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.
Tera and Kid Crayon, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
You don’t often get to see winter-themed pieces in the spring, but if anyone was going to challenge the viewer in this way, it was likely to be Tera and Kid Crayon. I can imagine them being rather pleased with themselves when they came up with the theme for this collaboration. Their contrasting styles really come across in these pieces.
Tera, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Tera tends to have quite an edgy take with his street art work, favouring demonic representations, which he has followed through with this icy combination piece. The cool letters (which I can’t read) are accompanied by a sinister skeleton snowman character holding a spray can in his right hand. The suggestion being that he has just written the letters.
Kid Crayon, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
On the other hand, Kid Crayon’s take is much more cuddly, with a fun polar bear drinking a slushy next to his CRAYON letters looking like ice cubes or an iceberg – altogether a softer look. What a superb collaboration from the pair.
Neddy ned Ned presents the final part of the jungle paint jam, that included Jest Soubriquet, Buser and Mr Sce. His distinctive letters, spelling out WISKA, have a muted tone about them, almost as if lurking in the undergrowth.
Neddy ned Ned, River Avon, Bristol, May 2026
There is something quite organic about this piece that fits the jungle theme really well. The green and purple fill is quite subtle and there is some interesting patterning through the letters. A pale blue 3D drop shadow gives definition between the writing and the background. This is a well-considered and balanced piece by Neddy ned Ned.
Natural adventures 