Tag: Street art

2612. M32 Cycle path (43)

Yet another fine PWA (Pirate Wall Art) production from Soap and Face 1st down under the M32 along the cycle path. I think that this is quite a good wet-weather spot, because there is a small overhang to protect the wall and artists from the rain.

Soap, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, November 2019
Soap, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, November 2019

On the left is a ‘traditional’ soap face, with two mouths agape. Looked at onother way, the shape can be seen as a kind of skull, with the mouths forming the eyes or eye sockets – that’s what I see at least.

Face 1st, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, November 2019
Face 1st, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, November 2019

On the right is a Face 1st ‘beauty’ in a rather unseemly situation, vomiting toxic looking stuff. Now I’ve noticed that in recent weeeks Face 1st has been animating his faces with things like this, to tell more of a story than simply creating a pretty thing to look at. His faces are beginning to convey sadness, frustration, disgust, nausea and so on. An interesting development and great to see.

2611. Moon Street (78)

I like treasure hunting, especially when each time you find a treasure, like this one by Mutatee, it comes as a wonderful and fulfilling surprise. I think that hunting for and photographing street art is a wholesome substitute for trying to generate likes on Twitter or Facebook or getting that micro-buzz of endorphine every time you receive a message on your mobile phone.

Personally, few things irritate me more than people’s phones buzzing, ringing, twittering, ding-a-linging upon which they’ll abruptly end a conversation, leave the room (metaphorically), check the offensive communicator (Star Trek reference) and only then return to the conversation saying ‘where were we?’ (we?… I’ve been here all the time you idiot). You know the kind of thing. Grrrr. Ranty bit over, I’m not too sure where it came from but it felt great to get it off my chest.

Mutatee, Moon Street, Bristol, November 2019
Mutatee, Moon Street, Bristol, November 2019

Back to Mutatee – she is the bringer of my little endorphine snacks and this little charmer high up on a wall in Moon Street is one of a bunch dotted about the City – I recently spotted another one that I’ll have to photograph next time I pass by on foot – so many more to come from this creative and imaginative installation artist.

2610. Stokes Croft

Oh what a beauty… a little piece of heaven just dropped onto the wall beneath Banksy’s Mild Mild West, and it is an absolute humdinger by Hazard. Painted only last week, Hazard has smashed it out of the park (to use a modern phrase – my kids would be laughing if they read this, but not much chance of that ever happening).

Hazard, Stokes Croft, Bristol, November 2019
Hazard, Stokes Croft, Bristol, November 2019

I love Hazard’s work, and it is great to see that she is capable of so much more than her trademark portraits. This piece is so good in my view that I actually think it is my favourite of hers… ever. She has captured the colours and proportions of the pigeon perfectly and has somehow created an irridescence on the bird’s breast with greens, whites, yellows and purples – what a job eh? And.., the flowers, flipping heck, the flowers!

I think I might be able to call myself a pigeon fancier, at least this pigeon.

I believe that there is some explanation on the fence in front of this piece, but it wasn’t there when I took these pictures, so I can’t tell you what it says.

Happy days.

2609. St Werburghs tunnel (114)

Another visit to Bristol from Elvs and this time bringing several wonderful shades of pink. I think that this was painted as part of a collaborative section of wall in St Werburghs tunnel, but I’m not sure ay all who painted the rather fun Pink Panther on the left.

Elvs, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2019
Elvs, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2019

Elvs has such a unique style which if you look at analytically is based on a solid block of letters and a 3D edge (in black) upon which fine line detail has been added and of course a masterful horizontally graded fill. Seems straightforward, but I’m sure it has taken years to perfect. A really classy piece of writig.

2608. Dean Lane skate park (265)

Well, so long as Slim Pickings keeps churning out his magnificent TES pieces, I’ll continue to post them. As always his work is clean, sharp and he has some decent colour selections although I fear there might be just a little bit too much contrast between the letter colours and the green and yellow background.

