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Sunflower splendour
cut short in its majesty
hungriest squirrel
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by Scooj
Mischief
Tag: Bee
7851. Greenway Bush Lane – Upfest 2026 (49)
This is the second wall painted by Cheo at Upfest this year, and I suspect probably slightly less official than his piece in Stillhouse Lane. I imagine that this was a vacant spot that was offered to Cheo by the Upfest organisers, knowing that he is local and one unlikely to offer up an opportunity. Cheo is much loved in Bristol and his work recognised by many, such is his presence in the city.
This aquatic romp is both imaginative and fun, featuring a couple of hapless pirate octopi who appear to have survived the sinking of their ship only to be grabbed by a rather angry looking fish with a bomb on his head. A scene that is so vivid and yet so cartoonish and unlikely as to be absurd, but here we are admiring it. Cheo has an extraordinary talent, and that he chooses to share it with us is a blessing indeed.
7809. Goodneston Road (4)
If one was to describe a typical piece of artwork by Cheo, this character work on the long hoarding in Fishponds would probably tick all the boxes… the archetype if you like. The character, a man wearing a cap and ski mask on his head and large gold chain round his neck is posing with two spray cans, one in each hand.
Cheo’s cartoon style is most endearing, especially when it includes the ever-present signature bee, in this instance lurking on the peak of the character’s cap. There is a nonchalant confidence in Cheo’s work, which is always presented to perfection. Solid fills are solid, folds in clothes well-thought-out, exaggerated features on his characters amusing and the composition, usually telling a story beautifully considered. Here is Cheo in a nutshell.
7696. Kensal Road
When Upfest comes around, I tend to do a lot more exploring around south Bristol than usual, often trying to find outlying Upfest pieces. The upshot is I not only make contemporary Upfest discoveries, but also find a host of other pieces in streets that I rarely visit. This beauty by Farrah was one such lucky find.
This wonderful piece was painted by Farrah celebrating World Earth Day (22 April 2026), so I actually found it quite soon after it was painted, and it was looking wonderfully fresh. Using her special paint brush technique, she has painted the Earth with rainbow colours (not in the correct sequence, but very beautiful) drifting off into space. Cleverly, the eyes are drawn to a solitary bee in the middle of the piece, which becomes a physical and symbolic focal point. Brilliant work from Farrah, who is very present in the Windmill Hill area of the City.
7469. Surbiton Station, London
One thing that you can be reasonably certain about is that when you find a SkyHigh piece there is likely to be a Roo piece nearby, as the couple often paint together. It looks like Roo drew the short straw and had this rather tricky little spot behind the letter box.
Roo has painted one of her trademark bees that she can probably paint in her sleep. The bee is painted with such assurance, with beautiful clean lines and strong solid fills. I rather like the way that she has painted each of the concrete slabs with a different shade of blue. Buzzzz.
7128. Dean Lane skate park (861)
This wall has hosted some utterly outstanding pieces over the years, and this combination collaboration from Dibz and Cheo is right up there with the very best of them. The first thing to notice about this wonderful piece is just how neatly it has been executed and how well it stands out on the black background.
The comic character, painted by Cheo is holding up a small board on which Dibz has written his name – it is a brilliantly clever way to present a character and graffiti writing together in a contextual storytelling scenario. There are so many details in the collaboration to enjoy, such as the signature bee, the laminate wooden board peeling and drips from the letters, and my favourite bit, the plaster on the character’s nose. Pure genius from Dibz and Cheo.
6846. Hackins Hey, Liverpool
Our trip to Liverpool was a short one, two days and one night, but just long enough for me to snap a few street art pieces. I got lucky with this magnificent large mural by Nomad Clan, because it was on the route between our hotel and the station. We were running late for the train, and my wife was less than impressed with me stopping to photograph this beauty – I did catch up…
Nomad Clan are not strangers to Natural Adventures, and the duo have painted a few times at Upfest in Bristol, always going large with beautifully creative works. There is a strong nature theme in this piece, with a bee (anatomically a little dubious) and an amazing cormorant catching a fish. There is a lot of detail in the whole piece, tattoos and a patterned dress for the main character, and loads of hidden extras throughout. This is an impressive mural from Nomad Clan.
6229. Upfest 2024 (44)
Sophie Long is an incredible wildlife artist, who blends accuracy of the subject creature with a soft artistic impression to create utterly outstanding murals and artworks that are uniquely hers. This Upfest piece, in a little annex (Ebeneezer Pocket Park) on North Street is a perfect example of what I am trying to describe.
Sophie has a penchant for painting bees, and manages to represent their character without anthropomorphising, which is a real skill. This is a special wall that has played host to numerous wonderful pieces over the years, and this one comfortably stands among them. A perfect Upfest piece from Sophie.
Skimmia
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A midnight fragrance
when the nighttime air is still
and daytime nectar
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by Scooj
Red
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Deepest darkest red
natural shape and structure
and a bee feeding
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by Scooj
Natural adventures 