Hemper’s odyssey continues with this rather nice chrome piece alongside the M32 motorway. He seems to be omnipresent at the moment and is stretching his creativity to the maximum.
Hemper, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, February 2025
This piece is perhaps a little bit more conventional for Hemper, in so much as it is not too different from pieces he has been producing in the past. What makes it special is that as chrome pieces go (which are often a little rushed or crude) this is one of the best examples you will find. The writing, spelling HEMS is relatively low-key, but decorated to a higher standard than most chromies, and the finishing, borders etc, is completely on-point. More to come soon from a man on a mission.
Although he has been present across the city for a few years, Foksymoron (great name) has upped his game in the last few months and is becoming more prominent in both placement and size of his pieces.
Foksymoron, River Avon, Bristol, February 2025
This fox, alongside the River Avon fits the space really well, looking as if the for is loitering with intent. Hands in pockets and looking rather pleased with his cool look, the fox is a simple design which Foksymoron seems to be able to replicate with considerable ease. Bristol foxes… part of our urban furniture, both real and painted.
Today’s posts will have to be the quickest ever. I am staying in Godalming and running a workshop today and forgot to write the blog posts last night, so am squeezing these ones in before breakfast. This is a fine symmetrical piece by Werm on the long wall at Cumberland Basin.
Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2025
At first glance, this doesn’t look too much different from many of his other pieces, but look a little closer and you can see that the subtle fill to the letters is contiguous throughout all the letters, which is a tried and tested technique by graffiti writers, and executed really well here by Werm.
Creamylines, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2025Creamylines, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2024Creamylines, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2024Creamylines, Brunel Way, Bristol, February 2024Creamylines, Leonard Lane, Bristol, November 2023Creamylines, M32 Spot, Bristol, July 2023Creamylines, BB Gallery, Bristol, December 2022Creamylines, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2022Creamylines, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2022Creamylines, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2022
If, like me, you are interested in numbers, today’s post contains a rising sequence of numbers – 6789. In our base ten counting system, this is the last time this true sequence will be possible, because 78910 doesn’t work, and also even if it did I’d have to be writing posts for the next 100 years or more. Actually, I am wrong, so ignore that. The next number that will work is 12345, which I might reach if I carry on for 10 more years. Enough with the numbers already.
I am always delighted when Bean returns to Bristol and lets us know that he is alive and well. I hope that when he is finished for the summer with his studies, he will get busy on our streets.
Bean, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025
I believe Bean to be one of the great talents emerging from the Bristol scene. His character pieces are growing in sophistication and here he has combined a joyful youth with the letters BEAN, which are reversed out on his T-shirt. There is a message ‘positivity and all that jazz’ which is either speaking to the viewer or to himself or, perhaps, both. I take energy and hope from this piece.
Biers was one of the first graffiti writers I met in Bristol, and back then he used to write the letters BIERS. He has undergone a few reinventions since then and currently writes WD40. I noticed yesterday that he has dropped off Instagram and hope that this is a temporary thing, and wonder if it signals another name change (probably not).
Biers, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2025
This is a nicely painted squat piece on the roundabout. Lately he has been painting fewer combination pieces incorporating characters, and concentrating on his letters, which in my view is a pity, because I rather liked his character interventions. This piece is on-point, clean and crisp… unpretentious and speaks of the joy of being a graffiti writer.
Pura Decadencia, Greenbank, Bristol, February 2025
Painted alongside a piece I featured recently by Desi, this super writing by Pura Decadencia took me several attempts to photograph on account of the wrong light conditions each time I visited. This third attempt was, as you can see, was on an unusually welcome overcast day.
Pura Decadencia, Greenbank, Bristol, February 2025
Pura has been teaming up with Desi on a couple of occasions now, and they seem to be bringing out the best in each other. Pura’s letters are clear, regular and quite large, providing plenty of scope for playing about with fills. She has nicely blended three pink tones and added in some reversed spots to jazz things up a little. The atmospheric background is in a style I am seeing more frequently on the streets at the moment, a particular favourite technique used by Sub, for example. No vampire teeth this time, but a fine example of Pura Decadencia’s work.
Cornico and Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025
The curved wall at Dean Lane has played host to so many fabulous pieces (and some not so fabulous). This collaboration from Conrico and Daz Cat is a wonderful piece, full of creativity and colour, with the two distinct styles coming together in great harmony.
Cornico and Daz Cat, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025
The left hand side of the wall belongs to Conrico, who has written his name in one of his familiar landscapes, with a distant monster that might be Godzilla emerging from the stylised choppy sea. To the right, Daz Cat has painted a sage-like old fish/axolotl type character watches on as if he might have the answer to an unknown question. Is that an orange platypus in his packet? Lots of stories in this brilliant collaboration.
I don’t visit this spot as often as some of the others, as it is a little further to drive for me and more difficult to squeeze into a lunchtime break. The upshot is that when I do go, there are usually a few new pieces for me to enjoy.
Omie, River Avon, Bristol, February 2025
Omie is an artist who only came onto my radar about 18 months ago, and he has been turning out a wonderful variety of pieces in that time. He is a creative artist who changes his style completely with each new piece. The more I look at this one, the more I like it.
His chunky block letters in two shades of green and with a deep drop shadow are decorated with what I can only describe as what looks like drizzles of chocolate sauce or marmite (take your pick) running through the midline. A really clever idea and beautifully executed. The letters are set on a contrasting background of pink and orange bubbles, which provide contrast and help the piece stand out on the busy wall. Great stuff.
Face 1st, Zake and Soap, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2025
It was great to see this PWA collaboration recently, something that is a little less frequent these days now that Face 1st has moved away from Bristol, but true to his word, he does still come back now and again to decorate our streets. Here he is joined by Zake and Soap.
Face 1st, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2025
Face 1st has been experimenting with his letters recently, and perhaps it is a way of refining his technique and growing himself as an artist. There is a symmetry to the letters which spell out Face First, painted in a deep gold colour which contrasts with the pink background and sets the colour theme for the whole collaboration.
Zake, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2025
The centrepiece is a character face painted by Zake, with all the depth we are used to seeing in his work created by the use of light and shade. Zake has cleverly picked up on the gold colour and used it as the bottom-lit element, highlighting his character’s features.
Soap, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2025
Rounding off the triptych is a piece of writing from Soap, who also appears to be trying something a little different. His letters look like a halfway house towards calligraffiti, with some order and form to the letters in terms of shape and size, and some interesting details creeping in. A truly wonderful PWA collaboration from three beating hearts of the Bristol street/graffiti art scene.
Natural adventures 