Another powerful combination of imagery and words from the Bristol Mural Collective paint jam that was themed on Palestine. This particular piece by Amy McHugh is visually impactful using the image of a dove of peace carrying a flower, and shedding a tear.
Amy McHugh, Greenbank, Bristol, August 2025
The colours, as with most of these paint jam pieces, pick up on the colours of the Palestinian flag, which are all represented. The words “None of us are free until we’re all free – Palestine” are interesting, especially their approximation to the Jewish poet Emma Lazarus who wrote in 1883, “Until we are all free, we are none of us free.” It is a sentiment I believe many of us can agree with, but I fear we might be in for a long wait.
This is a strong message of support for Palestine and the people of Gaza and the West Bank by Amy McHugh.
In Bristol we have so many different styles of graffiti writing, and a lot of these fit into certain defined categories such as wildstyle, anamorphic, calligraffiti, anti-style, script, bubble writing and so on, but with some artists, it is really difficult to stick them in a particular pigeonhole, and I think Sait bare is one of those,
Sait Bare, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2025
This is a nice piece painted alongside Hire, a pairing that seems to be increasingly common. There is a bilateral symmetry emerging in this piece, which is perhaps the key focal point, as the fills are quite plain. The drop shadow converging on a central vanishing point and the glowing green border highlights provide plenty of depth. Also, the eyes, which are common to both this piece and the adjacent one by Hire, definitely add interest.
Well this piece by Face 1st is as unusual as it was unexpected. Face 1st moved to Herefordshire earlier this year and only visits occasionally (to scratch that itch), so it is always a bonus to find one of his pieces. This looks like it was painted in a bit of a hurry, but has some interesting deviations from his typical work.
Face 1st, M32 cycle path, Bristol, August 2025
The stacked letters spell ‘Face’, with the word ‘First’ in the bottom right, so there is no mistaking the artist, with a PWA (Pirate Wall Art crew) just for confirmation. The script letters with some diagonal hatching have an extremely deep drop shadow in turquoise and is quite different from his usual writing style. The colours and lines make the whole thing look a little bit like an illustration, and has a bit of a look of Alex Lucas about it. An unusual addition to his portfolio.
I don’t visit Montpelier Park all that often, but every time I do go, there seems to be new stuff there, so maybe I ought to increase the frequency of my trips so that I don’t miss out on beauties like this one from Stivs.
Stivs, Montpelier Park, Bristol, August 2025
Stivs is something of an enigma. His work is so varied, he is unbelievably talented, and you never really quite know what he is going to come up with next. He used to be heavy on the calligraffiti, but these days he is painting more of these portrait pieces. This one is a real stunner, and drifting ever-closer to photorealism. I am very much enjoying the ride.
Doors 322 – Doors of Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025 (Part III)
This week’s selection of doors were taken in the backstreets in the southern part of the Medina. Front doors are often quite fancy and elaborate, and might be the only sign that there is a dwelling at all. Many houses don’t even have windows facing out onto the street, and so the door becomes an important statement.
The narrow labyrinthine streets area wonderful pinky red colour, but quite imposing and stark, punctuated by these amazing doors. Occasionally you get to peek behind a door that might be open or ajar, and a beautiful, colourful, often tiled interior awaits.
This selection includes a range of different styles and sizes of doors, each one special in its own way. I hope you enjoy them:
A pair of markedly different doors side by side and a lamp shadow, Derb Oualidine, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Metal door and plant pot, Derb Oualidine, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Tiled portico, stone surround, tile decorations, carved wooden frame, studded doors and two beautiful cats, this door has it all, Ksibt Nhass, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Is this a door within a door? Ksibt Nhass, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
A step up to a beautiful carved wooden door and frame, Ksibt Nhass, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Blue door with a face, Derb Oualidine, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Grand doorway with tiled portico and stunning carved door and surround, Ksibt Nhass, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Door gate, Ksibt Nhass, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
Symmetry and tiles on this door of Riad Les Reves de Marrakech, Rue Errachidia, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
A nicely decorated metal door, Marrakesh, Morocco, January 2025
More of the same next time, although I hope to provide a bit more context around these doors to provide more of a sense of place. While these backstreets were generally fairly quiet, some of the more touristy places were so full of bustle, and I hope to get this across in posts to come. That’s it for now, have a great weekend.
