Natural adventures

7688. Willway Street – Upfest 2026 (11)

Sophie Long, Upfest 2026, Willway Street, Bristol, May 2026

I haven’t seen anything by Bristol-based artist Sophie Long for an age, but if anything can get her out painting walls, it is Upfest. Renowned for her animal portraits, Sophie Long has surpassed expectations with this outstanding piece of a mother and baby gorilla.

Colour and drips are key elements that Sophie Long likes to incorporate into her work, and there is plenty of both in this piece. Her gorillas have the expression of love and compassion, but there is also a vulnerability here that speaks of the fragility of their existence in a human dominated word. Outstanding work from Sophie Long – you can see more of her work in this updated gallery.

7687. M32 roundabout J3 (774)

RBN One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026

Since ‘discovering’ RBN One a couple of months ago, I seem to be coming across his work with an unnerving frequency. How could this graffiti writer have been off my radar for so long? I don’t understand how this happens, but it happens.

This is a beautifully colourful piece that is not only stunning to look at, but also technically well crafted and painted too. Each letter is independent of colour or fill pattern from the next, in the main, although there is a little bit of repetition through the piece. The contrasting drop shadow is perfect, and the whole effort is set on a silhouetted cityscape. Superb stuff.

7686. Stapleton Road

Mind 49 and RUOK, Stapleton Road, Bristol, May 2026

Mind 49 has been painting quite a lot this year, but many of his pieces are in a spot that I haven’t yet located, and so I have missed them. This collaborative piece with RUOK, however is in a place I regularly visit, and I was thrilled to find it.

Mind 49 has been developing his style over the years and seems to be in a phase of presenting the eyes and obscuring the rest of his portraits, usually with some kind of headscarf. Hiding features is a key part of his work. In this piece the decoration of the headscarf is courtesy of RUOK, an artist I haven’t come across before, who has done an excellent job. The large daisy is by Mind 49, the rest by RUOK. This is an awesome collaboration, with both artists contributing equally to create a blended whole.

7685. Dean Lane skate park (925)

The strong tradition of graffiti writing in Bristol, that first emerged in the 1980s, has been upheld by a handful of dedicated and talented artists, whose numbers have swelled thanks to their persistence. At the heart of this community is Turoe, who has created this lovely piece for Hemper, another in this merry band.

The letters spelling HEMS appear as a burst of colour on the black buffed wall, made all the more eye-catching thanks to the flames licking the perimeter of the piece. This is wildstyle graffiti writing at its best, and we are blessed in Bristol that some of the best in class call the city home.

Helman Tor

A rocky outcrop

drops to wet willow woodland

wind turbines turning

by Scooj

A welcome to England’s newest National Nature Reserve – Mid Cornwall Moors NNR

7684. Cumberland Basin

Tera and Kid Crayon, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

You don’t often get to see winter-themed pieces in the spring, but if anyone was going to challenge the viewer in this way, it was likely to be Tera and Kid Crayon. I can imagine them being rather pleased with themselves when they came up with the theme for this collaboration. Their contrasting styles really come across in these pieces.

Tera, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

Tera tends to have quite an edgy take with his street art work, favouring demonic representations, which he has followed through with this icy combination piece. The cool letters (which I can’t read) are accompanied by a sinister skeleton snowman character holding a spray can in his right hand. The suggestion being that he has just written the letters.

Kid Crayon, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

On the other hand, Kid Crayon’s take is much more cuddly, with a fun polar bear drinking a slushy next to his CRAYON letters looking like ice cubes or an iceberg – altogether a softer look. What a superb collaboration from the pair.

7683. River Avon (122)

Neddy ned Ned, River Avon, Bristol, May 2026

Neddy ned Ned presents the final part of the jungle paint jam, that included Jest Soubriquet, Buser and Mr Sce. His distinctive letters, spelling out WISKA, have a muted tone about them, almost as if lurking in the undergrowth.

There is something quite organic about this piece that fits the jungle theme really well. The green and purple fill is quite subtle and there is some interesting patterning through the letters. A pale blue 3D drop shadow gives definition between the writing and the background. This is a well-considered and balanced piece by Neddy ned Ned.

7682. M32 roundabout J3 (733)

This is an absolutely beautiful and charming piece from Desi, demonstrating what a great graffiti writer she has become. The combination piece has her VEIL letters accompanied by a small Mini Mouse character.

Desi has grown both in confidence and stature over the years. The fill in this piece is particularly attractive, incorporating some subtle white spots on grey and fetching zebra stripes, which always go down well. A nicely conceived and executed piece.

7681. Dean Lane skate park (925)

Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026

Mr consistency, that is the name of the game for Trafficity. He produces his complicated ZIOS letters time and again to his tried and tested formula. Quite how he is able to replicate this with such accuracy in so many spots is beyond admirable.

There is a lovely symmetry about his work, which usually incorporates three horizontal colour fills, as in this piece. He has a wonderful skill for blending simplicity with complexity. Always great work.

7680. River Avon (121)

Mr Sce and Buser, River Avon, Bristol, May 2026

Mr Sce and Buser have collaborated before in Bristol, in pretty much this exact spot, from recollection. This time they were part of a wider paint jam which had something of a jungle theme, which has carried through into these pieces beautifully.

This blue and gold macaw, by Mr Sce is a beauty. Parrots of all types are a favourite of street artists, and when I have run out of new material to share I can do special posts featuring parrots or dogs or cats or specific cartoon characters – food for thought. Mr Sce has captured the attitude of this macaw really well, and done a great job.

Buser paints in Bristol a littler more often than Mr Sce, but still isn’t quite what I’d call a regular. This is a tidy piece of writing full of colour and surrounded by a variety of tropical plants and flowers. Very nice work indeed from the pait.

	scooj on Thursday Doors – 28 May…
	scooj on Thursday Doors – 28 May…
	scooj on Helman Tor
	Sheree on 7688. Willway Street – U…
	hitandrun1964 on 7685. Dean Lane skate park…

	scooj on Thursday Doors – 28 May…
	scooj on Thursday Doors – 28 May…
	scooj on Helman Tor
	Sheree on 7688. Willway Street – U…
	hitandrun1964 on 7685. Dean Lane skate park…

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