Luke Smile, Upfest 24, West Street, Bristol, May 2024
Life in full colour! This outstanding Upfest piece, by Luke Smile in a way reflects the previous two posts (Shane O’ Malley and Paul Monsters) in its joyful use of colour and specific reference to colour in the words. Although this is not the first time I have seen Luke Smile’s work in Bristol, he is not a regular visitor, so it felt especially good to see this piece.
Luke Smile, Upfest 24, West Street, Bristol, May 2024
Luke Smile is a British artist and designer and has been concentrating on his ‘Smile sans’ font which we see here in this mural. I have lifted Luke Smile’s description of the font from his website, because I am sure his explanation is far better than anything I could write:
‘The bespoke font has a hollow-like quality where the 3D areas of the letterforms leave space for bold colour and texture whilst casting interesting shadows’
I have to say that this piece really struck me when I first saw it and it remains one of my favourites from this year’s festival.
Shane O’Malley, Upfest 24, Bedminster Down Road, Bristol, May 2024
There are some murals painted at this year’s Upfest that you simply just have to stand back and admire, and this extraordinary piece by Shane O’Malley is one of them. The double house wall is a new one for Upfest this year, and although a little way off the beaten track and without anywhere to park, is well worth the trip.
Shane O’Malley, Upfest 24, Bedminster Down Road, Bristol, May 2024
Shane O’Malley is an artist from Galway in Ireland who works on designs based around circles, geometry and colour in both the studio and on walls – you can see more of his murals on his website. This piece conveys joy and excitement and is complemented by the blue skies on the day I photographed it. A wonderful Upfest piece.
Paul Monsters, Upfest 24, North Street, Bristol, May 2024
I have a feeling that this was one of the first walls to be completed for this year’s Upfest, and there is likely a very good reason for this. Paul Monsters, whose colourful geometric murals are well known in Bristol, also works with Upfest, so I imagine he needed to complete his piece early so that he could help with his festival responsibilities.
Paul Monsters, Upfest 24, North Street, Bristol, May 2024
The wonderful mural is painted on the side of the Bristol Beer Factory, and Paul Monsters has carefully incorporated the pint glass logo into his design. The use of various tones of colours to create depth in these geometric pieces is a trademark of Paul Monsters’ work and although at first glance his work might look simple and straightforward, it is in fact complex and sophisticated. This post reminds me that it is high time I produced a gallery of his outstanding work.
Kid Crayon, Greville Smyth Park, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
This combination character and graffiti writing piece by Bristol’s Kid Crayon was something of a rarity at Upfest this year. It seems fitting that Kid Crayon was selected to paint this wall, because for me, he kind of represents the ‘Bristol school’ of street art, and although the styles of Bristol are enormously varied, somehow KC encapsulates them in his art.
Kid Crayon, Greville Smyth Park, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
The piece is a tribute to Jack Black, who KC obviously admires, and he openly states “This is not the greatest Montana burner in the world, no, this is just a tribute!”. This statement shows Kid Crayon’s modesty, because this is an accomplished piece, perfectly presented for an Upfest audience. It would have been nice to see a bit more graffiti writing at this year’s festival – maybe next time. More of Kid Crayon’s work in this gallery.
Angie Jerez, North Street, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
With the sheer number and quality of large murals at this year’s Upfest, it was easy to become complacent, and I nearly missed this wonderful piece, by Angie Jerez, above Kask, which when you stroll on the ‘wrong’ side of the road in North Street, is quite easy to do, which I why I always walk up one side and back the other side.
Angie Jerez, North Street, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
This mural, featuring two birds and plant seed heads, way above the clouds has been beautifully designed around the stacked windows above the wine bar. The limited number of colours draws attention to the fine detail of the design itself, and the stylised birds are glorious. I don’t know anything about Angie Jerez other than what appears in her Upfest Biography, and that she is originally from Bogotá in Colombia, but now lives in Atlanta. What a brilliant thing that she came to Bristol to paint at Upfest.
Lionel David, Parson Street, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
I think that it is fair to say that at Upfest 2024 we have seen the painting of more large scale ‘marquee’ murals than ever before, some replacing previous artwork and others appearing on new walls. The team at Upfest have done a remarkable job on negotiating with property owners, and presumably the council too, to free up so many new and wonderful spaces.
Lionel David, Parson Street, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
This outstanding portrait piece is by Lionel David and was painted on a new wall, a little walk away from the main centre of Upfest activity, and as a result may not have been seen by as many visitors as some of the other pieces on the main drag. Lionel David has not only painted a beauty, but he has been clever too by incorporating the wall that runs alongside the house, and as a result the piece needs to be viewed from a particular spot in the adjacent plot, which the artist has marked out on the ground. Not only did he paint the low wall, but on the main wall he has painted the girl’s body and arm in full, so there is some repetition.
