5280. Dean Lane skate park (605)

Hire and Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
Hire and Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

I remember quite clearly the first collaboration I saw between these two artists, and it was also the first time I encountered Hire’s work; it was in Armada place and had a vibrant pink background. That was in April 2017, and both artists have come a long way since then.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

To the left of the collaboration is a squat HIRE from Hire. There is a softening of the jagged edges he is known for, but other elements of this style are intact, such as the mid-line running through his letters. Two things help this piece stand out, the subtle flame coloured accent lines which give depth to the shadow and the solid white border, so very neat and tidy.

Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

To the right, Laic217 continues his purple patch with this typical skeleton character. As ever, the folds in the fabric of the hoodie and baseball cap are trademark skills that the artist excels at. Interestingly, the skull has an ear, which adds to the intrigue. The piece is brought to life with the red skull badge on the cap, without which the piece simply wouldn’t shout so loudly. This is a fine collaborative wall from the Polish artists.

Laic217 and Hire, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2017
Laic217 and Hire, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2017

5279. Weston-super-Mare

Sophie Long, Weston wallz, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023
Sophie Long, Weston wallz, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023

Bristol artist Sophie Long is a favourite, not only in her home city, but also on the street art festival circuit, so it is no surprise to find a piece by her in Weston-super-Mare for the Weston Wallz project. What is perhaps a little surprising is the scale of the piece, taking up two entire walls of a corner building, occupied by ‘Dolphin Square Kitchen’.

Sophie Long, Weston wallz, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023
Sophie Long, Weston wallz, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023

On the front of the building, Sophie Long has painted a happy dolphin, some coral and a jellyfish, and this fits very nicely with the restaurant below and the overarching marine theme of the Weston Wallz project, but it is what lurks on the side of the building that I expect will generate most interest.

Sophie Long, Weston wallz, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023
Sophie Long, Weston wallz, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023

The open-mouthed great white shark looks like it will be making short work of the restaurant branding – or it is targetting the 20 mile an hour sign. The piece is beautifully painted, with the mottled shades of the shark’s skin faithfully reproduced. Another fine piece in a string of amazing festival pieces from Sophie Long.

5278. Weston-super-Mare

Curtis Hylton, Weston wallz, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023
Curtis Hylton, Weston wallz, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023

The Upfest team, through the Weston Wallz project, have secured some of the most commanding walls imaginable, and handing this one to Curtis Hylton was a master stroke of vision and confidence. Rarely will you get such an uninterrupted view of an epic wall like this one, so massive congratulations to all involved

Curtis Hylton, Weston wallz, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023
Curtis Hylton, Weston wallz, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023

Many of the murals painted for Weston Wallz carry a marine theme, due to the proximity of the town to the Severn Estuary seaside. In this outstanding piece, Curtis Hylton has painted an eclectic collection of seals, an eel and some freshwater goldfish, with a rather nice starfish thrown in for good measure. The seals and eel have been given the Hylton treatment, incorporating flowers and petals into their form.

Curtis Hylton, Weston wallz, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023
Curtis Hylton, Weston wallz, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023

The attention to detail and perfect rendition of wildlife is a gift that few artists have. The goldfish, in particular, are beautifully recreated, although their presence disturbs me a little as a marine biologist, because they are out of place here. I would love to know what Curtis Hylton’s explanation might be.

Curtis Hylton, Weston wallz, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023
Curtis Hylton, Weston wallz, Weston-super-Mare, May 2023

This statement piece is a triumph and just another reason for the local people of Weston-super-Mare to be super-proud of their town. Outstanding!

5277. Frome Side (22)

Bnie and Wispa, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2023
Bnie and Wispa, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2023

I don’t venture down to this spot very often, because the access isn’t really very suitable for the dog, and I wouldn’t want to take him down there, so my trips are limited to occasions when I have some free time and am dog-free. Making the effort is usually worth it, and on the last occasion, my prize was this lovely RBF collaboration from Bnie and Wispa.

Bnie, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2023
Bnie, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2023

The pair of artists have chosen a salmon and cucumber colour scheme (were they subliminally influenced by the Garrick Club?). Bnie has painted pink BNIE letters which have the letters RBF in green (and blue) overlaid, in a very clever presentation. Neat, tidy and creative, this is another in a string of outstanding pieces of graffiti writing from Bnie.

Wispa, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2023
Wispa, Frome Side, Bristol, May 2023

Wispa has gone for a slightly lighter pink in her fill, transitioning to lilac and purple in horizontal strips. A deep 3D fill in green and black helps the writing to pop out from the wall. Wispa often adds extra value with her pieces by incorporating a character, and in this one a cuddly Kawaii rabbit adds to the cute factor. This is a lovely collaborative wall from these two great writers.

5276. Dean Lane skate park (604)

VZA (Veeez), Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
VZA (Veeez), Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

Lately, there has been a bit of a transformation in approach and style from Veeez (VZA), who has featured on Natural Adventures before, but with a rather different look. This stunning piece in Dean Lane is one of a recent series of character pieces and writing that takes the level of his work up a notch or two.

