3209. Dean Lane skate park (355)

I last met Jee See during a mini paint jam under Brunel Way back on a sunny summer’s day, and he had already completed his column piece and was just chilling and chewing the fat with friends. I haven’t seen any of his work since then until a week or two ago.

Jee See, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2020
Jee See, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2020

Jee See presents us with one of his ‘seismic’ pieces which has a political strand to it with the accompanying message of ‘Underclass rising’. It is nicely sprayed and planted over the top of an existing graffiti piece which makes the whole thing quite busy.

Unfortunately the piece has been dogged, probably by a kid with an almost empty discarded spraycan (it happens a lot). It is a pity, but it goes with the territory. My message – artists…take your empty cans home and dispose of them properly.

3206. Dean Lane skate park (354)

Well, what can I say about this really classy piece of graffiti writing from Hire? It is out of the top drawer that is for sure and it demonstrates clearly the benefit of prepping a wall properly to create a big impact.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2020
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2020

The last piece I saw by the artist was a real departure from what we are used to and I have to say that I am comforted by this triumphant return. The midnight blues and blacks work well together and the sharp letters spell out the artist’s name. This is simple (although not really) and beautiful and I think might be my favourite piece by him ever. Bravo!

3204. M32 Spot (82)

Painted alongside friends Inkie, Smak and Sled One, this is a first class piece of graffiti writing from Soker, who since lock down restrictions were eased has been very busy on the streets, which is a great thing for people like me.

Soker, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020
Soker, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020

The writing is superbly clean with a black shadow and white boundary that gives the whole thing a sharp crispness. There is a lovely blend of greens and blues in the letter fills and the red bubbles complement the piece beautifully. The work of a graffiti master.

3203. M32 Spot (81)

3Dom is probably best known for his character pieces and scenes, which are utterly outstanding, but he is also a very accomplished writer and every now and again we are treated to a little bit of his graffiti writing like this piece at the M32 Spot.

3Dom, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020
3Dom, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020

This is a splash of colour with what looks like translucent letters over the top spelling out 3DOM. It is full of joy and hope and the colours of summer, something we need to hold on to as we accelerate towards winter. Always classy.

3193. Dean Lane skate park (353)

Phour, an artist that I only encountered for the first time this summer, has been hitting the walls quite hard this year and there aren’t many spots around the city that haven’t had his letters displayed in all their glory.

Phour, Dean Lane, Bristol September 2020
Phour, Dean Lane, Bristol September 2020

This piece, behind the swimming pool railing at Dean Lane, shows what Phour is capable of. Some really nice crisp letters with a three-colour horizontal fill, the central red stripe with loads of little red spots around it. There are further purple decorations reading across to the top and bottom stripes. The whole thing set on a green splat background. I’m not entirely certain about that green with the other colours, it just doesn’t quite feel right. A top quality piece from Phour.

3192. M32 Spot (80)

Yet another outstanding piece from Inkie in this purple patch we are lucky enough to be witnessing in Bristol at the moment. I am guessing that Inkie has a bit of time on his hands at the moment… maybe it is a pandemic thing and if it is then it is an upside as far as I am concerned.

Inkie, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020
Inkie, M32 Spot, Bristol, September 2020

Alongside some of his friends (posts to follow soon) this appeared about a week or so ago at the top end of Stapleton Road. It is an absolute classic and painted in colours that he has used before, from memory he painted a van in similar shades. Those of you who follow Thursday Doors, might well see this piece again sometime in the future (door hidden under the I and E). I will never tire of his work and am really enjoying this current spate.

Inkie, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2019
Inkie, St Werburghs, Bristol, October 2019

3191. St Werburghs tunnel (189)

Every now and again in the tunnel you get to see a really classy piece of writing (in fact much more than just ocasionally – we are blessed) and this tight piece is by Gage Graphics, probably better known for some magnificent large murals arountd the city.

Gage Graphics, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020
Gage Graphics, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020

There is something comforting about mural artists who make their living from their art getting back to grassroots and slapping some paint up on a wall like this. This is the work of someone who really gets what he’s doing and carries it off with ease. There are so many good things about this work, spelling out SERIF, but the cracks in the letters do the trick for me. Something of a rarity, but so very welcome.

3190. Alfred Street (6)

On the opposite side of the Dare To building from the Smak piece in my previous post on Natural Adventures is a fine quintet of pieces of which this is one. Each piece hosts the writers name together with a little character. This gorgeous rhapsody in green is by Hemper.

Hemper, Alfred Street, Bristol, September 2020
Hemper, Alfred Street, Bristol, September 2020

Spelling out HEMS, this intricate piece is absolutely amazing and incredibly detailed. The letters seem to pop out all over the place thanks to the skillful 3D shading effects. This is a work by a fine craftsman. I’m not too sure who the little green character is to the top left, but I think I recognise him from a contemporary cartoon series.

3188. St Werburghs tunnel (188)

No signature, but who needs a signature when your work screams out Fiva? It feels like an eternity since Fiva hit any walls, but this is quite some comeback. I don’t need to tell you what it spells, but I am probably as curious as you are as to why he decided upon the word Puffin.

Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2020

The piece is dedicated to Josie and perhaps the word puffin means something to her. The writing is big and bold, but I can assure you that just because it looks simple does not mean it is simple to do. For a start there are all those straight lines and the correct spacing between letters etc. There is an extremely nice touch with the grey shadows to the left and bottom of each letter. A magnificent piece. I tried to emulate one of his letters last year, with a rather disappointing result… very difficult to do.

Scooj, H in the style of Fiva, Bristol, June 2019
Scooj, H in the style of Fiva, Bristol, June 2019

3177. M32 roundabout J3 (254)

Another stunner from Smak on the M32 roundabout and this time it is in beautiful gold and green colours with a slightly unexpected surprise pink and red highlighting the outer edges of the piece.

Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2020
Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2020

I found this without knowing it had been painted (always rewarding and it usually means that it is pretty fresh because it han’t appeared on Instagram). There is a kind of browny tinge all along the middle of the letters, giving the letters a bit of a 3D shiny feel to them. Belting statement piece.