Natural adventures

7977. Peel Street Green (72)

Pura Decadencia, Peel Street Green, Bristol, October 2026

It feels like quite a while since I posted a piece by Pura Decadencia, but this one takes me right back to when I first became aware of her work. It is the vampire fangs, helping themselves to a piece of her work that does it for me.

Her letters in yellow and grey are very nicely presented with a well-worked red drop shadow and a green plasma bolt running through the piece for good measure. What makes this piece stand out for me though is those fangs, lips and tongue – such a signature item and so original. Lovely work. More please.

7976. Purdown (107)

The turnover up at Purdown has been on the slow side this year, I know this, because I quite regularly walk the dog up there – one of his favourite walks. Fortunately it is a place that Daz Cat is rather fond of and so I live in hope that I’ll find one of his pieces, and got lucky on this occasion.

Daz Cat has used the square space well, fillinng every inch of it with his composition. A cat appears to be having a hot cup of tea, but, probably because of the colours, I keep seeing bangers and beans throughout the piece, and once seen can’t easily be unseen. I am not sure iof this is intentional by Daz Cat, or simply my interpretation. Still a wonderful piece either way.

7975. M32 roundabout J3 (799)

Hire, M32 roundabout, Bristol, September 2026

What a lovely fishy piece this is from Hire. It was painted alongside a ‘monster from the deep’ piece by Zake, and these two artists have collaborated as number of times over the last couple of years, with some great results.

This piece of writing spells HIRE, although it can be difficult to make out. The colours are carefully chosen and the green outline brings it all together nicely. I am, naturally, attracted to the fish, and I can see clearly that these are freshwater species – pike, zander and carp. Hire’s Polish heritage is expressed here, as these are three species that can be taken and eaten, which in Polish society is a norm, but in the UK, we rarely remove coarse fish for the pot. An English artist would have probably presented a different assemblage of fish, and almost certainly not zander. Lovely piece and collaboration.

7974. Cumberland Basin

Taboo, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, September 2026

This is a vast piece by Taboo on a long wall alongside the tobacco warehouses on the north side of Cumberland basin. I don’t venture down this track all that often, so it is possible that this piece might have been here for some time.

Just to confuse things, Taboo has written his letters in reverse, including the crew name PLB. His anti-style lettering is given some uniformity, governed by the height of the wall, but still the shapes and nature of the lettering is unconventional. A ‘normal’ sized burner spelling Dorn interrupts the flow of the piece a little, but pretty much gets absorbed into it. Fine work from Taboo.

7973. St Werburghs tunnel (601)

210, St Werburghs, Bristol, September 2026

I still need to dig out some older pieces by 210 from my archives, because it is only recently that I figured out his name, and I know I have several pictures of his work dating back some time. His work is usually found adjacent to ARSA, and they both often paint together with Corupt and RBN One.

This bilaterally symmetrical piece is beautifully designed and executed. The colour palette of blues and purples set on the maroon buffed wall are so easy on the eye, and perfectly complemented by the cream drop shadow, drifting off to the right. This is a very pleasing piece by 210. (PS I used to catch the 210 bus to my piano lessons as a kid in North London – so there).

7972. Raleigh Road – Upfest 2026 (65)

Dale Grimshaw, Upfest 2026, Raleigh Road, Bristol, May 2026

I think that this brilliant piece by Dale Grimshaw might just be my favourite from this year’s Upfest festival. There is a strong folklore/fantasy theme going on with this amazing portrait and fairy figure, with a strong look of Arthur Rackham about it.

The detailing of the Green Man portrait is quite extraordinary, not only in his features, his nose and eyes, but also in the leaves that form a garland around his head. The earthy colours blend perfectly disguising or camouflaging the face a little.

To the left of the portrait, an ephemeral fairy figure appears to have some connection with the Green Man, but there is also something rather sad about her, perhaps indicated by her stance and outstretched arm. This is something very special indeed. Simply brilliant. Bravo!

7971. Greville Road – Upfest 2026 (64)

Angus, Upfest 2026, Greville Road, Bristol, May 2026

In my early days of writing about street art and graffiti, Angus was a strong presence on the streets of Bristol, notable for his versatility of styles and techniques. From around about 2017, Angus transitioned from spray painting to producing mosaic installations. He hasn’t looked back.

This is a wonderful mosaic piece on the outside wall of the Hen and Chicken pub. The mosaic is inspired by and a representation of the pop-art balloon dog sculptures by Jeff Koons; art mimicking art. Angus has presented this beautifully proportioned bronze coloured mosaic with style and impact.

7970. Greenway Bush Lane – Upfest 2026 (63)

DJ Perks, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

It was great to see that the Upfest organisers had allocated a long hoarding on Greenway Bush Lane to showcase several Bristol-based graffiti writers and artists, who keep the city vibrant day in day out. Among their number is DJ Perks, who painted this nice piece on a narrow pavement with parked cars right up against it.

The work itself is a straightforward piece of writing, spelling out PERKS in decorated red letters and the ‘R’ in a contrasting green. What makes this piece different is the depth of the 3D drop shadow with a vanishing point way below the pavement, which is quite unusual, for sure. The whole thing is neat and tidy, and although not DJ Perk’s best work, certainly gives a flavour of his great talent.

7969. Greville Street – Upfest 2026 (62)

Epod 3000, Upfest 2026, Greville Street, Bristol, May 2026

I don’t really want to write too much about this astonishing portrait piece by Epod 3000 for fear of diminishing it. Without doubt, this is one of my favourite pieces from this year’s Upfest festival.

The piece conveys so much about the subject of the portrait. Her flamboyant clothes, her facial expression and her head resting in her hands tell a story for each of us to interpret in our own way. But of course it isn’t just about the content and composition but also the craft and execution of the piece.

Much of the impact of the piece is created by a light source to the right and slightly above the subject casting shadows across her face and onto the wall behind. This is brilliantly done. Also, the folds in the material of her clothes is masterfully done at this scale and with spray cans. All in all, this is an outstanding piece by Epod 3000.

7968. Lime Road – Upfest 2026 (61)

Sian Storey, Upfest 2026, Lime Road, Bristol, May 2026

I continue with another batch of outstanding pieces from this year’s Upfest, which was held in Bristol during May. Next up is this huge mural by Upfest regular Sian Storey, whose delicate portrayal of birds is second to none.

This piece extends across most of the side of an estate agent premises on Lime Road, at different levels, but Sian Story has accommodated for that and somehow made her piece flow across the whole wall. The piece features two magnificent peacocks and their splendid feathers.

Thrown into the mix, to add colour and form, and to decorate the ‘white space’, Sian Storey has painted some beautiful flowers in pinks and oranges that complement the peafowl perfectly. A truly stunning piece and triumph for Upfest.

	hitandrun1964 on 7975. M32 roundabout J3 (…
	Paul - Cawston Green… on 7973. St Werburghs tunnel…
	scooj on 7973. St Werburghs tunnel…
	scooj on 7969. Greville Street –…
	scooj on 7968. Lime Road – Upfest…

	hitandrun1964 on 7975. M32 roundabout J3 (…
	Paul - Cawston Green… on 7973. St Werburghs tunnel…
	scooj on 7973. St Werburghs tunnel…
	scooj on 7969. Greville Street –…
	scooj on 7968. Lime Road – Upfest…

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