7.7 Upfest 2026 – Natural adventures

7972. Raleigh Road – Upfest 2026 (65)

Dale Grimshaw, Upfest 2026, Raleigh Road, Bristol, May 2026

I think that this brilliant piece by Dale Grimshaw might just be my favourite from this year’s Upfest festival. There is a strong folklore/fantasy theme going on with this amazing portrait and fairy figure, with a strong look of Arthur Rackham about it.

The detailing of the Green Man portrait is quite extraordinary, not only in his features, his nose and eyes, but also in the leaves that form a garland around his head. The earthy colours blend perfectly disguising or camouflaging the face a little.

To the left of the portrait, an ephemeral fairy figure appears to have some connection with the Green Man, but there is also something rather sad about her, perhaps indicated by her stance and outstretched arm. This is something very special indeed. Simply brilliant. Bravo!

7970. Greenway Bush Lane – Upfest 2026 (63)

DJ Perks, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

It was great to see that the Upfest organisers had allocated a long hoarding on Greenway Bush Lane to showcase several Bristol-based graffiti writers and artists, who keep the city vibrant day in day out. Among their number is DJ Perks, who painted this nice piece on a narrow pavement with parked cars right up against it.

The work itself is a straightforward piece of writing, spelling out PERKS in decorated red letters and the ‘R’ in a contrasting green. What makes this piece different is the depth of the 3D drop shadow with a vanishing point way below the pavement, which is quite unusual, for sure. The whole thing is neat and tidy, and although not DJ Perk’s best work, certainly gives a flavour of his great talent.

7969. Greville Street – Upfest 2026 (62)

Epod 3000, Upfest 2026, Greville Street, Bristol, May 2026

I don’t really want to write too much about this astonishing portrait piece by Epod 3000 for fear of diminishing it. Without doubt, this is one of my favourite pieces from this year’s Upfest festival.

The piece conveys so much about the subject of the portrait. Her flamboyant clothes, her facial expression and her head resting in her hands tell a story for each of us to interpret in our own way. But of course it isn’t just about the content and composition but also the craft and execution of the piece.

Much of the impact of the piece is created by a light source to the right and slightly above the subject casting shadows across her face and onto the wall behind. This is brilliantly done. Also, the folds in the material of her clothes is masterfully done at this scale and with spray cans. All in all, this is an outstanding piece by Epod 3000.

7968. Lime Road – Upfest 2026 (61)

Sian Storey, Upfest 2026, Lime Road, Bristol, May 2026

I continue with another batch of outstanding pieces from this year’s Upfest, which was held in Bristol during May. Next up is this huge mural by Upfest regular Sian Storey, whose delicate portrayal of birds is second to none.

This piece extends across most of the side of an estate agent premises on Lime Road, at different levels, but Sian Story has accommodated for that and somehow made her piece flow across the whole wall. The piece features two magnificent peacocks and their splendid feathers.

Thrown into the mix, to add colour and form, and to decorate the ‘white space’, Sian Storey has painted some beautiful flowers in pinks and oranges that complement the peafowl perfectly. A truly stunning piece and triumph for Upfest.

7923. Stillhouse Lane – Upfest 2026 (60)

Guimeujoven, Upfest 2026, Stillhouse Lane, May 2026

This is the last in this batch of Upfest pieces and is by an artist who has visited Bristol a few times recently. This, however is Guimeujoven’s biggest wall to date, and really rather magnificent.

I have has a little difficulty photographing this particular piece, it seems that every time I visit, there is a car parked in front of it, and so I haven’t managed to get a complete front image, even with a wide angle.

The piece is a wonderful collection of unusual characters perfectly painted with such incredible depth in the work. The characters look like scouts on a hike through a woodland, and one of them appears to be turning into a monster. This is a breathtaking piece, perfect for Upfest.

7922. Greenway Bush Lane – Upfest 2026 (59)

I am Ian, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

I have said it before, but it is repeating, that there was a good blend of local and visiting artists at Upfest this year, rather more Bristol-based artists had a rare chance to paint, like I am Ian, with this bright cartoon piece in Greenway Bush Lane.

The portrait piece is a rather bizarre scene of a person with a very large nose smelling a flower. The flower stalk is of a most peculiar shape, and being held carefully by a hand, while a wasp comes into shot, looking like it might do some damage. A strange and weirdly compelling piece.

7921. Greville Road – Upfest 2026 (58)

Yum Yum, Upfest 2026, Greville Road, Bristol, May 2026

It is possible to put artwork into broad categories, and it is something I do a lot of in my descriptions. This piece by Yum Yum for Upfest 2026, I would describe as an abstract doodle piece.

Lots of faces and patterns are scattered across an orange background, evenly spaced and outlined in two tones of red. Yum Yum has painted these doodles over some white random squiggles that I am not too sure about, and leave me feeling the piece is incomplete. I believe it would be more impactful without the white, but that is a personal opinion, not a criticism of a bright and lively piece.

7920. West Street – Upfest 2026 (57)

Graff Matt, Upfest 2026, West Street, Bristol, August 2026

This is an astonishing dream-like fantasy piece painted at Upfest 2026 by Graff Matt. I am not sure I know much about the artist, but I can only marvel at his work, which taps directly into the creative mind of a child.

The imaginative and perfectly painted piece depicts a bashed up Mini car with a wooden shack on top, with wings and a wind turbine giving the whole structure the gift of flight. A little boy sits at the top of the flying machine. Simply brilliant.

7919. Tobacco Factory – Upfest 2026 (56)

Georginart, Upfest 2026, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2026

Back to May and some more pieces from Upfest, starting with these boards by Georginart and Ladygabe, in the Tobacco Factory. It seems such a shame that these pieces only get seen for a day, if you blink you’ll miss them. This first delightful piece by Georginart is a two-tone cartoon style character piece of a young woman reclining. Clear and simple, and beautifully portrayed.

Ladygabe, Upfest 2026, Tobacco Factory, Bristol, May 2026

The second board is by Ladygabe, and altogether more complex and sophisticated. It is a portrait set among flowers, with the two elements blending well. Lots of pinks and purples in this very pleasing piece. It is a pity I completely missed the boards on the second day, but you snooze, you lose in this game.

7880. West Street – Upfest 2026 (54)

Afonsoul, Upfest 2026, West Street, Bristol, August 2026

At this year’s Upfest, there was a good balance between large feature walls and hoardings, to suit the needs of artists and their styles. Remarkably, the organisers managed to find a whole set of new walls around South Bristol, of which this is one.

I watched for a while as Afonsoul painted this piece, high up on the scaffolding, but could only admire the piece when I went back to visit in August when the scaffolding was down. It is a wonderful portrait piece and one in which you lose yourself in the artwork and forget that there are windows all the way through. A superb Upfest mural by the visiting Afonsoul.

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	hitandrun1964 on 7975. M32 roundabout J3 (…
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