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.
This is another contribution to the Bristol Mural Collective paint jam, protesting against the war in Palestine from a couple of weeks back, painted, quite obviously, by Werm.
Werm, Greenbank, Bristol, March 2025
Werm has used has symmetrical writing to great effect, incorporating three horizontal stripes of red, green and white to represent the Palestinian flag, with the tidy 3D drop shadows providing the black colour. While I wholeheartedly support such protests, I wonder how much they will change anything. It seems that while Trump is in power, the Israeli Government will act with impunity, knowing that Trump is only interested in some kind of business transaction outcome that will make him richer and adored. He cares nothing for people, for victims.
Thank you, Bristol Mural Collective, for organising this paint jam.
I was fortunate enough to meet Scrapyardspec for the first time last weekend, and had a conversation with him that helped me to put his work into some kind of context. I’d also add that he was a really nice bloke (I was going to say young man, but somehow it sounds patronising, when it really isn’t meant to).
Scrapyardspec has been painting the streets for about two years and has lived in London, but now lives in Cheltenham (I think) but manages to get to Bristol about once a week, which would account for his productivity over recent months.
Scrapyardspec, River Avon, Bristol, August 2025
Like so many artists who work on a theme, Scrapyardspec spent a long time replicating the same basic character, but in recent weeks has been expanding the theme with additional elements. In short, he has mastered his basic approach and style and is now modifying and adapting it, adding more interest and variety to his work.
This pair of goofy characters share the same basic DNA, but one has three eyes and a wobbly tongue, where the other is more like the basic model. Both have the inclusion of brown teeth. Where this will all end up, who knows? But it is a privilege to be observing Scrapyardspec’s development.
Hemper, Dun Sum and Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2025
What a wonderful collaboration from Hemper, Dun Sum and Hypo, one that slipped a little under the radar and didn’t perhaps receive quite the fanfare it merited. Three rather different pieces, each making an individual visual impact.
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2025
To the left is one of Hemper’s shortened ‘HEMS’ pieces, where the overlapping letters are compressed laterally. This is a pattern he has been following for the last month or so, perhaps marking a quieter phase after his expansive work earlier in the summer. As ever, the piece, which has some lovely fill patterns and expert white highlights, is oozing with class.
Dun Sum, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2025
It is impossible not to be drawn to the cat character by Dun Sum. Although I have (and love) a dog, I have always been a cat person at heart. I have to say that there is something that creeps me out a little bit about this cat, perhaps it is the smile or maybe the eyes, but the overall effect bis a little intimidating, but isn’t that cats all over? It is really nicely painted and a great focal point for the graffiti writing either side of it.
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2025
To the right is another fine piece from Hypo – I say another, because he has been turning out so many great works with alarming regularity this summer. The aquamarine colours used for the fills of this piece have a tranquility about them, and with all the bubbles and spots has a distinctly aquatic feel. As I said before, three distinct individual styles coming together in this great collaboration.
Benjimagnetic I would describe very much as an occasional painter these days, but his pedigree is flawless and the works he turns out are unique and well presented. This is a recent one from the artist and spells out GRO, I think.
Benjimagnetic, Dean Lane, Bristol, July 2025
I have said many times about Benjimagnetic’s work that it is as much to do with the spaces between his lines as it is with the lines and shapes themselves. He is less about fills and more about geometry, although he manages to blend in some gently fills into parts of this piece. The small writing says “The izmz of iz and iznts” a new EP from the artist. An all-round artistic talent.
Natural adventures 