4417. Elton Street (5)

I remember the first time I met Mudra, in October 2020, it was a socially distanced conversation under Brunel Way. He had only recently arrived in Bristol and was starting to leave his mark. Fast-forward eighteen months and Mudra has become part of the furniture here, and massively developed and improved his artwork.

Mudra, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2022
Mudra, Elton Street, Bristol, April 2022

This recent piece is one of several, by different artists, in Elton Street and part of a rather fine public gallery. In this piece, he spells out his name in a collage style, with each letter created in a different font, and it even looks like the ‘@’ (Mudra’s trademark signature) may have been stencilled. This is a nicely done, artistic piece that sits comfortably in this outdoor gallery.

4414. Greenbank (41)

Evey has been rather busy this spring with her friends from the RBF crew, and it is always such a pleasure to see her work. Evey has a rather simple style, that is always full of colour and seems always to have a happy disposition, bringing smiles to faces.

Evey, Greenbank, Bristol, April 2022
Evey, Greenbank, Bristol, April 2022

I don’t quite know why Evey spells out ‘Even’ with here letters, and it is quite unusual to have repeated letters in a tag (unless they are together, like an ‘OO’ for example). In this piece, Evey has draped her colourful letters with icing and some hundreds and thousands, giving them a celebratory feel.

4413. Dean Lane skate park (488)

It has been waaay too long waiting for this absolute stunner from Rusk, who seems to have gone to ground in recent months. What a way to return to the walls of Bristol, with this magnificent and rather unusual anamorphic piece.

Rusk, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Rusk, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022

Spelling out RUSK, the letters are made up of a ribbon or tape which is coloured blue on one side and pink on the other. All very skilfully done, and if you take a closer look, the ribbon has some arrows and bars decorating it. Set on a ‘wallpaper’ background with clouds, this is a truly excellent piece, not that I would expect anything less from Rusk. Welcome back.

4412. L Dub (36)

This is the second large piece from DJ Perks at LDub, painted on the pumping station, featuring some sensational writing alongside a cartoon character, in this case A rather worse-for-wear Donald Duck.

DJ Perks, L Dub, Bristol, April 2022
DJ Perks, L Dub, Bristol, April 2022

As mentioned in a recent post, DJ Perks is just growing from strength to strength, stretching himself. Of all the artists in Bristol, he ranks very highly in constantly pushing the boundaries of his work, strengthening his technique and skills, and not falling into the trap of repetition. It is so good to see, and what’s more he is turning out some extraordinarily strong pieces.

DJ Perks, L Dub, Bristol, April 2022
DJ Perks, L Dub, Bristol, April 2022

The writing is expertly done with the straight line transitions running vertically through the lettering finished to perfection. The character too is so well executed, and it is great to see that we see Donald Duck in a rather unfamiliar pose, after all it would have been very easy to present a stock image of Donald, but DJ Perks has chosen to go about it a different way. This is another outstanding example of DJ Perks’ great work.

4411. Dean Lane skate park (487)

It would seem that Hire has returned to a fairly regular rhythm, having not painted very much during the lockdowns. This is, of course, great news, and the work he is presenting at the moment is as good as it has ever been.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022

This stunner was painted a couple of weeks ago, and Hire has achieves a certain amount of symmetry in this piece, although a closer look will reveal that it isn’t symmetrical at all, it just looks that way. Hire has created a very clever piece indeed and it is beautifully presented and executed. So good to see him painting regularly.

4410. Sparke Evans Park (42)

Mena is obviously a popular lady, and the turnout for her birthday paint jam was exceptional. This contribution from Stivs is an absolute beauty and a fitting tribute to Mena. The writing that spells out Menas is in his wonderful calligraffiti style and this one in particular really stands out.

Stivs, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, April 2022
Stivs, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, April 2022

The colour selection is nothing short of brilliant and possibly quite brave, where the letters, picked out in orange, pink and purple Are complemented by the turquoise surround. Stivs has picked out the 3D shading perfectly with a ‘suggestion’ of colour and stripes. Overall a superbly crafted high-quality piece of writing.

4408. Dean Lane skate park (486)

Unusual and unexpected, this writing in Dean Lane is an untypical piece from Inkie that appeared about a week ago, at the same time as a Rusk piece on a nearby wall (coming soon). At first glance, the writing is not obviously Inkie’s and certainly doesn’t have many of his trademark elements.

Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Inkie, Dean Lane, Bristol, April 2022

Take a closer look though and certain motifs are there. The quality of the piece is outstanding and although it might look a bit busy and eclectic, everything that is there is carefully placed, like the green hoops, the purple bubble writing around the edges and the shout-outs. This is a skilfully painted piece designed to look a bit raw, and Inkie has carried it off perfectly.

4407. L Dub (35)

Wxttsart is an established member of the Bristol LRS crew, and when there is an LRS paint jam, he is usually there. His work is easily identified as he is the only artist who writes ‘MILK’, to my knowledge. But of course, it isn’t just his letters that mark out his work, but the style too.

Wxttsart, L Dub, Bristol, April 2022
Wxttsart, L Dub, Bristol, April 2022

Wxttsart has created a decorative piece of graffiti writing, verging on calligraffiti, with cream letters and a red 3D shadow. For me, though, the whole thing is brought to life by the blue feathering surrounding the piece, and the white highlights on the letters, both of which lift this piece significantly.

4405. Picton Lane (12)

Although this masterpiece has been around for a little while, I have only recently photographed it. What an absolute stunner, it is amazing what Kosc is doing these days and I really feel that he has raised his game massively into the top half of the top division, and all this has happened over just a few years.

Kosc, Picton Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Kosc, Picton Lane, Bristol, April 2022

His pieces pretty much always stand out and completely command attention. How can you not look at something like this and not say ‘wow’ (or some other more contemporary exclamation). The crispness of the writing, repetition of background patterning, bright orange ribbon and sharp portrait are all elements that brought together have a huge impact.

Kosc, Picton Lane, Bristol, April 2022
Kosc, Picton Lane, Bristol, April 2022

I think that this ranks as my favourite piece by Kosc so far. There is something quite cheeky and up-front about it. Confident and assured, this is an absolute jewel that deserves accolades from all who take an interest in street art. Bravo Kosc!

4404. St Werburghs tunnel (289)

Conrico, or Conrico Steez to give him his full name, is going through a bit of a purple patch and is both painting alone and collaborating in spots all over North Bristol at the moment. This Chinese dragon character intertwined with the word Conrico harks back to a dragon piece I photographed in August 2019 (pre-Covid, remember that?).

Conrico, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2022
Conrico, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2022

I say this every time I write about Conrico’s work, but he has a certain quality and style that makes his work look like it has been painted using a brush rather than a spray can, there is a certain texture and depth that he manages to get that is fairly unique. There is much to admire in this piece, and I am enjoying his high productivity at the moment.

Conrico, New Stadium Road, Bristol, August 2019
Conrico, New Stadium Road, Bristol, August 2019