3033. Dean Lane skate park (329)

So many artists have has a creative rush since the easing of lock down and one of them is Dibz. Ordinarily you’d be lucky to see a new Dibz piece once every two months or so, but I have seen three in the last month of which this is one.

Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020
Dibz, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020

Dibz is a precision graffiti writer. I have never seen anything by him that isn’t really tight, clean and crisp and I have never to my knowledge seen a throw up from him. This is a very classy piece of writing with a beautifully graded fill from dark red through to orange and yellow. The slim yellow edging on the upper sides of the letters creates a lifting effect. This is a piece for connoisseurs.

3031. M32 roundabout J3 (225)

I can’t remember when I last saw a new piece from Ments, but it is quite some time ago. The word I always use to describe his work is ‘organic’ and it most definitely applies to this recent piece on the M32 roundabout.

Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020
Ments, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020

This is a delicate piece that feels rather ephemeral, and is so unlike the work of more conventional graffiti writers. It is quite hard to make out the letters MENTS, but I assure you they are there. This is an accomplished piece painted with great skill, however it isn’t my favourite work by the artist, something feels a little unbalanced about it… I am though, being hyper-critical because it is actually very, very good.

3030. Frome side (3)

I had an interesting virtual discussion recently with Paul H about what to call graffiti writers when you write about them or post on Instagram/Facebook. I tend to call them by the name that they write, so SOKER is Soker, RUSK is Rusk and so on. However every now and again, especially when writing for the first time I might use their Intstagram handle, which Paul tends to use more.

The problem with both is that some artists have a habit of either changing the letters they write (Dasco is doing this at the moment, although he is in Spain) or changing their Instagram accounts. The point is that intuitively I would have called this artist NESK, but because I was with Paul when I saw this beautiful piece I am calling him by his Twitter name – Bazmataz.

Bazmataz, Frome side, Bristol, June 2020
Bazmataz, Frome side, Bristol, June 2020

This is an absolute beauty, whatever one calls the artist. The metallic effect, the stars, the 3D fill and the colours are all made to work hard to produce an outstanding piece. I will definitely be looking out for Bazmataz (Nesk) in future.

3029. L Dub (19)

There are certain artists whose work you expect to see at L Dub, but Conrico is not one of them, so it was a double pleasure to find this piece on my last visit. Conrico has a fabulously imaginative and creative mind, and his pieces are always exploring new ideas and styles.

Conrico, L Dub, Bristol, June 2020
Conrico, L Dub, Bristol, June 2020

This is a clever piece of writing that appears to have been sliced apart horizontally almost as if it had been written in the sky or on the surface of water and then disrupted in some way. Conrico has a ‘brush stroke’ touch that is quite unique and that makes it quite easy to spot his work… oh and the big letters are a bit of a give away too.

3026. Brunel Way bridge (40)

This is the last piece from the RBF Black Lives Matters wall organised by Pekoe a couple of weeks ago. It is by honorary female artist Rezwonk, and rounds off the whole collaboration with some real style. I understand that Rezwonk was a stand-in for a late withdrawal, and what better understudy could you want.

Rezwonk, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
Rezwonk, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020

It’s a funny thing, but when I first saw the piece, I didn’t know it was by Rezwonk, and only found out subsequently. I’m not certain I would have identified it immediately, which shows how we become familiar with the letter shapes as much as we do the style of different artists. Anyhow, this is a fine ‘Matter’ from Rezwonk and a fine conclusion to a fine collaboration.

RBF Crew + friends, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
RBF Crew + friends, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020

3024. Brunel Way bridge (38)

On to the third part of the Black Lives Matters wall organised by Pekoe and her RBF crew from a couple of weeks ago. This section ‘LIVES’ is by Evey, an artist I don’t think I have featured on Natural Adventures before.

Evey, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
Evey, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020

What a beautiful piece of writing. Everything about it is peaceful and calm and it is beautifully executed too. I suspect, just from looking at the spacing of the letters that Evey doesn’t paint walls as often as her counterparts, but she has a wonderful light touch that is far removed from the edgy reputation that some graffiti writing has. The leaf fill is very nicely done. I hope to see more from Evey.

RBF Crew + friends, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
RBF Crew + friends, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020

 

3022. Brunel Way bridge (36)

This is the first of five posts from this magnificent Black Lives Matters collaboration which was organised by Pekoe under the banner of the RBF (Resting Bface Crew) from a couple of weeks ago. This is an all female (plus one honorary female) collaboration and starts off on the left with the word BLACK by Bnie.

Bnie, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
Bnie, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020

We are more used to seeing Bnie writing the letters of her name, but whatever she writes, the quality of her lettering and unique style of fills and 3D shading shine through every time. She is one of the tidiest writers I know of and consistency is a given. The green and black shading is absolutely stunning. The whole wall was amazing but as with all street art, it just didn’t last as long as it deserved… it was painted over a day or two ago.

RBF Crew + friends, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020
RBF Crew + friends, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2020

3021. Dean Lane skate park (327)

One of the busiest artists this year, and it is a very competitive field, is without doubt Turoe (Turoe One), and one of his favourite spots to paint is this left hand end of the long wall at Dean Lane. It is funny how artists gravitate towards certain spots.

Turoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020
Turoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020

This one is a really fine piece of writing in shades of green, spelling out TUROH, the H is a new one on me, but works well. I am very fond of the colours Turoe has used for this and there is substantial mastery in many aspects, for example the two-tone outline. Another good piece from Turoe.

3020. Dean Lane skate park (326)

The lock down easing has in my view been far to rapid and aggressively in favour of the economy, and I fear that we will pay for it further down the line, however these things are finely balanced. One of the upsides has been the productivity of street artists whose collective energy was paused for three months. Now, I simply can’t keep up. Many pieces are gone by the time I go to photograph them. I got this one by Hire though and glad that I did.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2020

As always, the spiky medieval style, that reminds me of a battle in full swing with swords and pikes clashing, spells out HIRE. The blended orange fills are very nicely done, and I rather like the (deliberate) fragmented white edging… an unusual touch. Oh, so much great art to share, but it is difficult to do it on two posts a day.

3019. M32 roundabout J3 (223)

Yet another outstanding piece from the Poland v Spain paint jam at the end of May, although this one is by an artist who appears frequently on Natural Adventures, but you are more likely to know him for his charming Rabbits. It is of course Nevergiveup AKA #followmyrabbits AKA NGU AKA in this case Zbok. I expect he has several other personas from the past too.

Nevergiveup, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020
Nevergiveup, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020

The only way to desribe this piece of writing is utter class, I mean it really is outstandingly beautiful and crafted with such precision and care. This is from an artist who is immensely versatile and creative.

Nevergiveup, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020
Nevergiveup, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2020

If you look carefully, you will see that the piece spells out ZBOK (which I think means ‘deviant’ in Polish). The smokey purple puffs are the cherry on this particularly sensational cake.

Poland 5 Spain 3