Slim Pickings (Tes), Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2019
Slim Pickings (Tes), Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2019

I have a great many pieces by Slim Pickings in my archive and I’m just waiting for a lean period to publish them (the chance would be a fine thing). More to come in due course – maybe I feel a gallery coming on…

 

 

2607. M32 Cycle path (42)

I would hope that regular readers of Natural Adventures would recognise this sinister pair as being the work of Laic217, an artist who has appeared on these pages with great regularity and whose work just seems to get better and better.

Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2019
Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2019

On the left we see a skeleton draped with themes and motifs that Laic217 has been using for some years now, such as a bucket hat with a rather animated smiley on the front, multiple sets of eyes behind the glasses, and a distorted, exaggerated mouth/jaw. This skeletal character, holding a spray can is being led to one side by… is it Satan himself?

Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2019
Laic217, M32 cycle path, Bristol, November 2019

The satanic character brings colour to the piece and a little menace too. He seems to be directing the hand of the skeleton, clutching a spray can, perhaps forcing him to paint the wall. Is this in some way autobiographical? or something else altogether? This is an interesting composition once more beautifully painted by Laic217. Another keeper for the gallery.

 

 

2606. M32 roundabout J3 (180)

This is a beautiful and touching tribute piece by Bnie to her late grandfather – or so I understand. I love the way that street art can accommodate such public and overt ways of recognising one’s loved ones.

Bnie, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2019
Bnie, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2019

The piece itself is beautifully painted with soft tones of green and purple, and it has a sombre feel to it. Her mastery of fading the colours acoss the letters is really improving and the 3D fill is really interesting. I am drawn to the zebra stipe decoration at the top of the piece above the A – it is a halo I think – I know that Bnie has been favouring this pattern recently and it is great to see it here.

2605. Ashley Road (20)

Guess who has been back in town… yes it’s qWeRT and this is the first of a few new wheatpastes I have found dotted about the place. I actually took this picture from the car window (I was in a traffic queue for lights) because I am inherently lazy and also because I was sitting right next to it and the opportunity was too good to miss.

qWeRT, Ashley Road, Bristol, November 2019
qWeRT, Ashley Road, Bristol, November 2019

I am really liking qWeRT’s theme at the moment which is centered around love, something we could all do with a little more of these days. I travel along this road often enough to guess that qWeRT’s visit to Bristol was within the last fortnight or so. I’m keeping my eyes peeled for more of this googly eyed sprite… watch this space.

2604. Nova Scotia (2)

I have said it before on Natural Adventures, that there are so many rewards to be had from changing what you do, the habits you get into, and recently I completely changed my lunchtime stroll to skirt around the harbourside area. I finally got round to seeing this family of rabbits by Nevergiveup which made the alteration to my usual stroll utterly worth it. I switched it up with great success.

Nevergiveup, Nova Scotia, Bristol, November 2019
Nevergiveup, Nova Scotia, Bristol, November 2019

I think that this might just be my favourite rabbit work by Nevergiveup. A near perfect grouping of magnificent colours and fortunately for me and the timing of the picture, looking fantastically Autumnal. There is some fine detail on these bunnies that indicates that he spent a little bit more time painting them perhaps than some of his other pieces. Somehow, for me, his brand #followmyrabbits culminates in this little cluster, it is just brilliant.

2603. Cumberland Road (1)

Last week I found one of the older pieces by our resident philosopher in Bristol, #DFTE. This particular piece of motivational wordsmithing is a little more prescriptive than some of other ponderings, it says:

Life Doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by change

I suspect winners of the national lottery might disagree. I like the fact that by simply changing one letter (a C for a G) the whole phrase is repositioned – clever wordplay.

#DFTE, Cumberland Road, Bristol, November 2019
#DFTE, Cumberland Road, Bristol, November 2019

Somehow #DFTE finds some great spots to position his work – it is half the skill in what he does and this one is magnificent. I have probably driven and walked past it several times and never noticed it – you have to look up, which is the cas with many of his framed phrases. #DFTE is a street art hunter’s dream, because he will place his works away from the usual spots, so finding things feels like an extra big treat. Looking forward to finding another one.