crumble on Masterchef. There is a lot of busy work and colour throughout the writing, which spells a well disguised MINTO. There are lots of shapes and design elements which appear to have been carefully thought out, and which come together nicely to create the whole. I thought this would be a good time to share an updated gallery of his work.

7238. Brunel Way (339)

Mr Crawls, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2025

This little wall (the remains of a waterworks outbuilding) can be seen from the Brunel Way flyover, and so it is quite easy to spot when it has been repainted. I confess that when I first saw the piece from a distance, I thought it was by Mote, having many of the characteristics of his artwork. On closer inspection, though, I had doubts and considered it might be a Mote/Mr Crawls combo. It turns out that it is a Mr Crawls solo piece.

The character is unlike anything I have seen from Mr Crawls before, and the hatching in the pupils of the eyes (a Mote thing) definitely caught me out. The ghostly character looks slightly downbeat, but has something about it that makes it quite compelling. It will be interesting to see if this is an idea that Mr Crawls will develop further.

7237. St Werburghs tunnel (530)

Bags and Biers, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2025

This is a great collaboration from time-honoured members of the No Frills crew, Bags and Biers (WD40). Bags has been out an about a fair bit this year, but Biers is rediscovering his mojo (I hope), having had a period of poor motivation with respect to painting walls.

Bags, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2025

To the left, the familiar BAGS letters are filled in the two-colour way that he appears to like doing, and he includes some colour coordinated spots for decoration. The tear drops surrounding the piece add movement, looking like cartoon perspiration, if that makes any sense at all. The white highlights add just that little bit of depth to lift the letters.

Biers, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2025

At last Biers has painted a combination piece, something that is a bit of a trademark of his, and he includes the iconic comic character Inspector Gadget, although in this piece he calls him ‘Inspect Her Gadgets’ whilst examining a sex toy. The letters spell out WD40 and are really nicely presented. If you are wondering why I call him Biers, it is because that is what he was writing when I first encountered him. Below is the first of his pieces I ever posted.

	Cethru Cellophane on 7412. BB Gallery (11)
	scooj on 7408. Greenbank (177)
	Cethru Cellophane on 7408. Greenbank (177)
	scooj on Thursday doors – 15 Janu…
	scooj on Thursday doors – 15 Janu…

	Cethru Cellophane on 7412. BB Gallery (11)
	scooj on 7408. Greenbank (177)
	Cethru Cellophane on 7408. Greenbank (177)
	scooj on Thursday doors – 15 Janu…
	scooj on Thursday doors – 15 Janu…

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