Writer – Page 50 – Natural adventures

6700. M32 Cycle path (278)

Ryder and Jaksta, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2025

Turnover on the M32 Cycle path has been fairly slow this winter, and I have reduced the frequency of my visits to the spot accordingly. On my last visit, however, I got really lucky and met Ryder and Jaksta, along with some of their friends, who were all painting together to celebrate Jaksta’s birthday. It appears that January is a big month for street art birthday paint jams.

Ryder, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2025

In this combination collaboration, Ryder has painted the letters RAKE and Jaksta the character. Painted on a good old-fashioned brick wall, this piece looks like a throwback to the 1980s. The graffiti writing by Ryder is superb, spelling out RAKE, and not only celebrates Jaksta’s birthday, but also 25 years of painting together.

Jaksta, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, January 2025

Jaksta is the cartoon character king, who manages to create incredible caricatures of people both famous and unknown. This is an absolute peach, and one of two pieces painted by the artist during this session. The exaggerated features and overized head are key components of Jaksta’s style, and would not look out of place in Montmatre’s (Paris) crazy art markets. A fabulous collaboration by the RAW duo.

6698. Dean Lane skate park (802)

One of the best Christmas presents I received this year was a signed Inkie print from my wife, who managed to get down to the ‘Pipe and Slippers’ pub, while I was away, and catch up with the artist and some mutual friends. I don’t think that my wife made the link back to me, which is a pity because it all might have made a little more sense to him at the time. The print is a good one, and awaiting framing, along with dozens of other pieces of artwork I have accumulated.

This lovely piece by Inkie is a tribute to an old friend of his Paul ‘Peewee’ Miller, who’d recently died. Inkie mentions on his Instagram that he painted this exact wall, presumably with Peewee, 36 years ago. That is going some.

6697. Frome Side (49)

Regular readers will know that I have a special liking for the work of Nips. It is difficult to pin down exactly what it is about her writing that I like, but it just somehow appeals to me. This chrome piece was painted under the M32, on the far bank of the River Frome, which involves crossing the river on a slender concrete beam, not one for the feint-hearted.

In this piece, Nips’ usual creative fills have given way to something much simpler (which is often the way with chrome writing). I like the double border, which creates just enough separation between the letters and the graffiti wall. The lasting thought though is I really want to know who ‘Evil David’ is.

6696. Sparke Evans Park (119)

Zed in the Clouds and J9449j, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, January 2025

I sometimes wonder if anyone would notice if I stopped writing about the street/graffiti art pieces that I post, and simply presented the photographs, but then I have to remind myself that this blog is primarily for me and my mental health… that others might enjoy it is a joyous blessing. I cannot be certain that this vertically stacked pair are collaborative or simply adjacent. There are red drips running through both, but I think that has more to do with the lower piece by j9449j incorporating them into his piece.

The top piece is by Zed in the Clouds, an artist who is ridiculously underrepresented on Natural Adventures, a situation I simply must remedy. His combination piece contains the letters ZED and his trademark character. With the incorporation of the background the piece is literally zed in the clouds.

The lower piece is by an artist who seems to delight in changing his Instagram handle on a regular basis, making it rather difficult to know what to call him, so I stick with the first name I used, which is j9449j. Among his other monikers are Dr3amc0re94 and all_4_n0thing – this is someone who doesn’t want to leave much of a digital footprint like many other street artists. His letters, which I can never read, always have fills that I like to think have a natural emphasis with lots of leaves and plant shapes. This is a fine piece of writing that could so easily be dominated by the vibrant background, but actually complements it well.

6695. M32 Spot (198)

Stivs and Mest, M32 Spot, Bristol, January 2025

I can’t believe that today is the last day of January… I swear that time is accelerating, or at least that is how it feels (it is my age you know). I recollect that Stivs told me a long time ago that he and Mest had shared a flat for a while, which might account for this coming together to paint this collaborative wall.

Stivs has been smashing it consistently for a long time, and his current penchant for painting characters from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise is a very welcome theme. A fun fact – did you know that ponds and lakes up and down the country (particularly in the south) are populated with terrapins (a non-native species) which were purchased by children and families thanks to the power of the movie franchise, as adorable exotic little pets. Little terrapins grow into big terrapins, and as these creatures outgrew their tanks, people released them into the wild (an illegal act without a licence). Some survived and have adapted to their new environment, and that is why you might spot them if you keep your eyes open.

