Ooof! This is a belter from Corupt. Every once in a while you can find a piece and simply think ‘my work is done today’ that is how I felt when I saw this beauty. I don’t know exactly what it is that makes one piece more special than another, but for me this one has it.
Corupt, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2026
Using his STICK letters, Corupt (whose proper name is more likely BS3 – but I have always used Corupt) has crafted so many varied and intricate fills in his letters, but has managed to a buzz without it feeling fussy or pretentious. I love the little star character at the top, which is the tittle of the ‘i’. Set on a gorgeous stormy background too. This is classy graffiti writing.
A recent paint jam alongside the M32 had a rather unusual Central American theme the likes of which we don’t often see in Bristol, perhaps for obvious reasons. This colourful character piece by I am Ian features a gun-toting ‘Mexican’ bandit.
I am Ian, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2026
The character, complete with sombrero and poncho, is a little bit stereotyped, which is not surprising as much of our understanding of such things is via the consumption of spaghetti westerns of the late 20th century. There is some great perspective in this piece, and I rather like the desert background including several cacti. More from this adventurous paint jam to come.
Doors 360 – Doors of Shrewsbury (part X) – August 2025
This week I return to Shrewsbury, with a few more doors from this fascinating town near the Welsh border. The doors this week are mostly town house doors which show off the range of styles and periods beautifully. What I love about this series is that it feels like every single door is quite different from the next and that the variety is everlasting. Most of the doors in this series were photographed in April last year, but this selection was from a return visit I made in August. I hope you enjoy this selection.
Blower’s Repositary gateway and door, Castlegate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Black door and chair, Windsor Place, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Perches House and ‘well-used’ black door, Windsor Place, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Blue gate door to St Mary’s Church Hall, St Mary’s Court, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Grand doorway and door to the Nurses Home (1910), St Mary’s Court, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Beautiful green door, steps and lamp, St Mary’s Court, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Blue door, steps and plant pots, St Mary’s Court, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Ghost door and slim window, Dogpole, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Fancy portico with columns and huge front door, Dogpole, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Recessed timber-framed house and large door, Dogpole, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026Close up of studded unpainted door and timber frame – note the letterbox in sited in the brickwork to the right of the door, Dogpole, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, August 2026
I really like that last door, there is so much history there, including three brass doorbells – what stories that door could tell. Well, that’s yer lot for another week. I hope you have a great weekend, and if you’re into that sort of thing, I hope you are enjoying the football World Cup.
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.
Hazard, Upfest 2026, Ashton Gate Terrace, Bristol, May 2026
Hazard is a darling of Bristol street art, and although she no longer lives in the city, she returns often enough is very fondly and highly regarded by all in the local street art scene. From humble beginnings she has risen to extraordinary highs in her work.
Hazard, Upfest 2026, Ashton Gate Terrace, Bristol, May 2026
This Upfest piece is, by her standards these days is probably on the smaller side of things as she now paints some enormous commissions all over the country and beyond. In this portrait piece she blends her portrait work with her skilfully crafted and beautiful flowers.
Hazard, Upfest 2026, Ashton Gate Terrace, Bristol, May 2026
Hazard’s style is developing all the time and these pixelated images seem to work extremely well, providing some abstract artwork, creating interest and something different. Hazard has a great command of colours and the rich and sumptuous colours in this piece absolutely stand out. Another fine Upfest piece from Hazard.
My Dog Sighs, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
An unusual and rather grotesque piece by My Dog Sighs at this year’s Upfest, one of two very different offerings by the artist. I don’t think I have ever seen something similar to this by My Dog Sighs, and it is a departure from some of his staples, although the eye is very much a part of his repertoire.
My Dog Sighs, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
My Dog Sighs has managed to use the space perfectly to present his ugly and distorted monster face. The mouth is perfectly placed over the door, consuming all that enter here, and there are dropped eyes either side of it. The eye on the right is a window of the building, but looks like an integral and deliberate part of the character piece.
My Dog Sighs, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Stretched green skin with stitches and warts add to the overall creepiness of this character piece. The signature eye is what gives this away as an MDS piece, in which you can see a reflection of the viewer and a wall and tree behind. Such incredible detail everywhere you look. Utterly outstanding in every aspect.
Cuicasolo, Upfest 2026, Willway Street, Bristol, May 2026
Cuicasolo (Elaine Carr) is a Bristol artist who I have known about for a very long time, but don’t believe I have ever met. She doesn’t paint all that often, or in many spots, but her work is rather iconic and tends to stick around for a long time.
Cuicasolo, Upfest 2026, Willway Street, Bristol, May 2026
This is a fabulous structural/architectural piece, typical of her work, confusing the eye with depth created through the use of different shades, tricking the eye into seeing something utterly three-dimensional. Simple and very effective and beautifully painted. The technique uses the same kind of shading techniques we see in anamorphic graffiti writing.
Luke Smile, Upfest 2026, North Street, Bristol, May 2026
Luke Smile has been to Bristol a few times over the years, mainly for Upfest, and this year he painted this beauty in North Street in his fantastic deep and hollow 3D block letter style.
Luke Smile, Upfest 2026, North Street, Bristol, May 2026
This piece took Luke Smile a fair while to paint, I guess with something so geometrically focussed, there is no room for error. The letters spelling MANIFESTATION are beautifully presented in a tidy, untidy manner, if you get my drift. The colours are magnificent and the shadows too. A fascinating piece, with such depth that draws you in to take a while to enjoy it.
DNT, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
What a rare treat, not only to find a new piece by DNT for Upfest, but to be able to catch up with him and have a chat while he was painting this piece alongside Zake and DJ Perks.
DNT, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Compared to when I first started this blog, ten plus years ago, DNT has slowed down his pace of work considerably, and spent some of the period abroad. I got the feeling that he really enjoyed painting this piece and getting back into the groove, and it was great to see that.
DNT, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
The piece returns to a space theme which he has always enjoyed, with a humanoid robot character and an alien robot, and in between them some curious space flowers, one with a large eye. There is a great story going on here, and it looks like a frame taken from a longer comic book kind of thing, leaving the viewer wondering what as going on and what will happen next. I hope DNT uses Upfest as a springboard to painting more often on the streets of Bristol, we have missed him.
Werm is going through something of a purple patch lately, and I am really enjoying his ‘next level’ pieces. As his style develops and evolves he is growing in confidence and technical ability. I think that he is also discovering that sometimes less is more, and that clarity of presentation pretty much trumps all else.
Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
In this piece of graffiti writing, Werm has written his name into a kind of symmetrical diamond shape, partially framed on a light blue rectangle. The red colour stands out nicely on the turquoise background. A neat and tidy piece that shows off Werm’s talent well.
Natural adventures 