A visit to Bristol by Wispa is always very welcome, and pretty much always unexpected as she seems to travel about the country quite a lot, and you can never be sure when she will be in the area – unpredictable I think you’d call it.
Wispa, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, October 2023
This is an absolute belter of a piece of writing from Wispa, painted as part of an RBF paint jam alongside the M32 motorway. There are two things that stand out in this piece for me, the first is the unbelievable sharpness of the lines, and outstanding finishing and the other is the bold colour selection, transitioning through a range of bold and strong colours. Bravo!
I said that I would bring you more pieces by Jevoissoul, and I am true to my word. Jevoissoul is a new artist trying his hand at painting walls and making a good fist of it from what I have seen so far, and he is in a bit of a hurry, having painted several small pieces in the Brunel Way/Dean Lane area. His name is interesting, and I guess is a corruption of Je vois soul – I see soul.
Jevoissoul, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2023
In this character portrait piece our hero is wearing a cap with the postcode BS3 on it and smoking a roll-up. The word SLOW accompanies the piece, and is seen on many of his other pieces too. Everything about Jevoissoul’s work and character suggests a pretty chilled and laid back person, or at least that is how I read it. I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more from the artist in the coming months, I have a feeling he is only just getting started.
Mr Crawls returns with a new variation on his theme, which I really hoped he would, this time charming us with a woolly-hatted penguin. There is something very satisfying about the simplicity in Mr Crawls’ work, proving that artwork doesn’t need to be busy and complex to be effective. His character variation work reminds me of the work of Mr Underbite – Simple-clean-effective.
Mr Crawls, M32 Spot, Bristol, October 2023
Mr Crawls has just about managed to squeeze his penguin character within the constraints of the rather narrow column. His other birds have been a bit wider and squarer in format, so he has done well to elongate the penguin to fit in here. The expression on the penguin’s face is priceless, slightly dopey and with a sad smile. The hat is simply brilliant.
Although an infrequent visitor, The Mole is in Bristol often enough to usually make it into the pages of Natural Adventures, and into the galley pipeline. The Mole has used some sumptuous colours for this piece and presented them on a black background, which I think works, although I have been trying to imagine if any other colours might have been better and have drawn a blank.
The Mole, M32 Cycle path, Brisol, October 2023
The writing/mole character combination is a winner, but the star of the show is surely the fills. The three horizontal colour tones progress really nicely, and thin lines and designs bleed from one horizontal band into the one above. Very nicely thought out and beautifully finished, this is a great piece from The Mole.
I got that tingle of excitement when I came across this piece by pekoe, just as I always do when I find her work. Pekoe is one of those handful of artists that I associate with being the beating heart of the current Bristol scene, giving the city a strong sub-culture identity.
Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2023
The piece was painted as part of an RBF paint jam, one of two over a short space of time. I would say that this is not one of Pekoe’s best pieces, there is something a little peculiar with the proportions, but it marks a subtle change, especially with fewer busy elements in the character’s hair and in the background than usual. I think that the portrait lives up to the Resting Bitch Face moniker rather well. So good to see a Pekoe portrait, it feels like it has been a little while.
There are absolutely no signs of Bean slowing down at all. The young artist has been smashing out his character/writing pieces with incredible regularity throughout the summer, and I already have easily enough for a gallery of his work, although I have a pipeline in preparation, and his gallery might need to find a slot in the queue.
Bean, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
This piece combines Bean’s central character with writing that spells out BEAN. The blue-faced cartoon character fits the Bean style perfectly, with each colour block containing a light and dark tone to bring out a bit of depth. The writing is really accomplished and has excellent fills in three horizontal sections. I feel like Bean is a man in a hurry, and perhaps he should draw breath and develop some elements of his work. I think that his pieces would definitely benefit from a buffed background, to remove competing distractions, for example. If he keeps developing and learning, Bean will go far.
A gallery of graffiti writing from Ugar, a Hungarian artist who painted in Bristol between 2017 and 2019.
All photographs by Scooj
Ugar, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2019Ugar, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2019Ugar, New Stadium Road, Bristol, June 2019Ugar, M32 cycle path, Bristol, May 2019Ugar, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2019Ugar, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2018Ugar, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018Nevergiveup and Ugar, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2018Ugar, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018Ugar, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2018Ugar, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2018Ugar, The Bearpit, Bristol, November 2017Ugar, Dean Lane, Bristol, December 2017Ugar, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2017Ugar, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2017Kid Crayon and Ugar, The Bearpit, Bristol, November 2017
Today, being a Sunday, I have a little bit more capacity to write a third post, which is rather necessary, given the vastness of my backlog. Let me introduce you to a new artist on the scene, Jevoissoul, who I met at this exact spot a couple of weeks after he painted this interesting column piece. When I first saw the piece, I wondered if an artist called Panskaribas (whose style is similar to this) had returned to Bristol, as there are many shared characteristics between the artists, such as the cartoon Picassoesque style.
Jevoissoul, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
What is most impressive is that Jevoissoul has jumped straight from sketchbook to walls, using this area under Brunel Way to practice his spray can control and technique. When I spoke with the artist, he told me that this was just the beginning and that he was planning to do a lot of painting, and indeed that is exactly what is happening, his work is popping up all over the place. I think I am going to enjoy watching how Jevoissoul develops as a street artist from this encouraging start.
I think that Sako is an occasional visitor to Bristol, or simply doesn’t paint all that often. This is only the second piece I have featured by Sako, and it is absolutely superb in my view, cleverly painted in subtle tints of rose and turquoise. Coincidentally, there is something about the mood and tone of the piece that is similar to my earlier post today by Andrew Burns Colwill.
Sako, M32 Spot, Bristol, August 2023
Sako has used the limited space and shape of the column to perfection. There is an interesting relationship between the character and the built environment, and although I am not too sure what the story is here, I believe there is one being told. The colours are perfect together, and I would love to see more of this combination (note to self – buy these colours) on the streets. This is a great piece by Sako from back in the summer.
Andrew Burns Colwill, Queen’s Road, Bristol, August 2023
This absolutely sensational piece by Andrew Burns Colwill, is another from the paint jam celebrating 650 years of Bristol, and is the one that probably most closely follows the brief. The idea behind the paint jam was to celebrate Bristol, to paint with brushes (no spray cans), and to paint in a Renaissance style. Andrew Burns Colwill manages to nail it with this outstanding mural.
Andrew Burns Colwill, Queen’s Road, Bristol, August 2023
These pictures somehow got stuck in my pipeline system for publication, and were prompted (rediscovered) by yesterday’s Martin D’Acy piece, which is pretty much adjacent to this one. The elephant in the room with these pictures is the rather unfortunate and prominent street furniture, in the form of scooters and bins. I thought long and hard about waiting to get some ‘clean’ pictures of the piece, but felt publishing them ‘warts and all’ was probably more authentic, and the scooters in particular are directly referenced in the work. I will return however and get a clean shot to post here in due course.
Andrew Burns Colwill, Queen’s Road, Bristol, August 2023
The piece is in two halves, split vertically down the middle, with the left-hand side being the old city and to the right the modern city. His soak stain technique creates a washed appearance and extraordinary atmosphere. The old city, painted in light optimistic hues, is prosperous and on the up, and alludes to its merchant connections and seafaring trade. There is beauty in the characters, oxen and architecture that Andrew Burns Colwill has captures perfectly.
Andrew Burns Colwill, Queen’s Road, Bristol, August 2023
Contrast this with the right-hand side of the piece, which is a little darker in shade and mood. There is an impersonal sense that prevails as individuals rush from one place to another on their scooters, emblematic transport of our time. Like so much of his work, Andrew Burns Colwill tells a story here, and it is not all good. The optimism and vibrancy of our past has not ended with the social progress and cohesion we might have expected, but with an almost dystopian present.
The story is clear, and most beautifully painted. If you happen to visit Bristol, take a moment to seek out this piece and spend time looking at it and feel the history of the place.
Natural adventures 