7003. King Square Avenue

Bethcub, King Square Avenue, Bristol, June 2025
Bethcub, King Square Avenue, Bristol, June 2025

Following my last post featuring a couple of wheatpaste drawings by Bethcub recently, I had a nice Instagram message from the artist, who had read the post and told me a little bit more about these wheatpastes. Bethcub confirmed that they are one-off charcoal drawings from her life drawing class, which she fixes and pastes up straight after the class. It is always great to know a little bit more about the art on our streets.

Bethcub, King Square Avenue, Bristol, June 2025
Bethcub, King Square Avenue, Bristol, June 2025

In this sketch, the model is perching (rather awkwardly) on a stool as if in transition. Some lovely curves, and an unusual position, make this a fascinating study. Seeing things like this, make me excited about retirement and a pledge I have made to myself to start art lessons. Why wait? You might ask – not enough hours in the day, I might reply.

6983. Jamaica Street (30)

Bethcub, Jamaica Street, Bristol, June 2025
Bethcub, Jamaica Street, Bristol, June 2025

It looks like wheatpastes are having a mini-surge in popularity in Bristol, and these are a couple of little cut-out sketches in Jamaica Street by Bethcub. What I particularly like about these is that they look like original pencil sketches, which somehow gives them a high One-off value (in my eyes).

Bethcub, Jamaica Street, Bristol, June 2025
Bethcub, Jamaica Street, Bristol, June 2025

Bethcub is an artist who is known for her studies, particularly of the human body, but occasionally ventures out onto the streets to paint, and now, it seems, to leave some wheatpaste gifts for us to enjoy. I am no art critic, so I don’t really know what I am talking about, but these line sketches are so beautiful, and capture the poise of the subject perfectly.

To find these little paste ups absolutely made my day, and I was sorely tempted to try and peel one off to keep as a piece of original artwork, but that would be against everything I stand for – public art for all. I’ll be looking out for more from Bethcub in future, and have at least one other of her recent pieces to share… watch this space.

6387. Muriel Alleyway (15)

Bethcub, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, August 2024
Bethcub, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, August 2024

The mini street art festival in Muriel Alleyway at the end of July brought together artists from the Bristol Mural Collective and one or two others to decorate this back lane and its walls, garage doors and shutters. Bethcub (Beth Kirby) is a Bristol-based artist who discusses issues of the female body and the female experience through drawing, painting, murals and 3D mediums.

Bethcub, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, July 2024
Bethcub, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, July 2024

I have featured her work at least once before on Natural Adventures, but it is pretty safe to say that she doesn’t paint street pieces all that often. You can see from the picture above that Bethcub has used a sketch of her piece and upscaled it hugely.

Bethcub, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, August 2024
Bethcub, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, August 2024

This is a really interesting piece, because there is a lot of ‘white space’ which is so unusual to see in street murals, where often every square inch of wall is decorated. What this does is focus the attention on the subject of the piece. The observant among you might notice that she has painted over a piece originally by Rtiiika. Lovely to see work from different artists coming out to play.

Beth Kirby, Elton Street, Bristol, February 2024
Beth Kirby, Elton Street, Bristol, February 2024

5919. Elton Street (29)

Beth Kirby, Elton Street, Bristol, February 2024
Beth Kirby, Elton Street, Bristol, February 2024

Only a few days ago I was saying what a rarity it is to see nudes depicted in street art in Bristol, so it is something of a special piece indeed that manages to survive the noise. This is a stunning piece by Beth Kirby on the side of the Lost Horizons Arts Centre.

Beth Kirby, Elton Street, Bristol, February 2024
Beth Kirby, Elton Street, Bristol, February 2024

The piece is painted ladder height above the pavement, and so tagging or censorship of the piece would take a determined individual indeed. I am not sure what materials have been used to paint the piece, but it has a sketchbook line drawing feel to it. Beautiful stuff, and a wonderful tribute piece. You can read more about Beth Kirby on her wonderful website.