Liam Bononi, Upfest 2026, West Street, Bristol, May 2026
Where to begin? Liam Bononi is one of my favourite artists painting in the UK at the moment, and I have been lucky enough to find several of his outstanding portrait pieces during my travels around the country over the last couple of years. This piece, on one of the established Upfest walls is a real beauty.
Liam Bononi, Upfest 2026, West Street, Bristol, May 2026
Liam Bononi’s photorealistic portraits are so beautifully detailed, and he has a particularly refined talent for painting hands and faces, which are full of lines, wrinkles, blemishes and the like, presenting us with identifiable characters that look like they have lived a life.
Liam Bononi, Upfest 2026, West Street, Bristol, May 2026
In this piece, a mushroom collector is inspecting some mushrooms before I imagine he drops them into his plastic bag. An ordinary scene transformed into something spectacular. The artwork on the plastic bag is incredible, with every fold and shadow so detailed and a clever translucence about it. This is an incredible Upfest piece by Liam Bononi.
Octofly Art, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Octofly Art has visited Bristol a few times for Upfest over the years and her work has improved significantly over that time. She comes from Italy, from Valle Camonica in the North of the country, and graduated from the “Santa Giulia” Academy of Fine Arts in Brescia in 2014.
Octofly Art, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Her cartoon style is endearing and witty with a positive vibe and uplifting outlook. This caricature piece on the new wall at the back of Aldi, shows a sardine tucked up in its tin, with a pillow. The tin is tagged with Bristol to recognise the host city of Upfest. A fun piece, perfectly presented for this space. Below are a couple of her previous appearances at upfest:
Octofly Art, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022Octofly Art, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Mr Cenz, Upfest 2026, North Street, Bristol, May 2026
Mr Cenz is a well known British street artist based in London, whose work features portraits of women augmented with multiple layers of colour and design that are so distinctive that no signature is required on his pieces.
Mr Cenz, Upfest 2026, North Street, Bristol, May 2026
I love this elevated Upfest wall. Because of its aspect it can be viewed from some distance and has a great impact when walking towards it. When a spectacular piece like this one from Mr Cenz is painted there, it has a real wow-factor. Such a great artist balancing photorealism and abstract colour fusion in an outstanding way. A great Upfest piece.
Ments Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
At Upfest this year, there was a strong contingent of local artists, and some wall space made available to showcase everyday talent that I am privileged to see every time I walk out to take pictures, but that visitors to the festival might not be so exposed to. This balances out the presence of high-end murals in harmony with authentic street and graffiti art.
Ments Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Ments is a Bristol artist who spans the gap between graffiti art and something more sophisticated. I spent a while chatting with Ments as he was finishing off this piece, and he explained that it was loosely based on the letters MENTS, although the ‘T’ kind of melted away. He was interested in the soft shapes and colours, presenting as an abstract form, being simultaneously both familiar and alien. A brilliant artist, and a fine Upfest piece.
Doors 357 – Doors of Shrewsbury (part VII) – April 2025
I am writing this in advance, because I will be on a train on my way to Cheltenham today to celebrate the declaration of another new National Nature Reserve in England. I do have a great job, and although incredibly busy is very rewarding, and chimes with my personal interests and values. This introduction is in part to excuse my brevity for this week’s selection of doors which were photographed back in April last year (while preparing for the declaration of the Stiperstones Landscape National Nature Reserve, in August 2025).
This week’s doors might feel a bit samey as some of my other posts from Shrewsbury, but there is one picture in particular that is one of my all-time favourite Thursday Doors images – can you guess which one it is? I hope you enjoy them:
Modern black door set in a Tudor timber-framed building, Butcher Row, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2026Shop door to a 16th century timber-framed building, Pride Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2026Doors and tiled floor to Joules on the corner of Pride Hill and High Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2026Serendipity – a man in white t-shirt and pink shorts matches the door he is painting perfectly, Shoplatch, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2026Shop doors to a 15th or 16th century building, Mardol, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2026
You can find out more about this building and the wooden dragon on this great blog post from the Memories of Shropshire website.
‘Puff’ a dragon gargoyle, Mardol, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2026Crooked building with small shop door, Mardol, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2026Steps leading to a white front door, Meadow Place, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2026Old door, older doorway, Castle Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2026Entrance to Shrewsbury Library, Castle Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2026Butler’s Gate and studded door, School Gardens, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2026
Something of an eclectic selection this week. Did you spot my favourite? It was the man in pink shorts painting a pink door white – moments like that don’t happen often, and I am so pleased that I captured it. May I wish you a very happy weekend when it finally comes along.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s weekly Thursday Doors post and his Sunday recap.
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.
Sophie Long, Upfest 2026, Willway Street, Bristol, May 2026
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.
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.
RBN One, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026
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.
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 and RUOK, Stapleton Road, Bristol, May 2026
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.
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.
Turoe, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026
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.
Natural adventures 