I have always liked the simplicity of Mest’s writing, and although he doesn’t paint all that often, he manages to retain his style and technique with ease. The letters, in an informal font, are nicely proportioned and filled without being fussy. There is a very nicely done drop shadow, which again is delivered without fuss. What lifts the piece, in my view, is the way the greys work with the background colour and the fabulous interface created with the subtle green border. A fine collaboration.

6693. Frome Side (48)

Bbygwya, Frome Side, Bristol, January 2025

As someone who photographs and writes about street and graffiti art, it can be quite a challenge keeping up with Instagram monikers and even the letters that artists write. Bbygwya, AKA Flux, writes Flux. Luxe and in this instance Lukz and you have to know her style and range of letters to be able to identify her work successfully.

This piece was painted under the M32, alongside the River Frome early this month, and might signal a healthy presence from her and the RBF crew, who have all had a pretty busy January. Her letters have that unruly feel to them, being slightly irregular. The fills are nicely done and capped off with a couple of brilliant starbursts. Like other pieces painted during this session, there is some rain damage, which suggests that it was a wet paint day. There is a nice final touch… the shout out to Mena.

6688. River Avon (77)

Biers, River Avon, Bristol, January 2025

There are some artists in Bristol that I simply take for granted, in so much as I expect to find their work on a reasonably regular basis, while others may paint in fits and starts. Biers is one of those whose presence is always out there, and it is not difficult to stumble upon new work by him that I haven’t seen before.

These rather nice WD40 letters in pink work really nicely on the green background, and the letters have been a little bit compressed into his short-form. When Biers incorporates characters to create combination pieces, the letters tend to sprawl out a little bit more. Some interesting fills, and a smattering of inverted crosses finish the piece off nicely.

6686. Sparke Evans Park (117)

Even, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, January 2025

Earlier on this month, there was a very well attended RBF (Resting Bitch Face crew) paint jam in Sparke Evans Park, celebrating Desi and Even’s birthdays. This piece is one of the birthday girl’s offering, and it is really rather good.

This combination piece, brings together some lovely curvy letters in Even’s classic style and the ‘V’ is replaced with a fabulous smiling Cheshire cat. The piece is really bright and joyful, and certainly stood out on a rather cold and wintery day. There is so much more great work to post from this particular paint jam.

6685. Brunel Way (310)

Squire, Brunel Way, Bristol, January 2025

Living in Bristol is, for so many reasons, a privilege and a joy, especially if you like a dusting of cosmopolitan urban heritage and culture. There are many things to be proud of and other things, such as the trade in slaves, tobacco and alcohol, that need to be understood and processed. It is a city that has a sense of excitement and a buzz about it, and I am sure that the street/graffiti art culture adds to that sensation.

We have a lot of visiting graffiti writers and artists that come to paint here, and every time I go out taking photographs, I find work by artists I have never encountered or noticed before. This writing by Squire, isn’t a style I recognise, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are a visitor, just that I haven’t seen their stuff before. I like the letter shapes and the simple but effective black fill and purple pattern, set on a chrome background. A nice piece of writing.

6683. Sparke Evans Park (116)

Wispa, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, January 2025

It would be great to know a little bit more about Wispa. She floats in and out of Bristol like a Willow the Wisp. Her Instagram is @willow_the_wispa, which might speak to her itinerant lifestyle. OK, news just in – I checked her Instagram that leads you to her web page, and here is an excerpt from her biography which helps to unravel the mystery somewhat:

I write Wispa, and am a female graffiti/street artist from the south of the U.K. I have been painting for 2 years. I paint all over the country, and have painted in Miami (United States) and Barcelona (Spain) as well as London, Bristol, Brighton and other U.K. spots I like to hit. Writers that really inspire are the likes of: Miss Motel (40hk), Samer, Dime, Isie Ldn, Spat, Zoegen (Miss Buns), Sterling & Skore.

In this combination piece, part of a huge paint jam celebrating the birthdays of RBF friends Desi and Even, Wispa has painted some stunning letters and a Japanese animation character from the Studio Ghibli. The letters are beautifully laid out with great colour selections and wonderful fills, and the character is so very neat and tidy. Wispa is without doubt an extraordinarily talented artist.

	Bill Bisgood on Football train
	Cethru Cellophane (a… on Football train
	paulh121 on 7496. M32 roundabout J3 (…
	paulh121 on 7494. Purdown (100)
	scooj on 7494. Purdown (100)

	Bill Bisgood on Football train
	Cethru Cellophane (a… on Football train
	paulh121 on 7496. M32 roundabout J3 (…
	paulh121 on 7494. Purdown (100)
	scooj on 7494. Purdown (100)

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: