As if to prove me wrong, here is yet another Mr Draws piece, and a rather nice little one at that. Since stating a little while ago that he wasn’t getting out much, I am now finding pieces all over the place. I was also fortunate enough to catch up with him at the Cheltenham Paint Festival last weekend, and noted that he too has grown a rather nice corona beard.
Mr Draws, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2020
The piece in St Werburghs tunnel Is deceiving because of the lights in the tunnel. It is actually chrome but the reflected light makes it look very gold on the right hand side. Some nice simple drops and blobs just lift the piece a little. Modest and fun.
I don’t know the artist Mr Hoops who painted this banging burner in Dean Lane, but if I were to liken it to anything it looks like a mash up in style of Soker and Hemper, both of whom I initially thought might have been behind the piece when I first saw it. So what I am basically saying is that I think it is very good indeed.
Mr Hoops, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2020
The letters spell out hope, something we can all relate to in these crazy times. Some great letter shapes and vibrant colours on a dark background and the inclusion of a magic hat combine to make this a most enjoyable piece to look at. I don’t think it lasted too long, but the light that burns twice as bright burns half as long.
A few days ago I commented that Mr Draws has been fairly slow out of the blocks since lock down restrictions eased, but I can safely say that he has now got back up to speed and he has returned to a steady pattern of spraying walls. I actually stopped for a chat with him yesterday at the Cheltenham Paint Festival and he was in good shape and is also sporting a very nice corona beard.
Mr Draws, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2020
This piece plays into his current favour for horizontal Colour regimes in his pieces. I like the way he has gone for solid lines, no fusion of colours, and that some of the stripes are a bit wobbly. The white accents add a nice touch and create that 3D effect we’re always looking for. More pieces to come from Mr Draws.
Sometimes fate plays a part in our lives. Yesterday morning I gave my son a lift to friend’s house quite early because they were heading off for a day’s fishing. On the way back I stopped off at a few street art spots, the first of which was here underneath the M32. I just so happened to turn up as Ryder was finnishing off some rather lovely of graffiti writing.
Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020
I stopped for a while but tried not to break his rhythm because he had to be at work for 10am and needed to finish the piece off quickly. He said that he was really pleased with this piece, it had just worked out really nicely for him and that is good to hear because in my experience street artists are unerringly self-critical. It is a bit of a stunner, and the amazing thing is he created this in a little over an hour!.
Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020
As he was packing up he asked if I was heading off to the Cheltenham Paint Festival, which got me thinking. I hadn’t been planning on it, our weekends are a bit precious at the moment, but now I am giving quite a lot of thought to going tomorrow (which is partly why I am writing this post yesterday, almost immediately after coming home from taking these pictures, as I might not have time today (written yesterday as if tomorrow was today)).
Ryder, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020
Finally, I am rather chuffed with the Scooj shout out. Little things matter, and that made me feel very happy.
I have a feeling that you are going to be seing a lot more from this artist (Mest) who is making his debut on Natural Adventures with this rather nice piece on the M32 roundabout. Mest has only crossed my radar over the last few months but in that time I have noticed his throw ups and burners appearinng all over the place.
Mest, M32 roundabout, Brisol, August 2020
This is rather a nice black and grey number with a bit of a flame effect around the outside of the letters MEST. The letters, which are broken up into blocks of colour have an unusual 3D shadow and a turquoise border. The letters are a combination of small and full caps and overall I think the writing is pretty good. There is lots more to come, so watch this space.
Cort is an artist who appears to slip under the radar a bit in the street art community. His pieces don’t often appear on Instagram and he isn’t often talked about. I guess his graffiti writing is sometimes overlooked when painted adjacent to PADY crew member Laic217, whose pieces may ‘steal the show’ a little because of their vibrance. Nonetheless, this quiet and modest artist cracks out some really nice pieces like this one on the M32 cycle path.
Cort, M32 cyc;e path, Bristol, August 2020
Cort’s writing is unusual and assymetrical and the way he presents his colours and shadings is rather unconventional, but in being so also makes his work very distinctive. In this piiece I particularly like the yellow lines and rings and the orange and white circles both of which are regular motifs used by Cort. Note to self – time for a Cort gallery soon.
Bandito is another rather underrepresented graffiti writer in the pages of Natural Adventures, with this being only the third piece by him that I have posted. I have more photographs of his work in my archives and will need to dig them out… maybe if we have another period of lock down.
Bandito, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2020
This is a small but beautifully painted piece of graffiti writing that sits on top of a burner, with colours that complement it rather well. I am a little uncertain, but I think that the writing spells out EASE(E) in thin lettering with a deep 3D shadow. The blue outline is actually the background too and can be seen in the holes in some of the letters. Easy (see what I did there?) on the eye this one.
Soker never disappoints. His graffiti writing is always of the highest possible quality and he sets a very high bar for other writers in Bristol to aspire to. This is a super little piece alongside Inkie in Dean Lane from a week or two back.
Soker, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2020
The letters are filled with three slightly different shades of blue with some nice bubbles running through the middle. There is some partial 3D shading in yellow with a vanishing point behind the piece and the whole thing is set off perfectly with some red decorations around the perimeter. Clean and crisp, a great example of great writing.
This is a real statement piece of graffiti writing from Smak down at Dean Lane and amply demonstrates why he is one of the very best writers in Bristol and probably the country. His pieces are elaborate with so many interlocking parts all seamlessly brought together with clean crisp lines.
Smak, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2020
The colour palette is similar to one I have seen him use before and works well on the dark background. There are to many elements in this piece to be able to describe them all, but consistent with several pieces by the artist you get more for your money, with two SMAKs visible in places, most obviously with the A.
Smak, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2020
On his Instagram feed, Smak mentioned that a little kid told him he could paint jellyfish, so Smak decided to add one for good measure – that is why it is there. Another monster piece from Smak.
One of the busiest artists over the summer has been Taboo with his rather unconventional style of writing. Why is it unconventional I hear you ask… tumbleweed… well I’ll give you my perspective. His letters look like they are made of rubber. They have no consistent form or size and don’t seem to follow any formula or rules. Letters may be stretched or condensed and some are replaced with motifs or characters. His pieces are quite anarchic in a graffiti writing world that is surprisingly conventional.
Taboo, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2020
This one under Brunel Way by the riverside spells out TABOO with a wobbly skull between the T and A. An Ionic column makes a random appearance in the first O. Unusal and interesting ans as I said at the start unconventional.
Natural adventures 