I was very happy to see that Creamylines dropped two pieces under Brunel Way recently, probably in the same session, one of which I posted a week or so ago, and this is the other, which was painted low to the ground on the end of a wooden skate ramp.
Creamylines, Brunel Way, Bristol, July 2025
Once again, Creamylines has presented a colourful landscape view, with fields and hills leading up to a sky dotted with clouds and a large yellow sun. There are plenty of figures or sentinels throughout the piece, which is given a serene and natural look, courtesy of the birds in flight. A calming piece in a crazy world.
I have been incredibly lucky recently with the timing of my walks and have met with several artists while they are painting, even yesterday bumping in to Hemper (second time in a week) and Hypo. On this particular visit to Dean Lane, I encountered ESKA and his partner, just as he was finishing up and taking photographs of the completed piece. What is weird is that I first met him in this exact spot last October.
ESKA, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2025
There is always a lot going on in ESKA’s work, which is filled with symbolism. His anamorphic letters are heavily disguised, and form the framework for some little micro-scenes about the place. Lots of shadows and archways with light, a little reminiscent of the perspective work of the Italian artist Gerogio De Chirico.
ESKA, Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2025
The colours work really well together and if you step back the whole piece looks amazing, but it is not until you get up close that you start to notice a whole other world happening, for example there are little figures dotted all over the piece, each one casting a long shadow. This is a piece that needs to be studied as well as admired.
To paint this wall is probably nothing short of highly intimidating. Dan Kitchener and Andrew Burns Colwill Have both painted outstanding murals here, both of which have been much admired. Emily Donald has risen to the challenge and produced this glorious piece that is more than worthy of its predecessors.
Emily Donald, West Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Emily Donald, an artist based in Cornwall, is no stranger to Upfest and has previously painted much smaller pieces on 1m boards. This time she has gone large with this stunning aquatic piece and she has done it brilliantly.
Emily Donald, West Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Her work is usually wildlife-themed and has a wonderful brush-stroke feel to it. Emily Donald manages to capture and craft light and movement in her work so very well and this aquatic scene is bursting with both. When I took these pictures, there were several other people standing nearby admiring the new mural. Another jewel in Upfest’s crown and another beauty from Emily Donald.
Emily Donald, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018Emily Donald, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
I love coming back to photographs that I have in my archive, just waiting there for an artist identification. It is so fulfilling and closes a circle – a great feeling, like a detective solving a case. I was struck by this piece along the River Avon back in November last year and a little bit peeved that I couldn’t place the artist at all. I discovered the artist’s identity recently after I found another piece at Purdown and started investigating Instagram accounts of other artists who had painted up there – eventually I tracked down Antikki. All I needed to do was look at the signature… d’oh!
Antikki, River Avon, Bristol, November 2020
This is a lovely wholesome design piece and has a feel good factor about it – dancing figures bouncing bums in beautiful colours, what’s not to like? Antikki’s style is one that works equally well on walls or in smaller studio designs. I love it when designers and artists hit the streets, it kind of lends legitimacy to street art in a curious way. More to come soon.
A second post of wheatpastes by Jarvis only this time there are three individual paste ups for the price of one. I posted a piece by this artist about a week ago, knowing nothing about him, but a rapid comment from theartblogger54 confirmed the artist’s name and even shared his Instagram account.
Jarvis, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2020
As far as I can make out, Jarvis appears to live in Bristol and I think probably in Easton, which would explain the location of these paste ups. On the left hand side of the triptych is a bare chested male figure with an interesting six-pack on display and an all-seeing third eye.
Jarvis, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2020
In the middle is a blue face with some kind of atomic structure in the neck area. It is a decent coloured sketch amplified by being one of three posted on the M32 roundabout notice board.
Jarvis, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2020
On the right is the third figure with a very long neck and a flower in his/her hair, and if I had to choose I would say that this drawing was the pick of the bunch. It would be great to see more of these sketches appearing about the place. This is what street art is all about, a spectrum of different styles, abilities and techniques which gives it such broad appeal and accessibility.
I have been very taken with these delightfully colourful and ephemeral pieces by Eden that appeared on the M32 roundabout a month or so ago. The works appear to be simple in composition, but there is a complexity to them that probably goes unnoticed by most people.
Eden, M32 roundabout, Bristol, August 2019
Take a closer look at these streaks of paint and you can see a large crowd of people milling round and going about their daily business. Take a closer look still and two of the figures near the bottom have struck up a relationship as indicated by the little lines above their head. Is it a conversation? Are they in love? are they Arguing? Take a look around the piece and you start to see other interactions happening. A lovely and interesting piece from Eden.
Shutters are the pits. I must have walked past this beautiful piece by Shab hundreds of times, but only when the shutter was up, so have never seen it before. I understand it has been there for some years, but I only saw it early on a Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago.
Shab, North Street, Bristol, June 2019
I haven’t seen anything from Shab in absolutely ages, so to find this was actually most gratifying. I have always loved his outlined abstract figures and his trademark eyes are always so beautifully done. There were some other shutter pieces here on the front of the North Street restaurant and I will post these in due course. This was like meeting an old friend.
I found this wall quite by accident a couple of weeks back. I had spotted a whole ton of graffiti (nothing much to write home about) along the bank of the River Avon, but to access it I had to go through Sparke Evans Park. I had never been here before and didn’t even know it existed. On the outer boundary wall of the park I spotted some bright colours behind the trees and it turned out that there were several rather nice pieces here, including this collaboration between Face 1st and Tasha Bee from some time in 2018.
Face 1st and Tasha Bee, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2019
I had seen this piece on Instagram, but had no idea where it was, so it was good to get closure on it. I don’t really need to tell you how much I like the work of these two artists, and they have a style and preference for soft colours that makes their collaborations so easy on the eye. The two central figures are by Tasha Bee and the faces on either side by Face 1st. To have found this alone would have been reward enough, but on this particular walk I managed to find a bunch of other stuff too. I think the turnover on this wall is very slow, so I don’t think I’ll be returning too often, it is a bit out of the way.
I realise that this piece was not an official Upfest piece, but I don’t really care about that, because it is by one of Bristol’s finest artists, Tom Miller, and was painted in Dean Lane during the Festival – it counts in my book.
Tom Miller, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
I managed to hook up with Tom Miller a couple of times over the festival, indeed we cowered from a heavy rainshower together on the Saturday morning under one of the skate park ramps.
Tom Miller, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
Yet again, Tom Miller has absolutely ‘nailed it’ as he seems to do with every piece he creates. I only wish that my photography was up to the standard that he sets with his murals.
Tom Miller, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
It is often difficult to fathom out what exactly is going on in Miller’s pieces and indeed, I think it is often open to interpretation – maybe only the artist really knows what this piece is about, but it incorporates all of his surrealist elements and the bright colours he uses. What is incredible about Tom Miller is that he seems to be just as adept with spray cans on walls as he is with paint brushes in the studio, and the end results are always unmistakably Miller pieces. Bravo two times over – I love this piece.
Another wonderful surprise waiting for me in SoHo was this beautiful collaboration between Stik and LA, which was part of the L.I.S.A project (Little Italy Street Art), sprayed in 2016.
Stik, SoHo, New York, October 2017
The vibrancy of this piece works brilliantly, with all the brightly coloured swirls from LA contrasting with the elegant simplicity of the Stik figures serenely holding hands. A perfect match. I know little about LA, but I believe he is a local artist and he certainly seems to like his squiggles. Stik is of course simply one of the best there is.
Natural adventures 