1904. St Werburghs tunnel (56)

I am really pleased to see that Face 1st and Soap have teamed up again, it feels like a while since they last collaborated, to produce this beautiful piece. The two distinct halves are joined by the hair of Face 1st’s girl.

Face 1st, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018
Face 1st, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018

I love the concept of Face 1st’s character sketching out an idea in her black book, there is a lovely story unfolding and it brings a whole extra layer to the piece. This really is something special.

Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018
Soap, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018

The Soap half of the collaboration is yet another great example of just how good his writing is with the blue and lilac elements almost resembling stained glass windows. I always feel these two artists are so modest with their work, and it is a pity that something like this is lurking in the darkness of St Werburghs tunnel…it deserves more prominence.

1903. St Werburghs tunnel (55)

What a wonderfully clever piece this is from Fiva, who has used his trademark block letters to spell out his name but has repeated the word in a different font through the letters in a way that gives the whole thing a 3D look. This piece uses techniques that are used by Pref ID who is a master of this kind of visual wordplay.

Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018
Fiva, St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2018

As is often the case with Fiva’s work, he leaves us a character as additional interest in the piece. I really like his work and only wish he did more but realise that he, like many other street artists, is likely to have a real job and maybe family and can only get out to play when time and circumstance permit.

1902.M32 Spot (36)

This Deamze burner photobombed a recent post of a Silent Hobo column, but in my view deserves a post all of its own. This writing is one of the forms that Deamze uses in his work. It is much simpler than his wildstyle work, but still has a clean and sharp look to it.

Deamze, M32 spot, Bristol, November 2018
Deamze, M32 spot, Bristol, November 2018

The colours and drift of shading work really nicely and the whole thing stands out and looks so fresh. You could give a hundred artists a can and a wall and ask them to recreate this, but none would be as good. At the top of his game.

 

 

1900. Dean Lane skate park (180)

I think I suffer slightly from Laic217 withdrawal, which is only ever cured by seeing another of his pieces. Of all the amazing artists in Bristol, I probably get most satisfaction when I find a piece by Laic217. In no way does that diminish the other artists at all, it is just that I get a special buzz seeing his work. I suppose it is a bit like getting a special card in a set of ‘Match Attax’ cards – they’re all good, but you cherish the special one.

Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2018
Laic217, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2018

This is a fairly regular piece by Laic217, a skeleton character spraying and a nicely composed LAIC lettering. The piece was sprayed together with Cort, to the left and Ugar to the right. These three seem to enjoy spraying together, which is great for me as I like all of their work. I hope it is not too long before I get my next Laic217 fix.

1899. Dean Lane skate park (179)

I have only met Cort once, and that was about three weeks ago at the M32 roundabout – he was half way through a piece that I never saw completed, which is a pity (I have added it to the end of the post).

Cort, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2018
Cort, Dean Lane, Bristol, November 2018

His work is truly unique, as each of his letters seems to take on characteristics distinct from those adjacent to it, so while there is a style here, there is no formula pattern of letter shapes etc. It is interesting to note (again from the added half-finished work) that he outlines the letters and then fills out the background, which even though I know that this is how things are done, I find counter-intuitive.

Cort, Unfinished, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
Cort, Unfinished, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018

I am warming more and more with every piece I see from Cort, and I believe his work has come on a long way over the last three years or so.

1897. M32 roundabout J3 (110)

The penultimate post from this magnificent paint jam in November on the long high wall of the M32 roundabout features this outstanding piece of writing by Smak. I am so full of admiration and awe really when I look at this artist’s work and try to figure out how he arrives at his designs and then carries them out so meticulously.

Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 20189
Smak, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 20189

On this wall Smak is in great graffiti writing company, with contributions from Deamze, Hemper and Soker. It really is a feast for the eyes when this lot get together.

1890. Shoreditch, London (8)

One of the things I love most about seeing street art in other cities is when I see a piece by an I am familiar with – it gives me that warm glow of conceit, and so it was when I saw this lovely burner by Bristol’s Voyder.

Voyder, Shoreditch, London, November 2018
Voyder, Shoreditch, London, November 2018

The last piece I saw by Voyder was at Upfest back in July, so to find this one in Shoreditch was definitely a special moment. This is such a clever piece, I cannot really do it justice in any explanation, but I will try. Everything you see is utterly deliberate – the blurring of the letters and the drips and splashes, what makes this extra special is how Voyder has created this with extreme skill in blending the colours through the piece and making the whole thing look a bit amateurish. To the trained eye, this is utterly brilliant, to others it might just look a bit rubbish.

1882. M32 roundabout J3 (108)

I may be imagining it or it might be a real thing, but Soap seems not only to be doing a lot more work on the street recently, but also is doing more writing. This is a lovely colourful little piece in one of the tunnels of the M32 roundabout combining his writing with his trademark mouths.

Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018

These tunnels must be a nightmare to paint, because they act as both footpaths and cycle paths and seem to be forever busy. Anyone who can produce art of this quality in these tunnels gets my instant admiration.

1873. Upfest 2018 (92)

I have featured the work of Sofly a couple of times on Natural Adventures before and each time hoped that she would return to Bristol which thankfully she did at Upfest 2018. Sofly (Sophy Robson) was an official artist at the festival but nonetheless decided to paint on an unofficial wall, something I admire and something that keeps the festival ‘real’.

Sofly, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Sofly, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

Tis is simply a really nice piece of writing, beautifully proportioned, and the colours are wonderful, especially the way the pink gets lighter towards the right hand side of the piece. I tried to have a quick chat with Sophy, but I think she was keen to finish up and move on, so the conversation was brief.

Sofly, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017
Sofly, Stokes Croft, Bristol, December 2017

1871. St Werburghs tunnel (53)

It is often the way with photographing street art that you can go for long periods without seeing anything from an artist, and then all of a sudden a rush of pieces all come along at once. This has as much to do with the habits of the viewer (me) as it does with the painter.

Rusk, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2018
Rusk, St Werburghs, Bristol, November 2018

This is a fine piece in the middle of the tunnel at St Werburghs by Rusk from RAW (Read and Weep). Unfortunately the colours are dulled by the orange lighting in the tunnel, but you can see the metallic sheen on the writing, cleverly enhanced with the white accent dots. In case you haven’t worked it out, the letters spell RUSK. Two things I like here…the first is the piece hanging above by Corupt and the second is the Read and Weep label on the right hand side. Rusk rarely disappoints.