5543. Brunel Way (236)

Dibz and Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Dibz and Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

It seems that every time I go down to Brunel Way, I will find Dibz and Fade happily redecorating the long south-facing wall under the main road. They were at it again this week with yet another imaginative co-production. This particular piece was painted a couple of weeks ago, and I caught up with them as they were nearing completion. Both artists, and Fade in particular (who has definitely bonded with my dog) are so generous with their time and happy for a chat.

Dibz and Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Dibz and Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

I am pretty certain that the Yosemite Sam character was painted by Fade (he was putting on finishing touches). More obviously, the piece on the left is by Dibz and the one on the right by Fade.

Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

When you look at the work of the two artists side-by-side, I feel that Dibz’ pieces are always a little more intricate and sharper, while Fade’s pieces have a slightly softer and gentle appearance. To me, it is baffling how each artist is able to create a style and tone that is replicable from piece to piece – these guys are amazing.

Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

On the right is Fade’s contribution. Fade has really captured the colours of cartoons, and all of his pieces have that exciting glow about them, in this case created by a gorgeous golden 3D drop shadow. Yosemite Sam is a popular character with street artists and in this instance Fade has more than done it justice. Yet more to come from this pair.

5542. Purdown (61)

Hiccup (Bloem), Purdown, Bristol, September 2023
Hiccup (Bloem), Purdown, Bristol, September 2023

Certain artists have a little ‘je ne sais quoi’ that makes their work exciting and interesting and compelling for me, and one of them is Hiccup (Bloem). Her work is highly original and eye-catching. She is working hard to improve and tries out new ideas with each piece she paints. If what she has produced so far is anything to go by, she will be a leading light in the city.

Hiccup (Bloem), Purdown, Bristol, September 2023
Hiccup (Bloem), Purdown, Bristol, September 2023

The Purdown walls tend to be square and reasonably small, perfect for honing your skills. In this piece Hiccup (Bloem) has painted a torso with interlocked hands bearing shiny bright red nails. Notable is the texture and depth that she has managed to achieve in the garment. Her style is still a little crude, but at the same time quite sophisticated too, as her technique improves, so will her finishing. A final touch… the rings on the fingers spell out ACAB – (All Cops Are Bastards).

5541. Dean Lane skate park (664)

Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023

I am posting this piece by Andy Council out of sequence, having posted a piece he painted after this one, a week ago. You didn’t necessarily need to know that, but I feel better for being transparent and accurate.

Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
Andy Council, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023

I am not going to try and guess what kind of bird this is because I will probably get it wrong – I’ll leave you to decide for yourself. Andy Council’s ‘thing’ for gratings (or radiators) has come to the fore in this piece, with the upper part of the birds wings being made up of them. There is a strong mechanical/metallic look to the bird almost as if it is clockwork – you might expect to see a wind up key embedded somewhere. This is a clever way to occupy this low wall and expertly done in my view.

5540. Brunel Way (235)

Klashwhensober, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Klashwhensober, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

I might have to do a round up of Klashwhensober’s work soon to mop up several unpublished pieces by the artist from the summer. He is so prolific, I would struggle to post each of his pieces separately. This one under Brunel Way is deserving of an individual post though.

Klashwhensober, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Klashwhensober, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

The colour selection for each of the letters might indicate that this is a dregs piece, using up half-empty cans, something you see quite a lot of. Each letter from the word SOBER has an element of depth, created by shading either side of a ridge line. The ‘O’ in particular has an anamorphic quality to it. This is a nicely worked piece from Klashwhensober. He might have left the spot a little tidier after painting though.

5539. Cumberland Basin

The Last One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023
The Last One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023

This character/writing combination is by The Last One, and is the second piece by the artist to appear on Natural Adventures… it won’t be the last. The artist has a very strong style with writing that is quite unique. I can’t quite make out the letters. At first I thought it might be ZFG, but looking at it and other pieces on Instagram, it might be LAST.

