It never ceases to amaze me just how many artists paint at Upfest, and it is truly a triumph of organisation by Steve and Emma and their team. At the festival, artists can be allocated walls, some of them enormous, temporary hoardings or these 1 meter squares, and it is up to the artists to make the most of the space available. Chi-Yien Snow has done a wonderful job with this board.
Chi-Yien Snow, Upfest 22, Bristol, May 2022
Chi-Yien Snow is a fine artist living in Clevedon, who paints in acrylics and oils, and has painted this outstanding and soulful portrait piece for the festival. I would guess that the portrait is of a native South American, perhaps from the Amazon region, or at least that is what it looks like to me. It is always a real pleasure to see the work of new artists and I will be looking out for Chi-Yien Snow’s work from now on.
I think that the first thing I should say at the start of this post is that I know nothing about the artist of this curious piece for Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days event. Certainly the piece is striking and unusual, and the artist, George J Harding, is more used to painting canvasses than walls, but it all comes together nicely in a rather unconventional way.
George J Harding, Stanley Street, Bristol, September 2021, Upfest 21
I have taken a quick look through George J Harding’s work and although there are a couple of street art pieces on his website, they don’t much look like this. I think he has gone for a creative freestyle approach, and by the look of it, did it quite quickly. It is great to see fine artists hitting our walls though and enjoyable to see the crossover in action.
I must admit to being very taken by this piece on the wall facing the river, and I have absolutely no idea who the artist is. If I find out at any time I will add the name in because I don’t like posting pieces by unknown artists, but sometimes they are just too good to leave in the archive.
Artist unknown, Brunel Way, Bristol, October 2020
To me the whole thing simply screams out Matisse with perhaps a touch of Miro, maybe Chagall and is worthy of hanging in any fine art gallery, but is also worthy of a wider reach and audience alongside the Bristol Avon. A lovely piece of abstract street art.
I have always intended to post this huge piece on the wall of a garage in Surrey Street by Tom Miller, but just never got round to it. Cometh the moment, cometh the man. This early piece (2016) is typical of the explosion of ideas that comes from this creative dynamo and his colourful style.
Tom Miller, Surrey Street, Bristol, October 2016
There is no point in tryig to fathom out a story here, because although there almost certainly is one, it could take a lifetime to work out. All sorts of body parts and possibly an environmental theme are represented here in this surreal piece.
Tom Miller, Surrey Street, Bristol, October 2016
At the time, I don’t recall there being much of a fuss about this piece, and I think it remained under the radar for quite a long time. Alas it has now gone.
There is one artist in Bristol whose work is guaranteed to bring a splash of colour and an interesting perspective and that is Tom Miller. This piece has appeared recently opposite the Riverside Garden Centre and is a bit of a stunner.
Tom Miller, Jessop Underpass, Bristol, March 2019
There is a bicycle theme on the left hand side which is full of movement and which appears to metamorphosise into a fairly typical abstract explosion of colour and form the further to the right of the piece you look.
Tom Miller, Jessop Underpass, Bristol, March 2019
The transition is worked so skilfully and perhaps exaggerated by splitting the piece up into three sections (I had to do this because the fence where it is painted is so long.
Tom Miller, Jessop Underpass, Bristol, March 2019
Ever since I first saw my first Tom Miller piece I have marvelled at his extraordinary talent and how he has brought his unique brand of surreal fine art into the street. In my view an artistic genius.
I remember at Upfest 2017 really loving a piece by Lauren Maria Hill and she has come up trumps again in 2018. A fine artist, who is probably more at home in the studio, Lauren Maria Hill manages to use these smaller boards to showcase her stunning portrait work.
Lauren Maria Hill, Upfest, Bristol, October 2018
Unfortunately I never saw the finished piece, I think it must have been taken away and protected from the showery weather, but you can get the general idea from these pictures. This is another work from Upfest 2018 to feature a leaf from a Swiss cheese plant – Maybe they are fun to paint.
John Curtis is a well-known Bristol artist who specialises in urban landscapes and whose work is recognisable from his use of colours and long lines. I have only seen studio pieces by this artist before, so it was interesting to see how his work translated to a large wall. If I am honest it is exactly the same, only bigger. Brilliant really.
John Curtis, Upfest, Bristol, July 2018
I think that this is a picture of Park Street in Bristol looking up at the Wills Memorial building up on the right hand side, although it might be somewhere else altogether. I love the night-time atmosphere that is brought to life in this piece. Highly accomplished and highly recommended to look at in the flesh It is in the passage way into the courtyard of the Steam Crane pub at the end of North Street.
It is simply not, not possible (thank you Manja Mexi Movie) to admire the bravery and talent in the work of Tom Miller. This transformation of a container that is more used to hosting quick burners is quite remarkable. Sadly, it has since reverted, but for a few fleeting moments class had arrived in this Dean Lane spot.
Tom Miller, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2018
Unfortunately I arrived a little too early to see this piece completed – there is a little footnote in the bottom right saying ‘Back 2moro’. I think it was almost completed, but when I returned only a few days later it had been over-sprayed. It is part of the game, and all artists know the score, but there is something disrespectfully self-destructive about writing over good art I feel.
Tom Miller, Dean Lane, Bristol, June 2018
Tom Miller confounds with his surreal explosiveness, connecting a dream world with a tangible one. The colours he has used and the overall effect is like nothing else I have ever seen in Dean Lane. I do like it when highly competent and trained artists take to the streets, it adds to the incredible diversity of free art. Bravo! Tom Miller.
Natural adventures 