7147. Stapleton Road

Tera and Kid Crayon (credit: Kid Crayon), Stapleton Road, Bristol, August 2025
Tera and Kid Crayon (credit: Kid Crayon), Stapleton Road, Bristol, August 2025

I am going to break with tradition in this post and contravene my primary rule, that all photographs are taken by me. This is a rare occurrence and it has been necessitated by the fact that I visited this collaboration from Kid Crayon and Tera less than 24 hours after it had been painted, but I was met by a rather disappointing and talentless tag stating that Jesus loves me. While that may or may not be true, it rather scuppered my photo opportunity. Fortunately, Kid Crayon took some of his own pictures, and I have used them for this post. Exceptional circumstances.

Tera and Kid Crayon, Stapleton Road, Bristol, August 2025
Tera and Kid Crayon, Stapleton Road, Bristol, August 2025

This pair have been smashing it all summer long, but I think somebody has it in for them, because few of their collaborations have lasted more than a few days. The two outstanding portraits are painted in the dia de los Muertos tradition, although there are a couple of months before we get to that celebration.

Tera and Kid Crayon (credit: Kid Crayon), Stapleton Road, Bristol, August 2025
Tera and Kid Crayon (credit: Kid Crayon), Stapleton Road, Bristol, August 2025

On the left, Tera, who I might remind you only started painting walls this summer, has painted a face that reminds me of the band Kiss in it’s makeup styling. He has created some superb depth in the contours of the face with clever reflections of the candles in the lips and cheeks. Utterly brilliant work.

Kid Crayon (credit: Kid Crayon), Stapleton Road, Bristol, August 2025
Kid Crayon (credit: Kid Crayon), Stapleton Road, Bristol, August 2025

Kid Crayon, who has been mentoring Tera (and let’s face it has done a great job of that), has gone for a more traditional styling in the facemask makeup, with some nice flowers (mirrored in the hair) and black patterning. Lots of wrinkles in the neck and black nails on the ends of the woman’s fingers poised while she takes a drag on ger cigarette. Kid Crayon offers a slightly different take on candles, but both are superb. One of my favourite collaborations of the year so far.

1877. Upfest 2018 (96)

I think that this was my favourite wall of Upfest 2018. Situated just off Dean Lane and on the margins of the Upfest main drag this new wall played host to four or five astonishing pieces, including my favourite piece of the festival by Kowse One. This magnificent and rather different piece is by Ione from Tenerife, which is interesting, because it shares the same understated tones used by Feoflip, a fellow Canary Islander, who came to Bristol in 2016 for Upfest and sprayed many pieces all around the city.

Ione, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Ione, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018

I rate this piece very highly in part because it is so unusual. It seems to borrow heavily from the Cubist and Surrealist genres and there are elements that remind me of Picasso and Miro. The figure also makes me think of Mary Poppins, but that might just be me. Subtle and interesting, I love this piece and love the wall.