6429. Jamaica Street (28)

Vane, Jamaica Street, Bristol, July 2024
Vane, Jamaica Street, Bristol, July 2024

When I first came across this piece, I really wasn’t too sure what it meant, but photographed it anyway, because it is a clean and classy piece of writing with an important message. It turns out that it is by Vane and is a get well shout-out to his friend Holly, AKA Mena – regular readers will know that she is a Bristol writer who had an accident in Thailand recently and is currently recovering in the UK.

Vane, Jamaica Street, Bristol, July 2024
Vane, Jamaica Street, Bristol, July 2024

This is a heartfelt and touching piece by Vane, who, although he is a Bristol artist, hasn’t appeared on Natural Adventures all that often. I think it says much about the graffiti/street art culture in the city that so many artists have rallied around Mena and painted messages of support for her over the last few weeks. I hope her recovery continues well.

6427. Cumberland Basin

Sait Bare and Zake, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2024
Sait Bare and Zake, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2024

I think that Zake is not only incredibly prolific, but is also one of those artists who is happy to collaborate with anyone. Some artists are quite particular about who they collaborate with, but Zake, it would seem, just loves to paint with other artists. In this piece he has teamed up, to great effect, with Sait Bare.

Sait Bare and Zake, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2024
Sait Bare and Zake, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, July 2024

The writing, spelling SA(I)T, is by Sait Bare and is typical of his non-conformist letter shapes and cloudy fills, a style that takes a little getting used to, but which is really growing on me. The ‘i’ is supplied by painted by zake in the form of one of his distinctive cartoon portraits, whose body makes up the stem of the ‘i’ and whose head is the dot on top.  This is an unexpected and rather successful collaboration, and I suspect not the last from this pair.

6426. Brunel Way (296)

Werm, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024
Werm, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024

Sometimes wildstyle graffiti writers can be guilty of overthinking their work, and I feel that Werm went through a phase where he did just that, and while his pieces were technically awesome, they were, for my taste, just a little too over-complex.

Werm, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024
Werm, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024

This one is a recent work in a series of bilaterally symmetrical graffiti writing pieces that Werm has been focussing on. He tends to work in themes and ideas which he runs with for six months or so, and then moves on to some new concept, constantly evolving and improving. The colours palette is very ‘Wermy’, and by that I mean contains reds and cream, which he uses a often as a combination. This is a nice piece, and well worth buffing the wall to provide a clean background.

6425. Dean Lane skate park (764)

Risky, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Risky, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

I have been aware of Risky’s writing about the place for some while now, but I would say that in the last six months or so he has really upped his game, and is turning out some rather nice writing and some interesting fills, where his earlier pieces were perhaps cutting his teeth or practising.

Risky, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Risky, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

This one in Dean Lane follows a fairly basic formula, and has been executed really well. The letters RISKY are in two tones of red giving a basic light/shadow effect, which provides depth to the letters. The writing has a contrasting green drop shadow and the whole thing is bordered with a dark blue line. There is lots of thought and care that has gone into this piece of graffiti writing, and I look forward to this continuing evolution from Risky.

6420. Upfest 2024 (52)

Jimmer Wilmott, Upfest 24, The Tobaccco Factory, Bristol, September 2024
Jimmer Wilmott, Upfest 24, The Tobaccco Factory, Bristol, September 2024

Somehow this piece by Jimmer Wilmott passed me by at this year’s Upfest, and I only got to see it recently during a visit to a few spots with Paul H, including the Tobacco Factory. Sunday is the best day to visit this spot, because there are no cars in the parking spaces, which are immediately in front of the wall. Saturdays would also be good, if it weren’t for the market, which clogs things up a bit.

Jimmer Wilmott, Upfest 24, The Tobaccco Factory, Bristol, September 2024
Jimmer Wilmott, Upfest 24, The Tobaccco Factory, Bristol, September 2024

Jimmer Wilmott has been working in the studio on canvass with his ‘alphabetti spaghetti’ pieces for quite a long while now, but this is the first wall I am aware of that he has decorated in this way. The concept is simple and brilliant and somehow he achieves a photorealistic presentation, which causes many a double-take. Spelling ‘Jimmer was ere’, this is a creative delight from one of the most creative talents in Bristol.

6418. Brunel Way (295)

Kosc, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024
Kosc, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024

I am still a little under the weather with Covid this morning, so only short posts today. This is a wonderful piece of chrome graffiti writing from Kosc in a spot that he has painted before, but I don’t usually associate with him.

Kosc, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024
Kosc, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024

The letters are made up in the style of riveted sheets of metal, a device used by many writers and one that is very effective. Kosc has perfected this style.

6416. Cumberland Basin

Soker and Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2024
Soker and Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2024

When the best get together, small miracles happen. And when I look at a collaboration between Soker and Sled One, I find myself asking (again) how do they do this? Of course, I know how they do it, but technically and creatively it becomes unfathomable.

Soker, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2024
Soker, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2024

The writing to the left is by Soker, and I would like to add that it is wonderful to see him out painting a little more often these days after a prolonged quiet period. The beautifully crafted letters are filled with a stunning combination of colours that work perfectly together. This is wildstyle graffiti writing at its best.

Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2024
Sled One, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2024

The character piece is by Sled One and features a young man (self-portrait?) gazing into a lava lamp filled with trippy smiley faces that bleed into the rest of the collaboration. Sled One not only creates these marvellous characters and scenes, but tells a whole story, which the viewer is challenged to piece together. This is a very special collaboration.

6415. Dean Lane skate park (762)

Hypo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Hypo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

I am really flagging. This is a beauty from Hypo, who I met at the M32 roundabout a couple of days ago. He continues to turn out quality pieces with great regularity, and this one is so full of energy and effervescence.

Hypo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Hypo, Dean Lane, Bristol, September 2024

We talked a little of his penchant for symmetry, and chatted about Werm who is going through a phase of writing his letters with a bilateral symmetry. In symmetry lies perfection… That’s yer lot, back to bed for me.

6414. Brunel Way (294)

Wispa, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024
Wispa, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024

I have Covid. A pretty strong dose of it and am rather under the weather. This would go some way to explaining why I am late with today’s posts. Natural Adventures has strong ties with viruses, it was started in February 2015 while I was recovering from a really bad bout of flu. But for that I might not be sitting here writing right now.

Wispa, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024
Wispa, Brunel Way, Bristol, September 2024

Wispa reminds me of Maria Von Trapp, a flibbertygibbet, a willow the wisp, a cloud. Her name would appear to be a good description of the way she travels the country, never staying too long, so it seems. This is a nice piece of writing that was painted alongside Werm a week or two back. Nice stuff and great to know she has been visiting.

6411. Dove Lane

Taboo, Dove Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Taboo, Dove Lane, Bristol, September 2024

A couple of weeks ago, before we drove our daughter to her new university adventure, I had to drop the dog off with a dog-sitter which took me to a part of town I don’t go to all that often. While I wouldn’t describe the area of Redfield as a graffiti/street art hotspot, there are a few pieces knocking about the place and it is always worth having a little explore. I got lucky and found this Taboo piece, which might have been there for some time, but it was a discovery for me nonetheless.

Taboo, Dove Lane, Bristol, September 2024
Taboo, Dove Lane, Bristol, September 2024

This is a fabulous anti-style graffiti writing/character combination piece that Taboo is so good at, full of innovation and charm as well as being a little bit surreal. The letters spell out TABOO, with the last ‘O’ represented by a bricky busily building a wall. This is a wonderful piece that demonstrates the rare and extraordinary talents of Taboo.