I am enjoying the regular flow of MILK from Wxttsart, and this yellow and black number from a paint jam in the tunnel a little while back is another great example of his writing that is definitely crossing-over into calligraffiti.
Wxttsart, St Werburghs, Bristol, May 2023
His two-tone grey letters have a mid-line running through them and a yellow 3D shadow dropping off to the left, providing some depth to the writing. Adding a little bit of interest are some lightening strikes at the base of the letters and a few highlight spots, without which the piece might appear to be a little flat. Some nice work from Wxttsart.
Kosc has been smashing it for a long while now, both with his arty pieces and with his writing, and this is another fabulous example of his greyscale graffiti. I managed to catch up with Kosc last week as he was painting a new piece on the M32 roundabout, unfortunately I never saw the completed piece, as the entire wall was bombed by DBK before I returned a day or two later.
Kosc, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023
With clever use of light and dark shades and a midline ridge running through each of the letters, Kosc has managed to get the letters to pop out from the wall, creating a wonderful 3D effect. I would like to see Kosc experiment with anamorphic writing, because I think he would be excellent at it, and we don’t seem to have any anamorphic writers in Bristol at the moment, other than Zase. Another fine piece from Kosc.
Last year, Maybe sprayed a piece that was all about hay fever, and the fact that this recent piece under Brunel Way is not dissimilar, leads me to believe that Maybe might be a pollen sufferer at this time of year. The main difference between the pieces is that this one is a little more direct and graphic in its content.
Maybe, Brunel Way, Bristol, May 2023
Those of a fragile disposition should look away, as the character in the piece has her finger deeply inserted into her nostril, while green bogey faces (I am guessing) look on from the sidelines. The piece is nicely painted, creative and a little bit edgy in a schoolboy humour kind of way. Maybe certainly keeps us on our toes with his ideas and unique style.
Laic217, Sako and Zake, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2023
Zake has been involved in a lot of collaborations already this year, but this one is a bit unusual, in that it includes Laic217 and Sako (an artist I am not familiar with). The collaboration is one in which the artists share a broad colour scheme, but each piece is discrete.
Laic217, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2023
Starting on the left, Laic217, who is going through a bit of a purple patch, has a rather dark, masked figure suspended over the letters LAIC. There are threads connecting the head and shoulders with the letters in something reminiscent of the Borg from Star Trek. The head is highlighted with a halo of pink, which adds an extra dimension to the piece. Lovely work from Laic217.
Sako, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2023
In the middle is a warehouse landscape by Sako and a fragmented planet earth at the bottom left. I certainly don’t know what this is about, but there must be a meaning in it somewhere. The scene reminds me of the Ikea store bit before the tills… a place I dislike for so many reasons. A great scene created with some atmosphere, which is an achievement given the subject.
Zake, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2023
Finally, on the right, Zake continues with his ever-expanding repertoire, giving us his version of a six-armed god – inspired by the multitude of Hindu Goddesses with this characteristic. In Zake’s version, each arm is holding a spray can, of course, getting ready for some speed painting I would think. As usual, the light and shade work is exemplary, and the figure has enormous depth. A bright and rather eclectic collaboration from the three artists.
Dog Bless the Band, Feeder Road, Bristol, May 2023
I said in a recent post that I had come across several Dog Bless the Band pieces that were completely new to me, and this is one of them. Hoardings are a bit of a bitter-sweet feature; they provide a great canvass for our street artists, but by definition, they are temporary and have a short lifespan. I guess they reflect the ephemeral nature of street art and graffiti culture.
Dog Bless the Band, Feeder Road, Bristol, May 2023
His letters ‘MOTEL’ tickle me every time I see them. As is usually the case, Dog Bless the Band has used modest pastel shades for his fills, which contrast nicely with the background pink and red spotty backdrop. Another nice piece from this productive artist.
There is no stopping Kid Krishna these days, and it seems that I rarely go out taking pictures without bumping in to him. We usually chat for a while, which I enjoy, and each time we meet I get to know him a little better. Because he doesn’t really use social media, it can be quite difficult to know where all his pieces are, so often you get to discover them rather than hunt them down, and that is always most gratifying.
Kid Krishna, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023
Nothing seems to phase Kid Krishna, for example a return on a wall… simply paint round it. This black white and yellow piece is fairly typical of his unusual writing, and he has included a character in the middle, which reminds me of a king in a pack of playing cards. There is no doubting Kid Krishna’s talent and his genuine enthusiasm for art, and I think we’ll continue to see much more from him this year.
Lee Roy is a writer who has been knocking it out of the park this year with his distinctive style of writing. You can be pretty much guaranteed that whatever he paints will be bright and eye-catching. This is a lovely piece on the swimming bath wall in Dean Lane.
Lee Roy, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2023
There is a bit of a cosmic theme going on here, and he even includes the words ‘cosmic gypsy’. Galaxies, planets and stars decorate the background, and there is a rather curious assemblage of toadstools at each end of the piece – perhaps hinting at the reason for the psychedelic scene? Nice one from Lee Roy.
Soap, Face 1st and Zake, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2023
I haven’t posted much from this hoarding for quite a long time, mainly because the stuff that gets painted there is rarely up to scratch, but also because I don’t pass by this way as frequently as I used to. How nice it was to fins a PWA collaboration here a short while ago.
Soap, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2023
The pool of artists in the PWA crew numbers about five or six, but pretty much ever-presents are Soap and Face 1st. The left hand side of the triptych is by Soap and contains both of the icons he likes to use at the moment, the Ice King and a Face 1st girl. The whole thing hangs together well and there are rather nice floral bursts throughout.
Face 1st, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2023
Face 1st has written Face with some nice deep block letters and a dismembered leg running through it, with gloopy blood dripping from the holes. Face 1st certainly enjoys painting splats and dripping, oozing gunge in his pieces, but this one is a little bloodthirsty.
Zake, Armada Place, Bristol, April 2023
To the right, the collaboration is rounded off with a portrait and upper torso piece by Zake. The face is full of character and depth, created with light and dark – a Zake speciality. All three pieces are set on a sky blue background decorated with spots, squiggles, clouds and bubbles. It is great to see some decent work on these panels.
I don’t know where Wispa (@willow_the_wispa) lives, but she seems to pop up all over the country and indeed in other countries, which gives me the impression that she is constantly on the move. On the upside, it means that she comes to visit her Bristol RBF friends reasonably regularly and leaves something for us all to enjoy.
Wispa, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2023
This is a wonderful mash-up of stylised throw-ups and tagging finished in a neat, tidy and deliberate way. Sanitising this kind of artwork isn’t easy, and Wispa has done it brilliantly. At first glance it might look like a mess, but it is in fact a really classy piece from a great writer. I already look forward to her next visit.
Tack Jucker is an artist whose work I have enjoyed from the very first piece I saw back in October 2021. Animals are his speciality, but he has also painted several hand studies too and this is one of them. I have been aware of this piece for about a year, but recently re-photographed it, because I couldn’t find it in my archives.
Tack Jucker, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2023
There is a lot of symbolism in this piece, with an all seeing eye in the palm of the hand and tears cascading down to form a river. The perspective in the hand is superbly worked and the light and shadow provides depth and contrast. This is a really nice piece from Tack Jucker, whose occasional pieces are always a welcome contribution to the Bristol scene.
Natural adventures 