The Last One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023
The Last One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023

The character, beautifully painted, is Speedy Gonzales from Warner Brothers’ Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies cartoons. The Last One has a fabulous touch for recreating these characters, remaining faithful to the original while adding a little extra depth. I’m not sure where The Last One is based, but trips to Bristol appear to be quite regular, which is great news.

5538. St Werburghs tunnel (387)

Cobo, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023
Cobo, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023

I have only seen a few pieces by Cobo, since I met him last year, and was probably expecting to see a little more from him, so it was good to find this piece in the tunnel recently. It is possible that I might have missed some pieces, and of course he might have painted in some unusual spots, as I know he likes to paint away from the crowded places.

Cobo, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023
Cobo, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023

I think that the cats are also by Cobo, and looking through his Instagram feed, I have seen them associated with other pieces. The letters spell out COBER, painted in a chunky style, not dissimilar to the work of Noise. Great to see.

by the time I publish this post I’ll be in Exeter, on my way home from a fabulous fishing trip in Cornwall. Everything goes back to normal tomorrow.

5537. Brunel Way (234)

Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

I am not 100 percent sure that this piece by Mr Draws is quite there, but I fully admire what he is doing and that he is stretching himself, moving into new and challenging territory. He tells me he is going to be doing more of this environmentally themed work in future, although he will also still be creating his unique writing.

Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023

The inspiration for this cow piece came from a picture by George Stubbs, an artist who Mr Draws has recently come across. The cow-zebra drifts in and out of the green background that has a kind of aurora borealis look to it. An interesting and unusual style that I am assured we will be seeing more of from Mr Draws.

5536. Dean Lane skate park (643)

Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023

What an absolute belter from Cheo, an artist who has lost none of his touch during his absence, and if anything has come back to painting on the streets with renewed vigour and creativity. It took me several attempts to get a clean shot of this piece in Dean Lane, because developers, who are working on the old Salvation Army building behind, had fenced off half of this wall, much to everyone’s irritation.

Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
Cheo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023

I understand, thank you Paul H for the insight, that the piece was influenced by the Rayman video games, something I would not and could not have ever known. The beast is so brilliantly painted, and has such depth and detail that few artists would be able to recreate. Just an awesome piece from an awesome artist.

5535. St Werburghs tunnel (386)

Logoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023
Logoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023

A couple of weekends ago I bumped into Logoe just as he was finishing off his 9th piece in 24 hours or so. What! His productivity when he visits Bristol is simply off the scale. He saves up his time and paint and then blitzes the streets when he can. It all sounds a little obsessive to me, but who am I to comment?

Logoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023
Logoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023

What is notable is that even when he is rushing through the pieces, the quality of the final outcome is consistently. While we were chatting the subject of the dots arose, and I said to him that the row of little dots or ovals were fairly unique to him. It turns out that he started introducing them to his pieces to cover up little mistakes, and then they became a feature. He admitted that they are still used to cover up mistakes sometimes.

Logoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023
Logoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023

Both of these pieces, one at each end of the tunnel, are written in a cartoony script style, with thin letters, and both spelling out LOGOE, each beautifully themed with great colours. Of course the dots are there playing their part.

Logoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023
Logoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023

I am away in Cornwall at the moment, but I have a feeling that he might have paid another visit to Bristol this weekend, and if so, I’d better make sure I have enough memory on my camera.

5534. Cumberland Basin

Mr Crawls, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023
Mr Crawls, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023

Demonstrating that he is not a one-trick pony, Mr Crawls has painted this ‘stripped back’ version of one of his bird characters. Painted on a pink background, the chrome and black piece is quite unlike his other work, and shows the artist playing around with his characters.

Mr Crawls, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023
Mr Crawls, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023

I am very much enjoying Mr Crawls birds cropping up all over the city, and likening the way that he is switching things up from time to time. It is interesting to see that he has started signing his work, and I wonder if that is something to do with his level of confidence, or maybe even starting to market his brans a little. Unusual and enjoyable.