4626. Chatterton Square (4)

RichT, Chatterton Square, Bristol, July 2022
RichT, Chatterton Square, Bristol, July 2022

This is a spot I don’t visit too often, which is a mistake as there is usually some pretty good stuff to look at here. This is a lovely piece of writing, in soft colours, by RichT (I think) which looks like it spells out LOUIS or LOUISE or LOUISA.

RichT, Chatterton Square, Bristol, July 2022
RichT, Chatterton Square, Bristol, July 2022

Each letter plays its individual part in this creation, which is as much about the flower and face as it is about the writing. There is something quite cartoony about it, that makes it all rather endearing. A fine piece tucked away opposite Temple Meads station.

4624. Upfest 2022 (39)

Decay and Mudra, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Decay and Mudra, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

It is always great to see Decay painting in Bristol, too much of a rarity these days, and even better when he teams up with Mudra. Although their styles are totally different, they have managed to work well together on this hoarding to divide the space up and allow their pieces to ‘talk to each other.

Decay and Mudra, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Decay and Mudra, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

To the left are some fine initials, DK, bound together by the irrepressible ‘Chuck’, who is very much missed in the city. To the right, Mudra has spelled out his name with an eclectic mix of letter styles, reminiscent of SkyHigh’s approach to writing. The black background brings out the best in both pieces on this collaborative board. Nice one.

4621. Upfest 2022 (36)

Inkie, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Inkie, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Two Inkie posts in a row… It happens you know from time to time, sometimes by design and other times quite by accident. This was an accident, but nothing to stress about, there are no rules on Natural Adventures, and if there were I wouldn’t stick to them anyway.

Inkie, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Inkie, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

I watched Inkie as he was painting this stunner, and was reminded of the incredible pace he works at. I watched him paint the lower left hand quadrant for a couple of minutes, walked the dog up the road for five minutes, came back and he had virtually finished the segment, awesome to witness.

Inkie, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Inkie, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022

Somehow Upfest wouldn’t feel like Upfest without a landmark Inkie piece, and the area plays host to several of his pieces still, from years gone by. Inkie – Bristol – ASK (After Schook Klub) – Vikki. Says it all. A true beauty.

4620. M32 roundabout J3 (422)

The day I went to photograph this piece by Inkie, painted as part of a paint jam in honour of Mr Jago’s Birthday, Corupt just happened to be finishing his piece above Inkie’s. What I like about Corupt is that he tends to respect other artist’s work and on this wall in particular, paints along the higher level using a ladder.

Inkie and Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022
Inkie and Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022

The Inkie piece itself couldn’t be by anyone else. a lazy squint at it might make one believe it says INKIE, because that is what most of his work says, but a closer inspection shows that it spells out Mr JAGO. Beautifully painted with a very nice vertical transition, this is just another example of Inkie’s exquisite work.

4619. Dean Lane skate park (516)

Ceus, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Ceus, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022

Since his first tentative appearance in Dean Lane a year ago, Ceus has become something of a regular, who clearly likes to paint in Dean Lane, and on this curved wall in particular. His compositions usually feature his letters CEUS and wings, and this one has both.

Ceus, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Ceus, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022

The letters almost appear as if they are translucent, with the background pattern seeping through into the the word. Very cleverly done. Above, two caps are held aloft by angelic wings, spraying colour into the piece. This is a creative and imaginative piece from the Spanish writer.

4618. Cumberland Basin

Pl8o, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022
Pl8o, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022

If you take a look at Pl8o’s work over the last few years, it is clear to see that he has made significant progress, added characters to his work and great sophistication in his letters, which are becoming more and more elaborately disguised.

Pl8o, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022
Pl8o, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022

This recent offering from Pl8o Is beautifully designed and carefully painted with some interesting colour transitions vertically and horizontally. It is the letter designs that steal the show though, he really seems to be putting a lot more thought into these designs. A nice piece from Pl8o.

4616. M32 roundabout J3 (421)

Kosc, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022
Kosc, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022

Sometimes it is possible to be completely ‘graffiti blind’, and when I was admiring this piece, but trying to work out the artist, DJ Perks arrived to photograph some other pieces on this wall. This piece was obviously classy, but I couldn’t work out who it was by, DJ Perks instantly said it was by Kosc. Of course it was. I just didn’t see it at first. My credibility was shot down in flames, but it happens sometimes. Not seeing the wood for the trees.

Kosc, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022
Kosc, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2022

At least I had recognised that it was a classy piece, which it most certainly is. Kosc has written under another name in the past, and there are some giveaway clues that this was his work, in the ‘riveting’ used in some of the letters to ‘hold them together’. Great colour transitions and letter shapes. Pure class.

4609. Cumberland Basin

From time to time, the street art community is rocked by the death of one of their fold. It might be felt by everyone or by just a few close friends. When it happens, it is common to produce tribute pieces for the departed friend, and some artists keep the tribute alive for days, weeks, months or even years, for example Haka keeping the memory of his friend CKone in our minds in most of his pieces even now.

Stivs, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022
Stivs, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2022

This is one of several tribute pieces for Sear by Stivs, and there are several other tributes about the place. I haven’t ever really encountered Sear before, but he was a graffiti writer and close friend of Stivs’. This piece is a fine tribute, beautifully structured and proportioned and the colour combinations perfect. A work of love.

4608. Dean Lane skate park (514)

Collaborative walls don’t often get more prestigious than this one, with Soker and Dibz combining in a green buffed wall. There was a time when Soker was painting all the time and Dibz occasionally, over the last couple of years their roles have reversed slightly. It seems I post a couple of Dibz pieces every month, but Soker rather rarely.

Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022

To the left is an absolute belter from Soker, spelling out SOKEM, a variant of his name, simply to give him some variation in lettering. Every element of the piece is technically superb, but I am drawn to the rather special fill, and colour selections from bottom to top. Classy stuff from Soker.

Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2022

On the right is a piece from Dibz. Nothing too fussy or big, just some nice black (purple tinged) letters with a cream 3D shadow set on some bursts of orange and red splashes. A nice Example of Dibz’ work and expertise. And great to see these two coupling up.

4604. M32 roundabout J3 (419)

In the next couple of posts I have taken a deep dive back into my archive, randomly picking out a year and month and publishing a piece that slipped through the net at the time. This blast from the past is a fine piece of writing from Elvs painted back in April 2020.

Elvs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2020
Elvs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2020

There is always so much to admire in Elvs’ work, in particular his ability to replicate these complicated patterns of letters, with apparent ease and consistency, keeping his unique style very much intact. The grey letters on the orange background works exceptionally well, and this is such an eye-catching piece. It is a mystery that I didn’t post it at the time.