6804. M32 Spot (199)

Jest Soubriquet, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2025
Jest Soubriquet, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2025

I am not entirely sure where Jest Soubriquet is based, but he comes to Bristol to paint often enough to make me think it is probably along the M4 corridor somewhere. This piece is painted on one of my favourite walls in Bristol under the M32 and features a wolf.

Jest Soubriquet, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2025
Jest Soubriquet, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2025

While I would say there are one or two things not quite right with the Wolf, I think it is a great representation and the colours and shading augment the animal really well. I am interested in the overall composition, which places the wolf in front of a brown and pink background, which might represent something, but I am not sure what. The words’Beware the dogs of war’ accompany the piece and perhaps put into some kind of context. Always great to find pieces by Jest Soubriquet.

6766. Warminster Road

Unknown artist, Warminster Road, Bristol, February 2025
Unknown artist, Warminster Road, Bristol, February 2025

I went on a mini exploration in the St Werburghs area a couple of weeks back and found this unsigned mural near the back entrance of a primary school. I have no idea who the artist is, but have to wonder whether it is by a parent or teacher from the school.

Unknown artist, Warminster Road, Bristol, February 2025
Unknown artist, Warminster Road, Bristol, February 2025

The mural features mirror image female portrait pieces, each wearing a wolf’s head as if they were some kind of pagan costumes. The portraits are black and white and the headdresses subtlety colourful. I wonder if there is some meaning or symbolism in the piece, which looks like it might have been around for some while. If you don’t look for things, you are unlikely to find them. I am glad I had my eyes open when I went on this particular exploration.

5718. Dean Lane skate park (671)

Dibz, Fade and Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Dibz, Fade and Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023

Good morning and happy Christmas Eve. A busy day for most, I expect, and definitely for me. One of my tasks today is to make a ‘Sussex Pond’ pudding, which is our alternative to Christmas pudding, which the kids and I don’t much care for. I’ll keep this short.

Dibz, Fade and Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Dibz, Fade and Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023

Wonderful work from Dibz, Fade and Jody, who have teamed up several times this year to produce some outstanding collaborations. This is a true collaboration where all the contributions are in the one piece. Jody painted the wolf, and Dibz the letters, so I expect that Fade painted the wonderful background.

Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023
Jody, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2023

Jody steals thee show a little with his magnificent wolf portrait in the centre of the piece. It is so good to see so many street pieces from him this year, and I hope he continues into next year.

5445. Cumberland Basin

DFC1848, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2023
DFC1848, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2023

There are artists whose progress is slow and steady and there are others who have accelerated through the levels, hitting many highs along the way, and one of those is DFC1848. Over the last few years, DFC1848 has progressed from toying with ideas to turning out sharp, clean original character pieces that sit comfortably alongside anyone, and this piece is a great example of that.

DFC1848, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2023
DFC1848, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2023

The growling wolf was painted during Werm’s birthday celebration paint jam, and was a stand-out piece, dutifully adopting the theme colours of pink and blue. The design itself is really cool, and technically it is a bit of a beast, with loads of cutting in to achieve all those crisp sharp points. A lovely piece from an artist who clearly enjoys his work.

4406. Elton Street (4)

Elton Street paint jams are something that, until last year, have passed me by a little. Some five or six ‘billboard’ panels fixed to the wall of a building are painted simultaneously, by a selection of artists, usually with a colour theme running as a golden thread between the pieces.

Tom Miller, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2022
Tom Miller, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2022

This panel is by the magnificent Tom Miller, whose surreal and busy creations continue to thrill and bemuse in equal measure. Here we have a dog or wolf bursting out of the picture in a splash of colour, with a pan or bowl suspended in front of him. This is a real work of art, brilliantly executed. I miss his occasional pieces in the Bearpit, where he first announced his entry onto the Bristol street art scene, but he makes up for it with walls large and small all over the city.

2704. St Werburghs tunnel (134)

Pre postscript- sometimes you can get things so wrong, and try to read more into a piece than is going on. Everything below is my own speculation and assumptions going into overdrive. The word is XODUS and not FOIS. It was painted opposite Kleiner Shames and Subtle hence the recognition. I’m not sure who XODUS is, but I feel a bit stoopid. Never mind, I don’t expect anyone will read this nonsense anyway…

Aah, the genius of two brilliant artists conjuring up this amazing and highly unusual piece. It would seem that a Kleiner Shames visited Bristol over the Christmas period and hooked up with his old mate Subtle. The pair both produced pieces in the St Werburghs tunnel, and obviously had a bit of time left over to turn out this stunner.

Kleiner Shames and Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020
Kleiner Shames and Subtle, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2020

Signed FoiSubtle, the collaboration presents with two distinct styles. My guess is that the letters FOIS are by Kleiner Shames, he always writes these letters but never quite like this, and the characters, a wolf holding a rabbit by the ears are by Subtle, in a bit of a departure from his writing. There is a message on the piece written backwards that says ‘one tin wonders’. I would think this refers to the two colours (plus black) that were used for the piece.

I cannot tell you how much I love this. It is quirky and retro, the characters look like early Disney creations. As I always say when Kleiner Shames comes to town, come back soon.

15. Leonard Lane (2)

Tucked away in Leonard Lane on a white plank of wood is this unusual piece of street art by Wolfskulljack. It would appear from her Facebook page that street art is a bit of a departure from her usual illustrations.

Wolfskulljack interestingly misspelled her name on the signature, which made me doubt its authenticity, but it is definitely hers.

Wolfskulljack, Leonard Lane, Bristol, August 2015
Wolfskulljack, Leonard Lane, Bristol, August 2015

This is the first time I have seen her street work and I suspect, given that she is an illustrator, that there won’t be too much more. She comes from Cheltenham and who knows, maybe if she does get a taste for street art, we’ll see more of it in Bristol.

A mysterious and beautifully detailed drawing

7/10