7929. River Avon (129)

Stivs, River Avon, Bristol, September 2026
Stivs, River Avon, Bristol, September 2026

Such has been the consistency of sunny days this summer, the shadows cast on this piece have forced me to photograph it on at least three occasions, but my patience paid off at last with these ‘clean’ pictures of the combination of letters and characters by Stivs.

Stivs, River Avon, Bristol, September 2026
Stivs, River Avon, Bristol, September 2026

Judging from the buffed background in two slightly different shades of blue, it looks as if these two cartoon portraits might have been painted on different days. The first portrait is accompanied with a D and C in calligraffiti style, part of his DSC tag. The portrait in gold and brown tones and with slightly exaggerated cartoon features is fantastic.

Stivs, River Avon, Bristol, September 2026
Stivs, River Avon, Bristol, September 2026

To the right, is a floating S written in a slightly different style, and a three-quarter portrait view, much more angular than the first, of a man with a tight haircut and goatee beard and large hoop earring. Once again the features are somewhat exaggerated. All beautifully finished as you might expect from Stivs. I’ll need to find out more about the characters next time I see him.

7928. Dean Lane skate park (924)

Subtle, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2026
Subtle, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2026

This is something a little different and unexpected from Subtle in Dean Lane. I have noticed that he has become more active lately in the common spots of Bristol, and wonder if he has moved more centrally, or perhaps he has found himself with a little more time on his hands.

Subtle, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2026
Subtle, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2026

Subtle’s usual letter style has been jettisoned in favour of this rather more conventional letter design, and unusually he hasn’t buffed the wall either, pointing towards a bit of a quick throw up. The red fill is decorated with some white spots and a bit of white dusting, and the depth is provided by a tidy black drop shadow and fine white border. Welcome back to Dean Lane.

7927. M32 Cycle path (324)

Mesk, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, August 2026
Mesk, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, August 2026

There is not too much to say about this piece by Mesk. Big bold chrome letters pretty much says it all. The style of the lettering, spelling MESK, is chunky, with little space between the letters.

Mesk, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, August 2026
Mesk, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, August 2026

This is an impact piece, which chrome pieces tend to be. No fuss, no precious fill patterns and nothing else to distract the eye. Solid.

7926. Brunel Way (368)

 

Zeks, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2026
Zeks, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2026

This is another in the series of towers that Zeks has been painting recently, and appears to have got his creative juices flowing. I find it interesting when artists latch on to a new idea, and enjoy watching it play out.

Zeks, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2026
Zeks, Brunel Way, Bristol, August 2026

The fun piece is on the rounded end of the flyover support wall under Brunel Way and is composed of several concentric rings spaced out on a central column. The end result is original and upbeat, one of several in this series.

7925. River Avon (128)

Mr Draws, River Avon, Bristol, September 2026
Mr Draws, River Avon, Bristol, September 2026

What an interesting abstract piece from Mr Draws. It is possible the black splashes spell out DRAW, but that is wish fulfilment more than anything else really. The piece is beautifully presented and uplifting, perfect for a stroll alongside the river.

Mr Draws, River Avon, Bristol, September 2026
Mr Draws, River Avon, Bristol, September 2026

The colourful background, made up of random shapes is very typical of Mr Draws’ work… no need for a signature. Going full on abstract works incredibly for his style, and I have to say that I really like this piece. Something different to say. The white spots round it all off nicely.

7924. River Avon (127)

Avem808, River Avon, Bristol, August 2026
Avem808, River Avon, Bristol, August 2026

With each new piece from Avem808 there is a greater level of complexity and ever expanding stories. This is an elaborate combination piece, with a whole lot of action going on.

Avem808, River Avon, Bristol, August 2026
Avem808, River Avon, Bristol, August 2026

To the left, there is a car and a mash up dog, or so it looks to me, with lots of action and merging of ideas. To the right, a very fancy piece of writing with a deep drop shadow, which I am assuming spells out AVEM, but could be anything really. This is a piece that demonstrates what can happen when the imagination runs wild.

Glossa

Steps, Glossa, Skopelos, Greece, September 2026
Steps, Glossa, Skopelos, Greece, September 2026


.

Contour hugging streets

interconnecting stairways

hillside solutions

.

by Scooj

7923. Stillhouse Lane – Upfest 2026 (60)

Guimeujoven, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, May 2026
Guimeujoven, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, May 2026

This is the last in this batch of Upfest pieces and is by an artist who has visited Bristol a few times recently. This, however is Guimeujoven’s biggest wall to date, and really rather magnificent.

Guimeujoven, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, May 2026
Guimeujoven, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, May 2026

I have has a little difficulty photographing this particular piece, it seems that every time I visit, there is a car parked in front of it, and so I haven’t managed to get a complete front image, even with a wide angle.

Guimeujoven, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, May 2026
Guimeujoven, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, May 2026

The piece is a wonderful collection of unusual characters perfectly painted with such incredible depth in the work. The characters look like scouts on a hike through a woodland, and one of them appears to be turning into a monster. This is a breathtaking piece, perfect for Upfest.

7922. Greenway Bush Lane – Upfest 2026 (59)

I am Ian, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
I am Ian, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

I have said it before, but it is repeating, that there was a good blend of local and visiting artists at Upfest this year, rather more Bristol-based artists had a rare chance to paint, like I am Ian, with this bright cartoon piece in Greenway Bush Lane.

I am Ian, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
I am Ian, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

The portrait piece is a rather bizarre scene of a person with a very large nose smelling a flower. The flower stalk is of a most peculiar shape, and being held carefully by a hand, while a wasp comes into shot, looking like it might do some damage. A strange and weirdly compelling piece.

7921. Greville Road – Upfest 2026 (58)

Yum Yum, Upfest 2026, Greville Road, Bristol, May 2026
Yum Yum, Upfest 2026, Greville Road, Bristol, May 2026

It is possible to put artwork into broad categories, and it is something I do a lot of in my descriptions. This piece by Yum Yum for Upfest 2026, I would describe as an abstract doodle piece.

Yum Yum, Upfest 2026, Greville Road, Bristol, May 2026
Yum Yum, Upfest 2026, Greville Road, Bristol, May 2026

Lots of faces and patterns are scattered across an orange background, evenly spaced and outlined in two tones of red. Yum Yum has painted these doodles over some white random squiggles that I am not too sure about, and leave me feeling the piece is incomplete. I believe it would be more impactful without the white, but that is a personal opinion, not a criticism of a bright and lively piece.