Tag: Writer

3085. M32 roundabout J3 (240)

Minto is an artist who at one time lived in Bristol but like so many others before him moved to London. From time to time he returns to Bristol and recently he brought Tizer with him for a couple of days.

Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

This was the second of two pieces that Minto painted over two days at the M32 roundabout and I was fortunate enough to be there when he was painting both of them. This is certainly a festival of colour and a beautifully designed piece, but, and I don’t mean to be too picky, I don’t really like the colour combinations. I could do with losing the brown/bronze and the bright green… it all comes over as a bit of a colour hotch potch. Maybe like Hemper he was using up dregs to give us this diverse piece.

Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Minto, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

Of course it goes without saying, I am perhaps focussing on the wrong thing, because the finished piece is so obviously by an enormously talented artist and actually looks pretty good. Of the two pieces he painted over the two days, I think I prefer his first one (yet to be posted).

3081. M32 roundabout J3 (238)

This piece was photographed during a crazy purple patch of brilliant artists hitting the M32 walls a couple of weeks back and I just so happened to be fortunate enough to see them at work two days running. On the second day, when I took these pictures, I had returned to the roundabout to photograph the finished pieces from the day before and was treated with finding a whole ton more artists at work. It doesn’t happen often but when it does it is so rewarding.

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

I managed to introduce myself to Hemper for the first time and although I have seen him painting before, I’ve not really had the opportunity to say hello. When I arrived Hemper was about half way through this freestyle piece. It is something rather different and resembles slightly a stained glass window.

Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

Hemper was using up dregs from cans hence the explosion of colour, and sprayed the colours first, before carefully going over each colour with the black outline to create this wonderful effect. A great piece on a great day.

3080. Brunel Way bridge (50)

Ments has been taking an experimental new direction over the last six months or so with a new kind of organic wildstyle writing.  A blending of curved shapes and shades loosely coming together to form cryptic letters.

Ments, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2020
Ments, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2020

I would have to say that this piece has utterly won me over and I think it is one of the best pieces I have seen from Ments in a while. If these shapes and shades were worked in chromes, greys and whites, there would be a liquid metal feel to it, but no, he has gone for a full colour version of molten metal and it is fantastic. It has been worth the wait to see this new direction for Ments, and I have another new one to share with you soon.

3078. M32 roundabout J3 (238)

This fine piece by Soker was a part of the graffiti writer paint jam from a week or so back. I do think that there is a lot to be said for prepping a wall beforehand for artists of a certain calibre such as Soker, that makes a kind of statement that this work is worth proper treatment – some might view this as taking the edge out of graffiti and I would understand that, but I like it.

Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Soker, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

This piece is on the face of it wonderfully simple, until you take a look at the orange fills with blue drips and the use of five colours graded horizontally in the letters. The purple spots just add something special (Imagine the piece without them). Great work from a graffiti master.

3075. M32 roundabout J3 (237)

Inkie’s work is consistently outstanding. What a privilege it was to happen upon a paint jam a short while ago at which some of the great and the good of the Bristol and London graffiti writing scene converged on the walls of the M32 roundabout on two consecutive days. A highlight of the year so far.

Inkie, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Inkie, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

This piece needs no introduction. Rather I suggest that you simply admire the burning tones and typical ‘fairground’ lettering style that has become representative of the Bristol street art scene. A huge surprise and a red hot piece – happy days.

3073. Dean Lane skate park (333)

I have said it before that Dibz has been painting a lot recently, like so many other artists since lock down eased. I am guessing that many artists have been furloughed and have therefore had more time on their hands than usual. I expect that as time passes and things get back to our new normal many artists will return to work and this frenetic activity will start to slow.

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

This is an outstanding piece from Dibz, whose attention to detail and sensational finesse is second to none. Everything about this piece is good, from the black background to the colour selections to the design to the brilliant fades in the 3D work and the orange drips. This is a masterful work.

3072. M32 Cycle path (67)

Colourful is the word that springs to mind when I look at this fine piece of writing from recently discovered (by me) Phour. Many graffiti writers fade their colouring horizontally, but Phour has done this vertically so the colour transitions happen as you read along the piece.

Phour, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2020
Phour, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2020

Phour along with graffiti writers like Mr Draws, Oner, Slim Pickings (Tes) and Fiva, to mention but a few, writes his name, clear and simple without too much disguise or wildstyling which makes his work really easy to identify. I find this piece most pleasing. Great colours, neat and tidy and it has a fearless joy about it. Looking forward to seeing a whole load more from Phour.

3069. M32 Cycle path (66)

As with so many artists, Bnie has been very active since the easing of lock down and I can’t ever remember a time when the frequency of her work has been as high as it is now. This all amounts to great news for fans of her beautiful writing.

Bnie, M32 cycle path, Bristol, July 2020
Bnie, M32 cycle path, Bristol, July 2020

In typical fashion, Bnie gives us a really tidy and clean BNIE with some complex and stylish fills. Her creativity and imaginative fills are her USP and she really leads the way with these patterned letters. A fine piece.

3068. M32 roundabout J3 (235)

Fortune favours the brave. I took a lunchtime walk last week and decided to take the dog to the M32 roundabout. I could have gone to any of the other spots, but decided on that one and lucky I did. I arrived to find an ‘A list’ of graffiti writers prepping for and starting a paint jam. Included in this extraordinary line up were Soker, Minto and Tizer from London, Rusk, Inkie, Hemper and Stivs.

Tizer, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Tizer, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

Because of my working hours and limited ability to get out I rarely see artists at work, so this was a real treat, and the first piece I am sharing from this paint jam is by Tizer, who is a graffiti writing legend.

Tizer, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Tizer, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

I learned two things when I chatted with Tizer the next day (another whole story), the first is that he freestyles all his pieces, which is incredible really – no drafts or prompts, just what’s in his head. The second is that he turned to spray painting and skateboarding as a youngster to escape the gangs where he grew up in Brixton.

Tizer, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020
Tizer, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020

It was really interesting to see how Tizer works. From what I saw he drafts an outline and then works on the colour fills from left to right. When that is done he paints on the black outlines and details ending up with a stained-glass window effect. Wonderful to watch and what an amazing finished piece. Of course the whole thing spells out Tizer.

3066. St Werburghs tunnel (175)

Last week I met Phour for the first time, and what a pleasure it was. I had had my suspicions that he was another writer that had changed his letters, but I was quite wrong. Phour told me that he did a bit of spraying as a youngster, but had stopped until a couple of years ago when he picked up his cans and started up again. I must confess that I have only noticed his writing this year, but what I have seen I like and he is, on first impressions, a genuinely decent guy who was more than happy to stop and talk for a while.

Phour, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2020
Phour, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2020

This is one of a few slightly older pieces that I have had on archive waiting to be posted until I knew a little bit more about the artist. His letter shapes are clean and clear and he seems to enjoy lots of colour in his work. All the right ingredients are there for Phour to move up the ranks of Bristol graffiti writers. I look forward to following him along the way.