When Ceus moved to Bristol, sometime in 2021, it was a day to celebrate. His fresh and invigorating pieces have brightened up Dean Lane no end, and his unique style has now become part of the furniture, particularly in this spot.
Ceus, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
Ceus tends to use a full colour palette, mixing and blending the colours he selects with great skill , such that they bleed from letter to letter, and by using some contrasting black and white edging creates fabulous depth. This particular piece is beautifully framed in two corners with a cloudy, white straight edge. This is an altogether outstanding piece from Ceus.
Embarrassingly, it took quite a while for the penny to drop with this piece by Nugmoose. I haven’t seen much of his work this summer, and this piece wasn’t immediately as ‘alieny’ as most of his pieces… it had me baffled for an hour or two, and then the light bulb moment.
Nugmoose, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
There are three basic elements to this piece, which come together very nicely. The white face in the centre of the piece and the cream/pink letters spelling out something in an alien language, both of which are quite flat and have solid fills. The third element, the green blobby organic matter, has both depth and movement and appears to be attracted to the writing/portrait, to embrace or consume it. Great to see Nugmoose decorating a wall after a bit of an absence.
Benjimagnetic, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023
I have spent the morning thus far cleaning up the moderate mess left behind after Miss Scooj’s 19th birthday party – a few friends over before clubbing. As any parent will be heard to say many times in their lives ‘where did all the time go?’. Feeling very old today.
Helping to keep me as young as I can be is the love I have for street/graffiti art, and far from being a bind, writing this blog keeps me inspired, invigorated and happy.
Benjimagnetic, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2023
Benjimagnetic is keeping his work ticking over with the occasional piece here and there and this recent one on the M32 roundabout is a fairly calm and modest piece. Sometimes his work is busy and frenetic, but he has gone back to basics with this one. The letters spell out BEN, although perhaps somewhat disguised, with green fills and a skilfully worked yellow border/drop shadow. The vertical lines in purple and pinks add interest, without which the piece might be unexceptional. A lovely sober piece from Benjimagnetic.
Kosc seems to have slowed the pace right down recently, which probably reflects a busy time in his real life away from painting walls. It is great to see that there isn’t even the slightest drop in quality on his return, although in fairness, once an artist has reached a certain level, there is rarely a drop in quality unless constrained by time or paint.
Kosc, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2023
The letters KOSC have an industrial, metallic sheet look, common to the artist’s pieces over the last couple of years, with occasional ‘rivets’ holding the sheet in place. Kosc has chosen some nice fills for the letters, some of which have spilled beyond the confines of the letters, giving the writing a slightly ethereal feel. Classy writing.
Dibz and Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
It seems that every time I go down to Brunel Way, I will find Dibz and Fade happily redecorating the long south-facing wall under the main road. They were at it again this week with yet another imaginative co-production. This particular piece was painted a couple of weeks ago, and I caught up with them as they were nearing completion. Both artists, and Fade in particular (who has definitely bonded with my dog) are so generous with their time and happy for a chat.
Dibz and Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
I am pretty certain that the Yosemite Sam character was painted by Fade (he was putting on finishing touches). More obviously, the piece on the left is by Dibz and the one on the right by Fade.
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
When you look at the work of the two artists side-by-side, I feel that Dibz’ pieces are always a little more intricate and sharper, while Fade’s pieces have a slightly softer and gentle appearance. To me, it is baffling how each artist is able to create a style and tone that is replicable from piece to piece – these guys are amazing.
Fade, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
On the right is Fade’s contribution. Fade has really captured the colours of cartoons, and all of his pieces have that exciting glow about them, in this case created by a gorgeous golden 3D drop shadow. Yosemite Sam is a popular character with street artists and in this instance Fade has more than done it justice. Yet more to come from this pair.
Klashwhensober, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
I might have to do a round up of Klashwhensober’s work soon to mop up several unpublished pieces by the artist from the summer. He is so prolific, I would struggle to post each of his pieces separately. This one under Brunel Way is deserving of an individual post though.
Klashwhensober, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2023
The colour selection for each of the letters might indicate that this is a dregs piece, using up half-empty cans, something you see quite a lot of. Each letter from the word SOBER has an element of depth, created by shading either side of a ridge line. The ‘O’ in particular has an anamorphic quality to it. This is a nicely worked piece from Klashwhensober. He might have left the spot a little tidier after painting though.
The Last One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023
This character/writing combination is by The Last One, and is the second piece by the artist to appear on Natural Adventures… it won’t be the last. The artist has a very strong style with writing that is quite unique. I can’t quite make out the letters. At first I thought it might be ZFG, but looking at it and other pieces on Instagram, it might be LAST.
The Last One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2023
The character, beautifully painted, is Speedy Gonzales from Warner Brothers’ Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies cartoons. The Last One has a fabulous touch for recreating these characters, remaining faithful to the original while adding a little extra depth. I’m not sure where The Last One is based, but trips to Bristol appear to be quite regular, which is great news.
I have only seen a few pieces by Cobo, since I met him last year, and was probably expecting to see a little more from him, so it was good to find this piece in the tunnel recently. It is possible that I might have missed some pieces, and of course he might have painted in some unusual spots, as I know he likes to paint away from the crowded places.
Cobo, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023
I think that the cats are also by Cobo, and looking through his Instagram feed, I have seen them associated with other pieces. The letters spell out COBER, painted in a chunky style, not dissimilar to the work of Noise. Great to see.
by the time I publish this post I’ll be in Exeter, on my way home from a fabulous fishing trip in Cornwall. Everything goes back to normal tomorrow.
A couple of weekends ago I bumped into Logoe just as he was finishing off his 9th piece in 24 hours or so. What! His productivity when he visits Bristol is simply off the scale. He saves up his time and paint and then blitzes the streets when he can. It all sounds a little obsessive to me, but who am I to comment?
Logoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023
What is notable is that even when he is rushing through the pieces, the quality of the final outcome is consistently. While we were chatting the subject of the dots arose, and I said to him that the row of little dots or ovals were fairly unique to him. It turns out that he started introducing them to his pieces to cover up little mistakes, and then they became a feature. He admitted that they are still used to cover up mistakes sometimes.
Logoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023
Both of these pieces, one at each end of the tunnel, are written in a cartoony script style, with thin letters, and both spelling out LOGOE, each beautifully themed with great colours. Of course the dots are there playing their part.
Logoe, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2023
I am away in Cornwall at the moment, but I have a feeling that he might have paid another visit to Bristol this weekend, and if so, I’d better make sure I have enough memory on my camera.
Mr Draws appears to have found a new energy this summer, which is great to see, and he has been painting both his writing pieces and some interesting studies, mostly linked to nature. This is a colourful piece, notable mainly for its wonderful patchwork of fills.
Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2023
If I were to categorise Mr Draws’ work I would call it right out of the ‘Bristol School’ of street art. His style and that of others, like the PWA crew and RAW, is a stamp that, while not unique to Bristol, definitely belongs in Bristol. The colour fills appear to be random, not following any particular pattern, but have a freedom that lightens any intensity. A piece that is easy on the eye and full of positive vibes. Off to catch some more fish today.