Lionel David, Parson Street, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
There is no doubting Lionel David’s incredible skills, and it is clear to see that he has been schooled in art. Lionel David has a great website, but it is in German, so I have used Google Translate to give you his biography, as follows:
Lionel David is a visual artist from Switzerland who discovered his love for painting in 2017. He specializes in spray can murals.
Studying fine arts at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences from 2019 to 2022 broadened Lionel David’s horizons and emphasized the importance of context in his work. His style combines photorealism with graphic elements and is often inspired by nature.
The artist is currently concentrating on portrait painting and experimenting with compositions to further explore artistic boundaries. With dedication and innovation, he succeeds in inspiring people with his lively and gentle works.
Further to this incredible portrait piece, which he finished earlier than expected, Lionel David had time to paint an ‘extra’ in Dean Lane, which although unfinished looked amazing. Dibz and Fade were in the process of contacting the artist to see if he would mind if they ‘augmented’ the portrait piece, but before they could send their message, another artist had started painting over it, so this ‘extra’ lasted less than 24 hours.
Lionel David, Dean Lane , Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
Lionel David, Dean Lane , Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
Lionel David, Dean Lane , Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
3rdeye, Raleigh Road, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
A little bit out of the way, but well worth the extra walk is this wonderful piece by 3rdeye, a Bristol artist whose work crops up from time to time around the city. The fact that this is a new wall for Upfest 2024, gives us an element of certainty that it will remain intact for some while, unlike some of his street pieces that exist for all too short a time.
3rdeye, Raleigh Road, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
This is a beautifully clean and well designed piece featuring one of his monster characters, set in a woodland landscape (a tree and a toadstool) with a blazing sun beating down (if only). There are lots of eyes (I guess the artist’s name betrays his obsession with eyes) surrounding the character, and a couple of abstract triangle things, of which the one on the left looks a little bit like a traffic sign, which once seen in that way can’t be unseen (sorry). This is a lovely piece, typical of 3rdeye’s quirky ideas.
Audrey Kawasaki, Raleigh Road, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
Upfest really is an extraordinary opportunity to see street art form all corners of the globe, and with it a huge variety of cultural styles, to add to the broad ‘school of Bristol’ street art and graffiti. This is a wonderful piece from Audrey Kawasaki, a Japanese-American artist who lives and works in Los Angeles.
Audrey Kawasaki, Raleigh Road, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
There is a strong mix of eastern and western cultures coming together in this beautiful piece, where the tiger represents the east and the girl the west, perhaps. Audrey Kawasaki (who has a fabulous website) appears to use this styling in a lot of her work and also I detect some Art Nouveau influences in her work that makes it super-interesting.
Audrey Kawasaki, Raleigh Road, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
Audrey Kawasaki’s composition in this mural is outstanding with the two central characters surrounded by crows and feathers and framed in a red ‘cloudy’ border. There is definitely a story in this piece, and it compels the viewer to want more. Clever and beautiful work from the visitor this year’s Upfest.
Anna Higgie, North Street, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
There are some pieces that don’t require lengthy explanations or commentary because their beauty speaks for themselves and this gorgeous mural by Anna Higgie painted for Upfest 2024 is one of those.
Anna Higgie, North Street, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
Anna Higgie is an illustrator, originally from Australia, but now based in Bristol and who works out of a studio in Stokes Croft. I have posted a couple of her pieces on Natural Adventures before, but I think her street work is occasional and that she focuses on her illustrations. This bright and striking floral piece is so good, and if I am honest, deserves a rather nicer wall than this one, but perhaps the beauty of the piece is enhanced by the slightly grubby surroundings. This piece could hang happily in a gallery or home (with a wall big enough)… for example my home! As ever at Upfest it is always gratifying to see a good mix of local, national and international artists represented.
Karl Read, West Street, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
Karl Read is something of a regular at Upfest, which is a great thing, and with each passing festival his work gets better and better. Painted over a stunning piece by Irony (one of my favourite of all time) cannot have been easy, but what Karl Read has replaced it with is worthy of this spot.
Karl Read, West Street, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
Karl Read uses large stencils for his work, and certainly in the past I have seen him struggle in windy conditions, but he has absolutely nailed his technique in this piece. The contrast between the black and white figures and the colourful peace sign made out of ‘Lego’ building blocks is a clever mechanism to bring focus to different parts of the work. The message is a poignant one in a troubled landscape of conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. This is a stunning stencil from a great artist.
Irony, West Street, Bristol, October 2021, Upfest 21
Natural adventures 