Neddy Ned Neddy, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024
Neddy Ned Neddy is one of those artists who paints from time to time in Bristol, but never enough to grace the pages of Natural Adventures all that often. It is always a pleasure to include his work, though, because his writing style is quite special and beautifully executed.
Neddy Ned Neddy, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024
In most of his pieces, the vanishing point for his drop shadow is located centrally behind the letters, which gives the illusion that they are hurtling towards you from the background. The flaming colour selection works well against the blue, and this is an all-round stonking burner.
This is yet another colourful outburst of joy and movement from Grimes, and a piece to enjoy and savour. Grimes has been smashing it with every piece he paints, and Bristol spots are without a doubt more colourful places when one of his pieces is present.
Grimes, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, November 2024
The three dimensional effect that Grimes creates in his work is outstanding, and this whole thing has the appearance of bursting out from the wall towards the viewer. Such is the energy in the piece it almost feels like an animation. The ‘fruit salad’ colours are beautifully distributed throughout the writing (Spelling GRIMES), and are set on a watery blue background, which is also full of swirling movement. In my eyes, this is a masterpiece of wildstyle writing.
It’s a funny thing, but I don’t know whether I simply haven’t registered Oust much in the past, or whether he is painting a little bit more often in Bristol, but I seem to be finding more Oust work about town these days.
Oust, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, October 2024
This is a superb piece of writing, with all elements working well in harmony, although I think that the light blue of the letters is slightly washed out by some of the stronger colours around it. Obviously, the letters spell OUST and they have been filled with loads of patterning and symbols, mostly stars. There is a complex drop shadow in black and yellow and a busy red background. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from Oust.
There is a simplicity and clarity in Zeks’ work, where less is definitely more. His child-like quality and themes work so very well. The autumn leaves in front of the piece complement the ‘blue sky’ background, so well, conjuring up visions of gorgeous autumn days.
Zeks, M32 roundabout, Bristol, October 2024
The combination piece is split into distinct halves, with a beautifully illustrated urban landscape to the left (looking like one of those 1960-70s cartoon series), which is so full of character. The writing in contrasting and bright colours spells out ZEKS, and is filled with interesting but unfussy shapes and designs. This is a delightful and calming piece from Zeks.
This is a fabulous Halloween combination piece from Nice One, and one of a series of outstanding artworks from this most modest of artists. I think that the font he uses contrasts so well with all around it, creating a fresh look in amongst all the styles and fonts we get used to.
Nice One, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2024
The portrait of the Joker is brilliantly reproduced and suitably menacing, perfect for Halloween. I love the way that Nice One has only hinted at his letters, with most of them obscured or falling outside the frame. There is simply so much to enjoy from Nice One’s work at the moment… long may it last.
Completely unplanned I appear to have posted two chrome pieces in a row, from two artists that are known for the colourful work, Nips yesterday and Kid Krishna today. I’m not sure I have seen an entirely chrome and black piece from Kid Krishna before, but I like what I see, and it appears to have worked really well.
Kid Krishna, River Avon, Bristol, November 2024
The letters, as always spell out CRIE, and having spoken to Kid Krishna recently, we will soon know why he uses these letters. In the middle of this combination piece is a crazy cartoon character bursting out and looking rather sketch-like. A fun two-tone piece.
Nips is known for her wonderful colour selections and fill patterns and with this chrome piece on the cycle path, the question is could she carry it off with such colour limitations, the answer is unequivocally yes.
Nips, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, October 2024
Nips’ letters do not change an awful lot from piece to piece, but her decorative artwork does, and here she has made the most of a simple fill pattern of black blobs. The overall effect works very well. Normally you’d expect the tittle (a word I learned last night, meaning the dot above the i or j) in Nips’ pieces to have a little character face, but here she has substituted it with a heart. Great work from Nips.
Fade (Jody and Acer One)) and Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
This is a wonderful production wrap-around Halloween piece from Dibz and Fade. In fact this is the second time that the pair have bookended their former tribute collaboration with Jody and Acer One, to musician and DJ Randall. The central portrait by Jody and letters from Acer One have remained intact each time.
Fade and Jody, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
To the left Fade has painted a wonderful combination piece, along with Jody, with the letters FDE either side of a creepy pumpkin character. The purple, black and green colours together with the pumpkin orange are commonly used in Halloween pieces.
Jody, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
The pumpkin is super-fierce and beautifully painted by Jody (thank you Paul H for your unflinching reminders that I completely missed this) with the light overflowing from the lantern and spilling onto the floor and spelling out the crew letters THK. Clever stuff.
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
To the right, Dibz has similarly created a combination piece, but his character is a cartoon-style Grim Reaper, altogether less threatening than his pumpkin partner. The letters offer up wildstyle writing at its best, and contrasts somewhat with the comic character, but as ever, Dibz gets the two to work well together.
Dibz, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2024
Overall a superb seasonal augmentation of an existing collaboration.
By the time this post is published I’ll be somewhere between Bristol and Leeds, on our way to visit our daughter who is in her first term at university there. The upshot of this is that I wrote this post last night after work, a little tired and not particularly inspired. Basically I am making excuses for a waffling post.
Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2024
Mr Draws represents the constant beating heart of Bristol graffiti writing. I have said it many times and my view hasn’t changed. Regular and dependable. This set of fused DRAWS letters in dark blues has a devilish theme running through it with horns and an inverted cross. I wonder what is going on here. I might need to have words with Mr Draws.
One of the highlights of 2024 has been the appearance and constant presence of the brilliant wildstyle graffiti writer Grimes. I am fascinated and excited by his writing that contains so much energy that it looks likely to burst in an explosion of coloured paint at any moment.. he has a very special talent.
Grimes River Avon, Bristol, November 2024
This stunner spells GRIMES, which if you look hard is actually quite easy to see, once you have your eye in. The colour selection is, as ever, spot on, but the magic is in the way that all the components come together to create a coherent whole. This is outstanding writing at its best.
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