Urban – Page 92 – Natural adventures

6568. M32 roundabout J3 (642)

Astrea, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2024

One of the most rewarding things about writing a blog on street art and graffiti is that if you do it for long enough, you get to see new artists burst on to the scene and develop their ideas and improve their technique. An artist who has recently caught my eye is Astrea (formerly HNH), whose distinctive black and white designs are becoming more frequent and elaborate.

This is the first time I have seen Astrea add a portrait to her abstract patterns. The central character is a little bit unsettling, with star eye makeup and a tongue sticking out. The tongue looks like it has stitching running through it. The surrounding swirling design is very much in keeping with what we have seen before from Astrea. Great to see her gaining in confidence.

6567. St Werburghs tunnel (460)

Turoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2024

He doesn’t paint all that often these days, but when he does, Turoe certainly packs a punch. The gorgeous chrome letters spell out KATOE, which are set on a perfectly contrasting red background. But that isn’t enough for Turoe… he has created a wall through which the writing bursts. Imagine how the piece might look without the ‘stone wall’ artwork, it would feel altogether more ordinary.

I am not too sure who Katoe is or what the shout-out is all about, but I love the way that the street art scene works, with artists recognising one another and paying tribute to friends and loved ones. As ever, a really classy piece from Turoe.

6566. Dean Lane skate park (785)

This is an absolutely gorgeous piece by Hire and although it is rather different from his usual style, it is unmistakably his work. There is something really attractive about the tone of the piece, perhaps generated by the colour selection and the fir trees. The serenity of the piece is rudely interrupted by an alien craft sending out a light beam into the forest.

The letters spell out HIRE, with the ‘I’ being cleverly represented by the spaceship. The bottom half od the writing is chunky and smooth, but the upper half is much more like Hire’s traditional pointy lettering style. I really, really love this piece and the story it tells.

6565. Nine Tree Hill (8)

Kid Krishna and Daz Cat, Nine Tree Hill, Bristol, November 2024

Two artists, two very different styles, and not a collaboration from Kid Krishna and Daz Cat. Actually, you could argue that there are three artists represented here, because the background of sunflowers and a swirly sky in a Van Gogh style has been on this wall for a while now, and is by an artist unknown to me.

To the left, Kid Krishna has painted one of his mega tags, which are simpler than his larger and more complex graffiti writing pieces. These quick throw ups are usually painted using rollers and can by completed in minutes. The letters, in pink, spell out CRIE as with all of his work, although it can sometimes be difficult to decipher. He has selected two very strong contrasting colours, pink and black, for maximum impact.

Daz Cat, Nine Tree Hill, Bristol, November 2024

To the right, Daz Cat has painted one of his cat portraits on the front door of a flat. The gold cat has also been painted in haste, I would suggest, as it is a simple outline and single colour piece. I always like it when he tags his pieces with Caroline, who I guess is his special person. Cats are always most welcome on Natural Adventures.

6564. Cumberland Basin

Abbie Laura Smith, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, November 2024

Abbie Laura Smith has pushed the creative boat out a little with this symmetrical wheatpaste stuck on a utility box in Cumberland Basin. Rather than being bilaterally symmetrical, the twin portraits are rotationally symmetrical, which I think might be a first on Natural Adventures.

I love the way that Abbie Laura Smith has introduced some colour into this paste-up, which features a portrait of a woman looking a little fed up, and perhaps sad. ALS has a wonderful way of representing hair, which almost looks like it is from a lino-cut that has been scored and printed. There are some subtle differences in the application of colour between the two portraits, such as the lips and distribution of pinks and reds in the hair. This is a wonderfully creative piece from our resident wheatpaster.

6563. Sparke Evans Park (107)

Sworm, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, November 2024

Funnily enough I met Sworm, a friend of Klashwhensober’s, when he painted this piece back in the summer, and somehow it has remained intact since. To be fair is is a really nice piece of writing, and has been respected for a long while. At the time of painting, I never got a photograph of the completed piece and only snapped it in November.

The jaunty letters spell SWORM, but it is the fills that delight the eye. A spectrum of colours, perhaps it was a dregs piece (the term used by artists for using up the dregs of a can), dance through the letters with a variety of inspired patterns. This is a most attractive piece of graffiti writing.

6562. Ikea Wall of Fame (2)

Posea, Zaki Dee and BG183, Ikea Wall of Fame, Bristol, October 2024

This is the second section of the long and exciting new wall of fame at Ikea. DJ and Record producer brought together street art and graffiti talent from Bristol and around the world to celebrate 30 years of his record label, Metalheads.

In this section we have an extraordinary split portrait piece by Posea. The vertical line separates the faces of DJ Doc Scott, and a version of the tin man from the Wizard of Oz, picking up the yellow brick road theme of the whole collaboration production. Posea’s skills are perfectly showcased in this contrasting portrait.

Posea, Ikea Wall of Fame, Bristol, October 2024

The mushrooms and flowers are courtesy of Zaki Dee and the skyline and flying monkeys (I think) are by BG183. More from this unique wall in due course.

6561. St Werburghs tunnel (459)

Benjimagnetic, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2024

The stand-out element of this wonderful BEN piece by Benjimagnetic in the tunnel is, in my view, the outstanding colour selection. Rather cleverly, he has overwritten a piece by Mr Klue, which provides a rather nice backdrop in complementary colours.

Benjimagnetic pieces are carefully crafted and the style I would describe as being deconstructed writing. The letters are there, but it is more about what is missing rather than what is there, and there is an obscuring of the writing that is its attraction. The fills are made up of black and white writing, which I imagine is extremely difficult to do with spray paint, requiring great can control. An attractive piece.

6560. Brunel Way (303)

Conrico, Brunel Way, Bristol, November 2024

In the furthest southern tip of the Brunel Way spot, is a DIY skate spot and this wonderful recent combination piece from Conrico brightened up this dark spot. It is usually pretty tatty around this wall, where materials for building ramps etc. for the skate park are scattered.

The writing is nicely done, set on a swirly patterned background, but it is definitely the portrait accompanying the writing that catches the eye. I think that it is the woman’s hair which draws the eye – it is a really nice and happy portrait. Not long after Conrico painted the combination piece, the council came along and buffed the wall, although they decided to keep the portrait, which is curious really, because it is all illegal graffiti.

I believe that the buffing is done by gangs of people doing community service for some misdemeanour or other. The problem, of course, is that this is a completely fruitless exercise, and waste of grey paint, because a buffed wall is a blank canvass.

6559. Dean Lane skate park (784)

Noise, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2024

Noise has been one of the most regular Bristol writers in 2024, turning out numerous distinctive fat-letter pieces all over town. This is a particularly nice one on the curved wall in Dean Lane. If you like his work, then a quick look at this recently published gallery of his graffiti writing might be worthwhile.

The letters spelling out NOISE, although in darker colours with a dark background, are bursting with energy. The two tones of green work surprisingly well with the dark purple/black backdrop. Although I am sure it is unintentional, the ‘i’ resembles a nose, and weirdly if you take the ‘i’ out of noise, you get nose. Having seen the nose, you can’t unsee it. Nice one from Noise.

	paulh121 on 7421. Boiling Wells Lane …
	hitandrun1964 on 7422. Stapleton Road
	scooj on Thursday doors – 22 Janu…
	scooj on Thursday doors – 22 Janu…
	Cethru Cellophane on 7422. Stapleton Road

	paulh121 on 7421. Boiling Wells Lane …
	hitandrun1964 on 7422. Stapleton Road
	scooj on Thursday doors – 22 Janu…
	scooj on Thursday doors – 22 Janu…
	Cethru Cellophane on 7422. Stapleton Road

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