VZA (Veeez), Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
VZA (Veeez), Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

The alien character in vibrant pink and green colours absolutely smacks you in the face, determined not to be ignored. The execution is beautifully done, with some nice shading in the fills to give depth. The black lines and border are crisp and tidy, and the adoption of a second turquoise border lifts the whole piece off the door on which it is painted. Great work from Veeez, with more to come soon.

5275. Cumberland Basin

Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023
Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023

It is getting close to the time when I say something like, ‘I really ought to pull together a gallery for Werm’, and judging from his productivity over the last three years or so, and the frequency with which he has appeared on Natural Adventures recently, it definitely is that time.

Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023
Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023

Werm underwent something of a change of approach, from painting cute characters to concentrating on his writing. At about that time, he also discarded the moniker Eman and was reborn as Werm. His progress has been rapid and his technical skills and creativity have blossomed to the point where he is creating complex and busy pieces like this one. His most recent ‘formula’ is to write WERM in smaller letters at the centre of the piece, and to extend the branches of his letters with elaborate designs exploding out from the middle. It would be nice to see him deconstruct this a little and see what he can do with a simpler design. I am thoroughly enjoying recording his journey.

5274. Greenbank (82)

Wispa, Greenbank, Bristol, April 2023
Wispa, Greenbank, Bristol, April 2023

This wonderful Easter RBF paint jam piece by Wispa gives me the perfect opportunity to talk about the importance of light conditions when photographing street/graffiti art. In the first picture, the sun is coming from behind the camera, and as you can see, shadows from the trees have been cast onto the colourful WISPA letters and Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger character.

Wispa, Greenbank, Bristol, May 2023
Wispa, Greenbank, Bristol, May 2023

The same piece on a different day with the sun setting behind the hoarding, and flaring can be seen behind the piece and the colours look dull and washed-out. The lesson here is that this spot should be photographed only on overcast days. Wispa is a hugely accomplished writer who seems to be tireless, painting only a fraction of her creations in Bristol. Fabulous colour fill patterns and  character – they’re grrrrrreat.

5273. M32 roundabout J3 (478)

Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

This is another busy and eclectic piece from Kid Krishna. An explosion of sub-conscious and conscious thought pinned to a framework of graffiti letters spelling CRIE. Kid Krishna really is a unique artist and interesting character, utterly absorbed in his artwork and constantly challenging his own ideas.

Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

I was lucky enough to meet Kid Krishna just as he was starting this piece, and it is fascinating to see that his starting point was the hand in the centre. The hand and the character hint that the artist might have had a classical art education – the proportions and perspective are expertly painted.

Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023
Kid Krishna, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2023

The busy nature of the piece suggests that Kid Krishna has a busy mind, and his work reminds me a bit of Tom Miller’s brain dumps. There is always so much t look at and to try to work out. Lots more to come from Kid Krishna.

5272. Dean Lane skate park (603)

Fade, Turoe and Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
Fade, Turoe and Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

I have been droning on about how the amount of painting activity has increased over the last year or two in Bristol, but associated with this rise has been a commensurate increase in the number of collaborative walls, most of which have a short lifespan due to the high turnover. It is becoming more and more difficult to chronicle street/graffiti art, but I do my best.

Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

This triptych is by Fade, Turoe and Dibz. Starting with Fade on the left – I mentioned yesterday in my first Fade post on Natural Adventures, that we’d be seeing a lot more from the artist, and here is proof of that already. Fade’s work is really crisp, with nice solid fills and great thin black lines and thick black borders. I can’t read the letters in this piece, but it looks like a three letter sequence. This is classy work from someone who has only recently reacquainted himself with spray-painting after a long break.

Turoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
Turoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

In the middle section is a fascinating piece from Turoe, whose mastery of graffiti writing is second to none. The chrome letters, which spell TUROE or as Paul H points DIBZ (although I can read both), have a regularity and uniformity about them, and just the right amount of subtle decoration in the form of white spots. The letters contrast nicely with the diesel-blue bubbly background. Classy stuff.

Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2023

Finally, to the right, Dibz does what Dibz does. Reflecting Turoe’s choice of chrome on diesel-blue Dibz shows his utter class with wildstyle writing. I don’t know how he does it, but Dibz is painting incredibly regularly these days – maybe he has a bit more free time on his hands. The clouds accompanying all the pieces on the wall, I think, are by Fade, because they have that flatter look to them that his style has. A very nice collaborative wall.

5271. St Agnes

David Puck, St Agnes, Bristol, May 2023
David Puck, St Agnes, Bristol, May 2023

I am inherently lazy, or at least that is a self-perception reinforced by years of my mother and teachers telling me so when I was in my teens. A self-fulfilling prophecy? Maybe. I took this picture about a week ago, but am not too happy with it because of the dappled shadow cast across it. I am posting it now, however, because it is a great piece from David Puck, and I am not sure that I can be bothered to return to get a clean shot of it. There is also the factor that I rarely walk around this spot, and have other places that I prioritise.

David Puck, St Agnes, Bristol, May 2023
David Puck, St Agnes, Bristol, May 2023

I haven’t posted many pieces by David Puck, but he (they) is a Bristol artist (I think) who has painted wheatpastes in the city and some murals too. While they don’t paint a lot on the streets, their portraits are always rather attractive and engaging, and this one is a beauty. I have a feeling it might have been here for quite a while as it references Astrozeneca, which is sooo last year. A fine piece indeed.