Tag: Street art

5042. Sparke Evans Park (63)

Stivs, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, February 2023
Stivs, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, February 2023

Stivs is definitely best known for his calligraffiti writing, which is straight out of the top drawer, but recently he has been treating us to his talents as a character artist, and I am seriously impressed with what he is painting, including this new belter in Spark Evans Park.

Stivs, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, February 2023
Stivs, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, February 2023

I have met Stivs with his dog, Mozarella, a couple of times in recent days, and he definitely seems to be enjoying his character pieces as much as his calligraffiti. The piece is entitled ‘Chop’ and in his Instagram post Stivs references the film Ninja Scroll, and it would seem this is an homage to the Japanese animation. The artwork is outstanding, with brilliant use of shading on the flesh, to give depth. What a privilege to have such a talented artist in Bristol.

5041. Cheltenham Road

Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023
Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023

Rowdy doesn’t paint all that often, so it is always a huge pleasure to see his work when he does. This shop is literally around the corner from where I live, and has recently had a facelift, painted by Rowdy. It had already had the Rowdy treatment before, but this is a serious upgrade.

Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023
Rowdy, Cheltenham Road, Bristol, February 2023

Of course, we have Rowdy’s famous crocodile design, not just one, but a float of them (correct collective noun – a bask, if they are on land). It is the reclining cat, however, on the top panel that steals the show for me, a cat that has appeared sveral times elsewhere in Bristol, which makes me think that I ought to publish a Rowdy gallery sometime soon.

5040. St Werburghs tunnel (355)

Billy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2022
Billy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2022

This magnificent piece by Billy is almost exactly a year old, and although it didn’t last long, it is a poignant reminder that Ukraine is not the only country suffering at the hands of Russian aggression. As Billy says to the left of the piece: “‘My home’ Drawing by a boy from Syria in a workshop I once did – Billy”

Billy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2022
Billy, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2022

Billy’s naive style lends itself very well to replicating the work of children. This composition has a clear message that is delivered with utter simplicity. The horror of war on the left, and the green and pleasant place we call home on the right. When thee two forces meet, there tends to be only one winner. This piece could equally well apply to any war zone, but it somehow feels appropriate to post it on the day after the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Thank you, Billy.

5039. M32 Cycle path (198)

Desi, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, February 2023
Desi, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, February 2023

This VEIL piece brings a splash of colour to the overhang under the M32 on the cycle path. Desi seems to prefer writing VEIL these days, and I have no complaints about that at all, the letters work well and allow her to express herself the way she likes to.

Desi, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, February 2023
Desi, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, February 2023

The word that springs to mind every time I see this is ‘colourful’ and when the photograph was sitting as a thumbnail in my ‘February folder’ it stood out from the crowd. Definitely an attention grabber. Nice letters, nicely presented, and another piece in Desi’s growing portfolio.

5038. Cumberland Basin

Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023
Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023

Another day and another monster character from Mote, although this one is a little different from his others. I am guessing that this is a representation of a jellyfish kind of creature, and the wobbly border line would probably confirm this.

Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023
Mote, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023

Unusually, Mote has signed this piece and I can’t think of any other occasion when he has done this, so that comes as a bit of a surprise. If I am honest, I’m not sure that the wobbly line thing works too well, but it is great to see the artist experimenting and stretching himself. Another one for the menagerie.

5037. Greenbank (73)

Erika 0007 9-11 Feb 2023_edited
Erika 0007 9-11 Feb 2023_edited

The PWA crew have had a few joyful paint jams this year, and this wonderful piece from Face 1st is part of a collaboration on the Greenbank hoardings. I cannot express how much pleasure it gives me to chronicle the work of Face 1st, and since I first started writing about street art in 2015, Face 1st has been an ever-present, growing and adapting his style.

Face 1st, Greenbank, Bristol, February 2023
Face 1st, Greenbank, Bristol, February 2023

I have no idea what the ‘spicy beef’ thing is all about, but it made me smile. Face 1st’s cheeky girl is having a lot of fun, and like so many of his pieces in the last year or two, her face is covered in mess, but it doesn’t seem to bother her. There is so much to enjoy in this piece.

5036. Brunel Way (193)

Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2023
Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2023

Although he is not as prolific as he once was, Mr Draws is one of the constants in Bristol graffiti writing. Periods of absence are punctuated with little reminders that one of Bristol’s most enduring artists is out there and still active. This is a nice one under Brunel Way.

Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2023
Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2023

Mr Draws presents another of his curvy DRAW! letter combinations, picked out with some hreat 3D drop-shadows and border. The colour transitions fill the letters nicely, and I particularly like the black highlights around the edges of the letters. As long as Mr Draws paints them, I will post them.

5035. Cumberland Basin

Nightwayss, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023
Nightwayss, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023

The monkeys are back – at least for a fleeting moment. This piece was painted by Nightwayss, who recently returned to Bristol for a visit and kindly left us this reminder of the talent that we lost last year. It is always good when artists return the their former home city and drop a piece.

Nightwayss, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023
Nightwayss, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023

Even the dog was pleased to see this graffiti writing piece. The departure of Nightwayss has left a hole in the street art scene and the PWA crew that he used to enjoy painting with. I hope that this will be the first of many return trips.

Nightwayss, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023
Nightwayss, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023

The piece spells out NIGHT in a nicely selected palette of blue pink and red colours, but it is the monkey that continues to steal the show for me. I do miss them.

5034. M32 roundabout J3 (452)

Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2023
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2023

This is a cracking Soap piece from another recent PWA paint jam – these guys are certainly getting busy, and with the days starting to get noticeably longer I would expect to see quite a lot more from them in the coming weeks and months.

Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2023
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2023

Soap appears to have moved on quite a bit from his skull/mouth days and has been having fun writing SOAP with a combination of characters and incredible fills and details. The Ice King cartoon character is becoming a regular feature in his work, and in this piece the ‘A’ of SOAP is a lovely nod to his PWA friend Face 1st. This is a dazzling and fin piece from Soap.

5033. Dean Lane skate park (567)

Dibz, Rusk and Shade One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Dibz, Rusk and Shade One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

Three of Bristol’s best artists have come together to paint this outstanding collaboration in Dean Lane. Dibz, Rusk and Shade One are not strangers to this wall, but they have absolutely smashed it on this occasion, in a touching tribute to Shimmer (Shimz).

Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

On the left is a gorgeously perfect chrome piece by Dibz, which could equally well spell DIBZ or SHIMZ (I wonder if the ambiguity was deliberate). Everything about this is on-point, and there is a rather nice little SHIMZ shout-out in the top left.

Rusk, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Rusk, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

Rusk and Shade One have been busy in this spot lately, and I think this is the third collaboration they have enjoyed this year. I don’t really need to tell you how much I admire Rusk’s work. He is one of the most meticulous artists in Bristol, and will always strive to ensure his work is flawless. There is a lovely yellow pattern in this piece that flow seamlessly across the letters.

Shade One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Shade One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023

Finally, the portrait piece on the right by Shade One is, I assume, depicting Shimmer, as the Shimz RIP in the top corner would suggest. The greyscale photorealistic portrait is one of Shade One’s best to date, and the bar is pretty high. The collaboration is a fabulous one, and it will be a brave person indeed who is the first to paint over it.

Dibz, Rusk and Shade One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023
Dibz, Rusk and Shade One, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2023