Zeks, Goodneston Road, Bristol, July 2026, Goodneston Road, Bristol, July 2026
Expect a torrent of pieces from the three hoardings in Fishponds that I recently discovered – there are so many great pieces there, adding to my already ridiculous backlog. This is a beauty from Zeks, who has a unique style, in which the unpainted space does a lot of his talking, although in this piece his lettering is larger than usual.
Zeks, Goodneston Road, Bristol, July 2026
The letters spell ZEKS and although quite neat and tidy, don’t really conform to any particular regular font or size, putting his work into the category of anti-style. His colour palette of reds, pinks and purples is a good one, and the letters are augmented with a ball and stick design around the piece, looking like a molecular model. All good stuff.
Mr Draws is an artist with a conscience and once in a while his activist streak comes out, in particular when it comes to cows, their welfare and, I guess, the eating of them. One doesn’t need to be a vegan or vegetarian to support his views, especially around the custodianship of livestock.
Mr Draws, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2026
In this stark piece, Mr Draws has painted the word ‘Humane?’ with a cow hide pattern (although with spots like that it is most likely a dairy cow), and a bleeding cut sliced through the letters. The message is loud and clear, and I applaud Mr Draws for bringing animal rights/welfare issues to our walls. Protest and activism is one of the vibrant strands of graffiti and street art and pretty much always has been.
I am so pleased to be able to post this piece by 210. Pleased because I have many of his pieces in my archive, but until recently didn’t know his name. Now I have to go back and dig some of his other works out, because to my eye this is fantastic. The artist can often be found painting alongside, ARSA, RBN One and Mesk. I don’t know much more about him yet, but will try to find out.
210, Peel Street Green, Bristol, July 2026
The bilaterally symmetrical piece is so easy on the eye. Although the pattern is quite complex, there is a softness and clarity to it that steers clear of being ‘too clever for its own good’ which some technical pieces can be at risk of falling into. The colour selection works exceptionally well, even if they aren’t my favourites. A really classy piece by 210. Watch this space as I attempt to unlock some more from my archives.
As mentioned in my previous post, I have recently discovered a treasure chest of hoardings in the Fishponds area of Bristol, and can’t quite believe that it has taken me so long to find them. I have also managed to track down countless Subtle pieces that I have been aware of, because they are here too. This feels like an enormous weight lifted from my shoulders, as it has been bugging me that I couldn’t find them.
Subtle, Enfield Road, Bristol, July 2026
This is a wonderful combination piece by Subtle, with his characteristic letters intertwined with characters and scenes from Disney’s ‘Sword in the Stone’ film. The background woodland scenery is truly brilliant and is such an amazing backdrop to his letters. Several more pieces by the artist to come from this honeypot spot.
Recently, I became aware, through Instagram chats, of a spot with very long hoardings that I have been blissfully unaware of, even though I have seen pieces posted from it, I simply didn’t know where it was, but now I do. The discovery has given me dozens of new pieces to share, most about a year old and many tributes to Ticks/Tickz.
3Dom, Goodneston Road, Bristol, July 2026
This is another in the ‘street elf’ series of pieces by 3Dom, in which he has created a bilaterally symmetrical character. The formulaic approach is quite different from his more familiar free-form and wildly creative dreamy pieces, and restricts him to painting within certain constraints. I like this series, because it presents a sense of mystery (no signature) and another string to 3Dom’s substantial bow.
We have had such glorious weather for a long time in Bristol, which is great (when it isn’t too hot) but makes life rather difficult for photographing graffiti and street art. Bright overcast days are much better, but when the sun is out, shadows are cast, which messes up camera settings, and can make a piece look quite different, especially if the wall is textured. I haven’t yet walked past this lovely piece by Conrico without shadows cast over it. Hey ho, can’t have it all.
