This piece by Ments came as a real surprise a couple of weeks ago. The wonderful organic writing was painted alongside Smak in a high-class collaboration on this popular wall. It was especially good to see this outstanding work from Ments as he doesn’t paint all that often these days.
Ments, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2026
Ments has a very individual style to his writing, which creates a whole imaginary universe of its own with shapes and colours blending in unusual, but strangely recognisable ways. For once, his letters MENTS are almost legible. I really like Ments’ work, and see in it something very special. I hope this isn’t a one-off for the year.
Generally speaking, rounded column pieces are a real pain from a photography point of view. For an artist they offer a large canvass in a small space, but as the piece wraps around the column, it becomes a challenge for the photographer. I have wondered whether the panorama setting on an iPhone would work, I’ll have to give it a try next time, but I doubt it.
Conrico, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2026
Given my reservations about columns, Conrico has done a perfect job here. His vertical piece is of a Japanese style street lantern with its glowing orange light and atmospheric steam rising from the ground.
Conrico, Brunel Way, Bristol, March 2026
The piece wraps around the column, but not too far, so it is possible to get a sense of it from the front. Conrico continues to impress with a positive and impactful series of outstanding pieces this year – more to come.
A year ago, my wife ran in the Liverpool half-marathon. My daughter and I went to accompany and support her, taking in a mini-break staying in the city for two nights. Although I have been to Liverpool before, I have not been able to sight-see or wander around, so although this trip was brief, and largely centred around the running event, I did get to see a little bit of the character of the place.
This week’s selection of doors and buildings are from the dockland area around the start and finish line for the event, I hope you enjoy them:
Fancy door and window, Exchange Street East, Liverpool, March 2026Tower Building (the Royal Liver Building), George’s Dock Gates, Liverpool, March 2025
This is an iconic building in Liverpool and indeed England. The birds at the top are known as the Liver Birds, and appear on the badge for the Liverpool football team.
Tower Building (the Royal Liver Building), George’s Dock Gates, Liverpool, March 2025Main entrance to the Tower Building (the Royal Liver Building), George’s Dock Gates, Liverpool, March 2025Portaloos for the runners – lots of doors, George’s Dock Gates, Liverpool, March 2025Portaloos for the runners – lots of doors, George’s Dock Gates, Liverpool, March 2025Door on a building of the Graving Docks, Liverpool, March 2025Door to a small building on Canning Island, Tide Dock, Liverpool, March 2025Open doorway to an old London bus repurposed as a mobile food outlet, Liverpool, March 2025
This bus is the same model that I used to get to and from school when I was a kid. The bus was the number 43 that went from Muswell Hill to Highgate Tube Station, and I would hop on and off with all the skill of the Artful Dodger, with my cap and satchel, even if the bus was moving slowly. Of course, I would sit on the upper deck and try to avoid paying for my ticket, smiling angelically at the conductor when he came round. If successful, I would spend the 2 pence on sweets in the local tobacconist on my way home.
That’s it for this week, and there will be more from Liverpool next time. See you then.
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.
December, January and February were very wet months in England, and as a result artists had difficulty getting out to paint. My archives for those months were thin to say the least. I can happily report that the improved weather in March means that I have a host of pieces to share, some of which won’t make it beyond the cutting room floor which is regrettable.
Biers, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2026
One artist who has emerged from a sleepy winter is Biers, who has reinvented his letters for 2026 which read RABIES. I rather like what he has done here and will be looking out for more from him. This is a really nicely worked and tidy piece of writing, keeping the basics tight – good letter shapes, good drop shadow and lovely consistent thin yellow border. Biers has even set the piece nicely on a green cloud background with spots. A classy piece of graffiti writing.
It has been a long time since I last visited St Mark’s Avenue, and it has been a long time since I last discovered a piece of graffiti writing by Sorts. So two long awaited events occurred a week or two back when I made a spontaneous decision to step into Easton.
Sorts, St Mark’s Avenue, Bristol, March 2026
There were a few pieces in St Mark’s Avenue that I hadn’t seen before, starting with this beauty from Sorts. By the look of it, this combination piece, with a cheeky character on the left, is reasonably recent, or at the very least it looks fresh, and there aren’t any rain and dust splatters along the bottom fringe, which you tend to see on older pieces. The letters are nicely presented and filled in quarters with contrasting colours and patterns. It would be great to see more from Sorts.
This humorous piece by Nina Raines is making a point, and it is a point perfectly illustrated and reaches the heart of cynical advertising and profiteering, which we see every single day of our lives but don’t necessarily notice.
Nina Raines, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2026
Two bottles of shower gel/shampoo stand side by side, one for him, and one for her.
For him: £1.99, man up, 17-in-one, scent – man blue.
For her: £6.99, smile! age gracefully (e.g. don’t age), with smile-more serum, special weight loss and boob increase formula, femme lady, be sexy and be the boss – don’t be bossy, extra virgin oil – don’t be a prude though, use before our other 15 products, promotes luxurious growth, unpaid domestic work 60% more, 12.8% gender pay-gap, scent – botanical inequality.
Nina Raines, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2026
So there you have it, an articulate and powerful illustration of how we treat different genders as a society, and that there is plenty of headroom to make things better for all. Excellent and heartfelt work from Nina Raines.
I have said it many times on these pages, that it is always worth varying routes and going away from the beaten track because once in a while you will find something new in an unexpected place. I only occasionally drive down this road, but was pleased I did due to finding this mural by Mr Penfold.
Mr Penfold, Easton Road, Bristol, March 2026
Mr Penfold’s work is so distinct, his abstract designs incorporating bold colours and great shapes, where the spaces in between the elements are as important as the elements themselves. Bright and precise, this is a beacon of joy on an otherwise mundane stretch of road.
I have noticed that Zeks is having a little bit of a spring surge, perhaps he has some new paint or a bit more free time – whatever it is, I have seen at least three new pieces in as many weeks. Zeks has a rather different take on graffiti writing, which leans towards a sort of rigid antistyle look.
Zeks, Greenbank, Bristol, March 2026
In this piece Zeks has opted for a deep and vibrant drop shadow that goes off to the left, with lilac, orange and yellow stripes. The shadow contrasts with the plain blue surface of the letters. I don’t think that I have ever seen a Zeks piece without a buffed background, and it really works in his favour, creating a clean and fresh look to all of his work. Look out for more.
This lovely simple stencil piece from John D’oh made me laugh, because it is so true. The caption alongside the picture of a 1960s styled woman says ‘why do Bristol guy’s either smell of weed or Lynx Africa?’ – I’ll forgive the unnecessary apostrophe, and suggest that most Bristol guys smell of both.
John D’oh, M32 roundabout J2, Bristol, March 2026
It is a humorous piece that sits comfortably alongside John D’oh’s gallery of column pieces under the M32 adjacent to Eastville Park. Well worth a visit, if you want to see what an outdoor gallery can look like.
The return of Asre at the back end of last year has been most welcome, and his tidy writing has been featured several times on this blog. This comic-style lettering behind the railings on the swimming pool wall is an absolute gem.
Asre, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2026
What I am enjoying about Asre’s work is the precision and attention to finishing. All the fills are strong and solid, the shadows and borders cleanly presented – even the blue splash is carefully worked. Asre strikes me as being an artist who takes pride in the appearance of his work, as much as he seems to enjoy creating it. I love the subtle yellow fill spots in his letters.
Natural adventures 