Even though it is becoming more difficult to find clean walls to work on in The Bearpit, and the Council are taking more of an interest in artistic activities, some of Bristol’s finest are still able to make their mark. This is a fine piece by Nevla.
Nevla, The Bearpit, Bristol, November 2018
What makes this quite unusual for a Nevla piece is the inclusion of colour. Most of the work I have seen before has been two or three colours only. I don’t know if this is a budget driven thing or a fast getaway thing, but this time he seems to have branched out a little. His cartoon style continues to keep up a happy and light-hearted perspective in this little corner of Bristol.
At the far east end of North Street, Bristol, is the colourful Steam Crane pub, which during Upfest plays host to several walls in its beer garden/back yard. There is a little side passage just to the right of the pub which leads you directly into the yard, and the wall on the right is always crammed with great street art.
On entering into the yard, the far left-hand wall is also given over to a large piece for Upfest. Along the back brick wall however, there is no street art, except for this cheeky little red squirrel by Bristol’s Stewy, whose stencils can be found all over the city.
Thursday doors, The Steam Crane, Stewy squirrel, Bristol
The door is plain, but the whole scene – the grey timbered facade, white door and squirrel – seem to come together in a pleasing way.
Squirrel by Stewy on a door in the back yard of The Steam Crane
The squirrel is a stencil that Stewy has used many times about the place but it doesn’t matter how many times you see it, it always charms.
Here are some Upfest pieces from the walls of The Steam Crane:
Pakone, the Steam Crane, Bristol, January 2016Lost Souls, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016Gemma Compton and Copyright, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017John Curtis, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018Id-iom, Upfest, Bristol, July2016Hannah Adamaszek and Saroj, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
I’m not sure how often Andy Council participates in paint jams (I can’t recall any recent occasions) but he certainly joined in the spirit of this one down on the M32 roundabout between St Agnes and Easton.
Andy Council, M32 Roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
Andy Council is well-known for creating pictures of animals or birds that are composed of natural of built features. He has excelled himself with this beautiful duck-billed platypus swimming through a watery scene. This is a wall that just keeps on giving and will continue to do so until its next makeover and then its next.
I may be imagining it or it might be a real thing, but Soap seems not only to be doing a lot more work on the street recently, but also is doing more writing. This is a lovely colourful little piece in one of the tunnels of the M32 roundabout combining his writing with his trademark mouths.
Soap, M32 roundabout, Bristol, November 2018
These tunnels must be a nightmare to paint, because they act as both footpaths and cycle paths and seem to be forever busy. Anyone who can produce art of this quality in these tunnels gets my instant admiration.
My hundredth post on Upfest 2018 and I have been saving this piece to mark the occasion. Sometimes in this game you get to see something very special, and when I heard that Odeith was coming to the festival I had high hopes. This piece not only met, but far exceeded my expectations, and it was a real privilege to see this master of anamorphic street art at work.
Odeith, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
I have seen a lot of Odeith’s work on social media, most of it of insects and spiders stretched across a corner, but this is the first time I have seen anything on three walls and under water. The effect is quite astonishing and how well it plays tricks with your eyes and mind. Even with the artist standing in the middle of the space, disrupting the effect, it still looks amazing.
Odeith, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
The water level is so brilliantly devised that it feels like the viewer is swimming about a foot or so under the surface, and the water distorts the back of the scene where the crocodile’s head breaks the surface.
Odeith, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
The walls of the tank are composed of large stone block letters, spelling out ODEITH. Not only is the concept of this piece extraordinary, but the skill and attention to details, light, shade texture and so on is second to none. I think that in most people’s eyes, this was the piece that stole the show. A technical masterpiece.
Antonia Lev is one of those lucky artists who managed to paint two walls at Upfest 2018. The first, in The Hen and Chickens yard I covered a few posts back was complemented by this hoarding piece in South Street Park.
Antonia Lev, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Her work has a really interesting feel to it and the colours are in the bright pink/purple/blue range which makes it stand out from the crowd. I think there is a story going on here, part of which is a social media commentary, which is rather pertinent as the artist (on the far left of the picture) is herself using the keypad on her smart phone in these pictures. Great to get an introduction to this artist from Russia.
Decay, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, March 2024Decay and Mudra, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022Decay, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2022Decay, M32 cycle path, Bristtol, November 2021Decay, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2021Decay, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2021Decay, M32 cycle path, Bristol, December 2020Decay, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, August 2020Decay and Sludge, M32 cycle path, Bristol, August 2020Decay, M32 cycle path, Bristol, July 2020Decay, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020Decay, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2020Decay, St Werburghs, Bristol, June 2020Decay, Upper York Street, Bristol, April 2020Decay, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2020Decay, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2020Decay, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2020Decay, M32 roundabout, Bristol, January 2020Decay, M32 cycle path, Bristol, January 2020Rezwonk and Decay, Turbo Island, Bristol, December 2019Decay, Paint Festival 2018, Cheltenham, September 2019Decay and Ryder, M32 spot, Bristol, November 2019Decay, Nol and the Agent, Paint Festival 2018, Cheltenham, September 2019Decay, M32 cycle path, Bristol, October 2019Decay, Paint festival 2019, Cheltenham, September 2019Decay and Rezwonk, St Werburghs, Bristol, August 2019Decay, Brighton Street, Bristol, July 2019Decay, New Stadium Road, Bristol, August 2019Decay, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2019Decay, M32 roundabout, Bristol, July 2019Decay, Wilder Street, Bristol, July 2019Decay, Devon Road, Bristol, July 2019Decay, St Werburghs, Bristol, July 2019Decay, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2019Decay, M32 cycle path, Bristol, June 2019Decay, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019Decay, New Stadium Road, Bristol, May 2019Decay, North Street, Bristol, May 2019Decay, M32, Bristol, April 2019Decay and Rezwonk, M32 cycle path, Bristol, March 2019Decay, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2019Decay, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2019Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2019Decay, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2019Decay, St Werburghs, Bristol, January 2019Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, November 2018Decay, Brighton Street, Bristol, November 2018Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016Decay, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018Decay and Jee See, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2018Decay, Ashley Road, Bristol, March 2016Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2016Decay and Dirtystreetart, The Bearpit, Bristol, November 2017Decay and Dirtystreetart, The Bearpit, Bristol, November 2017Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2018Decay, Shoreditch, London, February 2018Decay, Shoreditch, London, February 2018Decay, Old Ashley Hill, Bristol, January 2018Decay, Backfields Lane, Bristol, November 2017Decay, Leonard Lane, Bristol, November 2017Decay, Leonard Lane, Bristol, November 2017Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, October 2017Decay, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017Decay, M32 Spot, Bristol, June 2017Decay, Wilder Street, Bristol, April 2017Beastie and Decay, Greville Road, Bristol, June 2017Decay, Greville Road, Bristol, June 2017Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2017Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2017Decay and John D’oh, North Street, Bristol, July 2016Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, March 2016Mr Klue and Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, January 2017Beastie and Decay, Raleigh Road, Bristol, November 2016Decay, Backfields Lane, Bristol, September 2016Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, May 2016Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, April 2016Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, 8 April 2016Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, 8 April 2016Decay, The Bearpit, Bristol, February 2016
Natural adventures 