Conrico, River Avon, Bristol, July 2026
Conrico has upped his game this year and has been turning out so many outstanding pieces in his unique style. This is a delightful portrait of a young woman wearing a red zip up jacket and with large hoop earrings. The soft cartoon style lends itself to layers of shading and texture which Conrico achieves with multiple spray can ‘strokes’ as if the can were a paint brush. Like so many of his recent pieces, there seems to be so much more going on than just a portrait.
Xab Xab, Dean Street, Upfest 2026, Bristol May 2026
This greyscale piece by Xab Xab, an artist from Urrugne in the Basque Region of France, is in two halves. The portraits or studies feature parts of a face each of which displays a level of anguish.
Xab Xab, Dean Street, Upfest 2026, Bristol May 2026
On the left side of this piece is a portrait of the lower portion of a face. Hands are clasping the cheeks and the face portrays pain or worry, with the open mouth being highly expressive. Whatever is going on here, it doesn’t appear to be too good.
Xab Xab, Dean Street, Upfest 2026, Bristol May 2026
To the right, a pair of eyes, which may or may not be related to the portrait on thee left, look out from the wall with one welling up with a teardrop. Again all does not appear to be well with our subject. Taken as a whole, this is a powerful demonstration of human emotions which can be read even by only seeing parts of a face and not a whole. Lovely work from Xab Xab.
Doors 363 – Doors of Charlestown, Cornwall – October 2025
Some of you may know that this beautiful little harbour village featured regularly in the 2015-2019 series of Poldark, but that is only a modern chapter in the history of Charlestown. An AI assembled potted history is as follows:
Charlestown, on the south coast of Cornwall, was developed in the late 18th century by local landowner and entrepreneur Charles Rashleigh, who transformed the small fishing village of West Polmear into a thriving port to export copper and china clay from Cornwall’s booming mining industry. Named after Rashleigh himself, the harbour was completed in the 1790s and quickly became an important centre for maritime trade, with tall sailing ships carrying cargo across Europe and beyond. Although commercial shipping declined during the 20th century, Charlestown’s remarkably well-preserved Georgian harbour and historic waterfront have survived largely unchanged. Today, the village is a popular visitor destination, celebrated for its maritime heritage, traditional tall ships, and appearances as a filming location in numerous television dramas and films.
I visited the village in October last year, for the first time, while on a fishing trip with my great friend Andy. Coincidentally, I visited again this May with work, and it was a real pleasure to soak in its unique and gentle atmosphere. Here are some doors from my original visit:
Charlestown Chapel entrance, Charlestown Road, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Door on harbour building, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Charlestown harbour, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Quayside cottages and doors, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
China clay chute, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Quayside door, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Note on quayside door, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Dovecote with countless doors, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Quayside stable door, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Quayside doors, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Quayside doors and doves, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Dove entrances on quayside door, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
This looks like a shed panel with a door has been placed over an entrance in the quayside building, Charlestown, Cornwall, October 2026
Charlestown, although reputed to be busy during the tourist season, is a sleepy, calm place with a rich legacy in Cornwall’s mining heritage. Well worth a visit (out of season). More from Cornwall 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 extraordinary dreamlike piece that is utterly captivating and perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Upfest. The piece is on a wall that is new to Upfest this year, at the back of Aldi, to be precise. Each segment of the wall offers artists a large canvass, and it has been one of the real highlights of this year’s festival. This piece by Vane MG is simply stunning.
Vane MG, Upfest 2026, Bristol, May 2026
Vane MG, a Colombian artist and designer based in London has created this figurative work in pinks, reds and blues that really catch the eye. A girl, wearing a helmet of some kind with a visor that distorts her face, is set against a blue sky and flowers and petals, that blend in with the subject. I’m not sure what Vane MG has in mind with the decorations on the helmet, but she has created two beautiful hearts and some encrusted gems. I think that thinking too hard about what it all means would be a mistake, and to enjoy it for its sumptuous colours and design would be my advice. A superb Upfest piece.
Natural adventures 