Abstract – Natural adventures

7876. Elton Street (32)

Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, August 2026

I am so happy that this ‘gallery’ in Elton Street has been reactivated. It is a perfect place to showcase artists’ work without it being quickly tagged or overpainted. A classy display of Bristol and visiting artists.

This piece is by Mr Penfold and picks up on his colourful abstract designs that are well known in the city and beyond. A coming together of sharp-edged solid filled shapes and softer ‘cow-hide’ designs, creates a contrasting melee that demands to be observed and figured out. Great work from Mr Penfold.

7870. Cumberland Basin

j9449j, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2026

The sun and shade are once again my enemy in these pictures of a wonderful piece by j9449j – AKA All 4 Nothing. The colour tones are beautifully selected and matched through the whole piece, and while I have no idea what the letters spell, if there even are any, it matters not, the composition is fabulous.

J9449j (the name of his Instagram account when I first started writing about his work) has a wonderful abstract organic life in his work, with plenty of tufts of grass or plants and the odd flower making an appearance. The piece is enigmatic and intriguing – I’ve yet to meet the elusive artist. This is a classy work.

7766. Cumberland Basin

Ments, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, June 2026

You can wait an awfully long time for a Ments piece, and then out of nowhere, two come along in quick succession. Following on from his superb Upfest piece, Ments has painted this gentle colourful beauty on the long wall in Cumberland Basin.

Preparation can be everything for some pieces, and the lilac wall is a perfect starting point for this abstract piece of graffiti writing. The subtle colours are arranged to create a crystalline appearance with any hard edges softened with some skilful blending. The whole piece probably says MENTS, but even if it doesn’t the overall effect is one of calm.

7744. Willway Street – Upfest 2026 (28)

Cuicasolo, Upfest 2026, Willway Street, Bristol, May 2026

Cuicasolo (Elaine Carr) is a Bristol artist who I have known about for a very long time, but don’t believe I have ever met. She doesn’t paint all that often, or in many spots, but her work is rather iconic and tends to stick around for a long time.

This is a fabulous structural/architectural piece, typical of her work, confusing the eye with depth created through the use of different shades, tricking the eye into seeing something utterly three-dimensional. Simple and very effective and beautifully painted. The technique uses the same kind of shading techniques we see in anamorphic graffiti writing.

7690. North Street – Upfest 2026 (13)

Mr Cenz, Upfest 2026, North Street, Bristol, May 2026

Mr Cenz is a well known British street artist based in London, whose work features portraits of women augmented with multiple layers of colour and design that are so distinctive that no signature is required on his pieces.

I love this elevated Upfest wall. Because of its aspect it can be viewed from some distance and has a great impact when walking towards it. When a spectacular piece like this one from Mr Cenz is painted there, it has a real wow-factor. Such a great artist balancing photorealism and abstract colour fusion in an outstanding way. A great Upfest piece.

7689. Greenway Bush Lane – Upfest 2026 (12)

Ments Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

At Upfest this year, there was a strong contingent of local artists, and some wall space made available to showcase everyday talent that I am privileged to see every time I walk out to take pictures, but that visitors to the festival might not be so exposed to. This balances out the presence of high-end murals in harmony with authentic street and graffiti art.

Ments is a Bristol artist who spans the gap between graffiti art and something more sophisticated. I spent a while chatting with Ments as he was finishing off this piece, and he explained that it was loosely based on the letters MENTS, although the ‘T’ kind of melted away. He was interested in the soft shapes and colours, presenting as an abstract form, being simultaneously both familiar and alien. A brilliant artist, and a fine Upfest piece.

7626. M32 Cycle path (310 )

Vermo, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, April 2026

I have a feeling that Vermo is going to become a fairly regular ‘contributor’ to the pages of Natural Adventures as the artist’s pieces are appearing all over the city and show no signs of slowing. I might need to delve into my archives too to bring to the surface some pieces from the last year or so.

Vermo’s unique ‘floating’ letters are unlike any other graffiti writing I have seen in Bristol or for that matter anywhere else. In this piece, the letters cryptically spelling VERMO have a form of drop shadow in pink and yellow drifting to the right, and unusually the whole thing is contained in a turquoise border, giving it something of a more conventional appearance. Watch this space for more from Vermo.

7604. River Avon (115)

It has taken me a long time to figure out the letters in this writing, and I am not too sure I would have done so without Paul H’s recent posting of a piece by the artist. The letters spell VERMO, but you have to study them pretty hard to figure it out, as they are deliberately deceptive. Once you know them you can see them, but it is that first time of working it out that takes the time.

I have a lot of Vermo’s pieces to share from my archives, but I decided to start with this combination piece alongside the river. Unusually this piece of writing includes a character, where most of his pieces contain only the ‘floating’ letters that are made up of component shapes, for example, both the ‘E’ and the ‘M’ are composed of three ovals of increasing size in different orientations. I wouldn’t quite know how to classify Vermo’s writing, but it might fall into the category of abstract graffiti writing, a bit like Mr Klue, but quite different in appearance. Watch this space for more from Vermo.

7583. St Werburghs tunnel (577)

Mr Klue, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2026

Mr Klue has returned and taken up one of his favourite spots at the entrance to St Werburghs tunnel. To me, this one looks a little different from many of his recent pieces. The letters KLUE look much more chunky and slightly compressed.

The familiar scrolls are larger than usual and feature strongly in this piece of abstract writing. Towards the top of the piece it looks like there are vapours rising skywards. Some tiny bursts of orange hint at something going on in the piece, almost as if it is about to burst into flames. Nice work from Mr Klue, king of the tunnel.

7542. Easton Road

Mr Penfold, Easton Road, Bristol, March 2026

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’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.

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