I have already said in previous posts how much I am enjoying seeing Desi thrive and improve from piece to piece. Not only is her technique and finished product getting better all the time, but her confidence of selecting where to paint is migrating from the margins to more mainstream spots.
Desi, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2022
This piece is pretty tight, with nice sharp borders and some nice colour transitions in the letters. There are a few decorative elements and interest in the fills. I continue to enjoy her journey, and I can’t be too far away from publishing a gallery of her work.
Chatterton Square is a stone’s throw away from Bristol Temple Meads station and boasts two stretches of wall that tend to be relatively untouched by tagging, and it is a great place for artists to go to town with ‘special’ pieces. This is a rather nice collaboration between two LRS artists, Werm and 3F Fino.
Werm and 3F Fino, Chatterton Square, Bristol
The writing is by Werm and spells WE-RM. It is technically very well done, with a great colour transition in the fills and a deep drop-shadow that has a central vanishing point. The rather intimidating character, perhaps loosely based on the ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’, is by 3F Fino. Although the proportions of the character are a little inconsistent, it is well painted and certainly conveys an element of fear.
It is always tough to lose those we love and care about, and no matter how often it happens, it doesn’t seem to get any easier. Grief is a powerful and important emotion, and through it we remember what we have lost. Stivs has painted several tribute pieces for his friend Sear, and each one is a touching reminder.
Stivs, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022
This piece, at the farm-side entrance to the tunnel combines Stivs’ calligraffiti with a little bit of landscape in the orange circles. The colours are eye-catching and the whole thing on-point, although the lettering and the circles look a little bit out of balance, but maybe that is just me. A fine tribute from a loyal friend.
One of the most consistent and busy artists in Bristol is Cort, an artist who likes to keep a low profile and stay out of the limelight. This is a wonderfully striking piece by Cort that switches things up a little bit, as he usually likes to write his name. Here he has written PAD KS, both, I think are crew names.
Cort, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, September 2022
I have only met Cort on a couple of occasions, which is weird really, given the amount he paints and how often I am out and about. The colours of this piece are nicely juxtaposed, with a vibrant red background and dark grey letters with a black 3d drop shadow. There are a couple of signature yellow strings and shiny circles to add interest. All in all, this is a very nice piece from Cort.
When you photograph street/graffiti art two or three times a week, every week, you become very used to and familiar with ‘Bristol’ art, even if you can’t identify the artist. That might sound strange, but Bristol art has a look and feel, even across the diverse range of artists and styles, and anything that is not Bristol art, stands out a mile. When I saw this piece, it stood out a mile!
Qwynto, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2022
Qwynto is an artist based in the UK, but I am not entirely sure where, but I note he has painted in Haringey and Brighton recently, so I am guessing he is from the south-east of England. He took a trip to Bristol and left behind this wonderful piece. It has something that remind me of Mudra and Kid Crayon, and although there are similarities, there are also differences. His use of colour and tone is fantastic, bringing about a very soft pastel effect, and the writing incorporates a portrait and some other contextual elements, such as the car tyre and plants. This work is right up my street, and I am thrilled that Qwynto visited us in Bristol. Fabulous.
I am pretty sure that when I last posted a Hypo piece I said that his work was somewhat underrepresented on Natural Adventures, so I hope this post is in some small way addressing this.
Hypo, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2022
Painted in the tunnel alongside his friends, this piece is a real beauty and pretty much on point. The letters spell Hypo, and have four tones of red making up the fills. There are some nice details and accent flashes, and a 3D drop-shadow with a disappearing point in the middle of the piece, something that Hypo certainly seems to favour. This is a really decent piece of writing from the artist.
Evey has been out and about much more this summer, or at least that is how it feels, and with each outing her work is improving. Her letters are large and obvious, spelling out EVEN, with a focus on the variation of fills.
Evey, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, August 2022
This one was painted as part of a collaborative wall and is notable for its horizontal fills of at least six colours. There is something not quite consistent with the drop-shadow on the stars, but that is a small detail, all in all this is a bright, fun piece from Evey.
This Face 1st piece on the M32 roundabout is a little bit hidden away, and doesn’t appear to have done the rounds on Instagram as much as some of his other recent pieces, it is however an absolute beauty.
Face 1st, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2022
Face 1st usually paints in three basic formats; writing the word FACE with a face in one of the letters, painting a girl figure (usually smiling) or painting a girl’s face with the work FACE appearing in the hair. This piece is in the latter format. The happy face is splashed with wonderfully complementary colours and lots of dripping gloop. Another fun piece from Face 1st.
I think that over the time that I have been photographing street art in Bristol, there are two kings of the M32 roundabout, Face 1st and Corupt, and both feature in today’s posts. This is a fine recent piece by Corupt on the north east wall of the roundabout.
Corupt, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2022
This is a striking and commanding piece from Corupt spelling Stick, set on a sumptuous red background. This is a tight piece from the artist, where every element is beautifully done and the whole thing comes together exceptionally well. I fully expect this one to be here for a while.
It was while she was finishing off this piece that I met Bnie for the first time, and I was genuinely very pleased to at last make her acquaintance. I had seen her painting once or twice before, but hadn’t spoken with her. This time I was able to ask her about her work, and during the course of our discussion, she told me that she was the organiser of these boards, hosted on the side of Lost Horizon arts centre, where she also works.
Bnie, Elton Street, Bristol, September 2022
This wonderful piece, sort of sign-writing, is a slight departure for Bnie, but perfectly executed. The patterns surrounding the ‘Know your worth’ writing perhaps give Bnie away a little bit, but if I am honest, If I hadn’t been there (and signed it) when I visited, I’m not certain I would have spotted it as a Bnie piece.
