A huge spin-off benefit of Upfest is that some artists hang around the city for a few days and leave behind a few ‘extras’ in some of the spots that locals like to paint. In my view this is a great way to get better acquainted with artist’s work from outside Bristol.
Molar, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026
One artist that left at least one ‘extra’ is Molar, based in Brighton. His name is more associated with his toothy character pieces, but it would seem that he is enjoying his writing that looks like letters taken out of newspapers and magazines and stuck to the wall independently resembling a collage. It is a very effective technique that is well carried out. Here his letters simply spell out ‘Do it’. More from Molar soon.
This is a very tidy piece by Kid Crayon on the long wall at Cumberland Basin. The combination of letters and characters works really well, and the whole thing feels like an integrated cartoon-style burner.
Kid Crayon, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
The large blocky letters are not uniform in distribution and size, but do stick to a font style. The character in the centre of the piece is holding a balloon fish – don’t ask me why, he just is. Another example of Kid Crayon’s creative and humorous work. Brilliant.
Doors 358 – Doors of Shrewsbury (part IX), Castle doors – April 2025
This selection of doors focuses in on Shrewsbury Castle, which sits at the northern part of the town at the neck of a loop in the River Severn, affording it the optimum strategic defensive position, with the river providing a natural defence from attack.
Location of Shrewsbury Castle. Google Maps
For interest, here is a short AI generated summary of Shrewsbury Castle:
Shrewsbury Castle is a red sandstone fortress that stands on a hill overlooking the town and the River Severn. Originally built by the Normans in the late 11th century, it combines medieval military architecture with later Georgian modifications, giving it a distinctive appearance. Its thick masonry walls, irregular layout, and commanding position reflect its defensive purpose, while later restorations introduced more refined architectural details that softened its fortress-like character.
The castle’s doors are notable examples of how architecture balanced security and access. Medieval entranceways were designed with heavy timber doors reinforced by ironwork, often set within deep stone arches that strengthened the gateway and made forced entry more difficult. These robust doorways, framed by red sandstone and defensive features, remain important architectural elements that highlight the castle’s military origins and craftsmanship.
And now on to the doors:
16th century Castle Gates House, Castle Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Front door of Castle Gates House, Castle Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Entrance gateway and door to Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Highly decorated door to Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Steps and door to Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Section of castle wall of Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Studded door in the castle wall, Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Castle door marked private, Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Weathered door in the castle wall, Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Ghost door in the castle wall, Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025Door of the information kiosk, Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, April 2025
I was fortunate enough to walk around the castle very early in the morning, and I was the only person in the grounds, it felt like a private viewing. That’s it for this week. More from Shrewsbury next time.
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.
This is an infrequently painted fence which was in need of a bit of a tidy up, and Avem808 has duly obliged. The combination piece features some lovely intricate lettering spelling AVEM with a very deep drop shadow offering a strong three dimensional aspect. Very much two-dimensional is the well-known cartoon character – the Pink Panther.
Avem808, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026
Avem8078 is on a bit of a roll. Last year I had only seen one or two pieces by him, now he seems to be turning out pieces on a regular basis and massively expanding his repertoire. One or two of the most recent ones have moved entirely away from writing and focussing on some of his characters – definitely watch this space for an artist who is growing in confidence and status.
Hire has been pushing all sorts of boundaries lately and varying his work considerably, including a character piece from a week or two back. In this superb piece of graffiti writing he spells out ODIAH, one of two words he tends to write.
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026
What is really special about this piece is that it has a metallic appearance that is complete deception. The combination of blues and greys leaves the brain figuring out whether to look at those colours individually or to see what looks like a solid piece of reflecting metal. This is a technique used by many artists, perhaps the best being Fanakapan – see below to understand what I mean.
There is a tiny little passageway coming off East Street that links up to Norfolk Place where this shutter piece by Mind 49 can be found. I like to explore this little alley way, because just occasionally it leads to some special art.
Mind 49, Norfolk Place, Bristol, May 2026
The light conditions when I took this photograph were a little challenging, and the picture really doesn’t do justice to the piece itself, I think I’ll have to return on an overcast day, to avoid the large and small shadows. Mind 49 has settled on this theme of a head covered with patterns and illustrations, as if on a piece of cloth, with only the subject’s eyes and nose poking through, reminiscent of a food delivery rider with a balaclava hood. There is a contrast between the detailed features and the child-like deliberately crude daisies and flowers. Nice shutter piece.
Farrah has been very busy in the Windmill Hill area of Bristol, but I only found this out when I went on a little drive there recently. She has done a job on the Windmill Hill convenience store, that I’m sure has made it a bit of a local landmark – more tyhan simply a shop.
Farrah, Gwilliam Street, Bristol, May 2026
Her impressionist style draws on influences such as Vincent van Gogh, and she uses single brush strokes in a repeating pattern to create this vibrant organic effect. Often, Farrah will have a focal point in her pieces around which her patterns swirl, but not on this occasion, where the pattern simply ripples through the walls.
Farrah, Gwilliam Street, Bristol, May 2026
Farrah has certainly upped her game and is painting some really large walls, many of them commissions, and it would seem that she manages to make a living from her art, which can be a real struggle for artists. I’m sure that the people of Windmill are rightly proud of this work.
Regular readers will know that I love Lupa’s work and the authenticity of her pieces. This was painted alongside Desi and Bloem and bought into the predominantly red colour scheme of the collaborative wall.
Lupa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026
Another link to Bloem’s piece is a little flash of leopard spot design on the star. Lupa’s blocky letters have a special charm, almost a personality which I think contributes to the overall uplifting appearance of her work. In addition to the star, Lupa has added a dice on the bottom left – perhaps symbolic of luck? Fun piece from Lupa.
Ajax Piper, Upfest 2026, Exeter Road, Bristol, May 2026
This is one of my favourite pieces from this year’s Upfest. There is something about the classical style with a contemporary twist that really appeals to me, and the artwork in soft colours is perfectly executed. This could hang with pride in any gallery in the land.
Ajax Piper, Upfest 2026, Exeter Road, Bristol, May 2026
Ajax Piper is an artist I have only come across once before, and that was at the Cheltenham paint festival in 2023. The two ladies are relaxing in a woodland setting with toadstools at their feet. The piece is arresting as one of the ladies is looking straight out at the viewer, and the other glancing downwards. Another element of interest is the abstract nature of the trees, particularly the one on the right. A superb piece by Ajax Piper for Upfest. Bravo!
Ajax Piper, Cheltenham Paint Festival, Cheltenham, July 2023
Natural adventures 