5944. Midland Road (2)

Sophie Long, Midland Road, Bristol, March 2024
Sophie Long, Midland Road, Bristol, March 2024

It is always a real treat when artists who most usually paint commissions, festivals or in a studio decide to produce a stunning piece of public street art, and this fox by Sophie Long, is an absolute belter.

Sophie Long, Midland Road, Bristol, March 2024
Sophie Long, Midland Road, Bristol, March 2024

The piece is painted on a hoarding of a development plot that looks like it might be around for quite some time, and is becoming more popular with Bristol artists. Sophie long is well known for her portrayals of wild animals, and Bristol has a long association with urban foxes, so it was only a matter of time before she would create a beauty like this. This is a stunning piece that is there for all to enjoy – those with their eyes open, that is.

2554. Midland Road

Obvs this is a piece by Mr Penfold and what a grand piece it is too. This large design that presents five bold patterns separated by jaggedy white lines is typical of his his more recent work. I say more recent, but I should add that this picture was taken in x 2018.

Mr Penfold, Midland Road, Bristol, March 2018
Mr Penfold, Midland Road, Bristol, March 2018

When writing this post, I used StreetView to remind myself of the street name, and was surprised to find that this piece has grown considerably in size and now occupies the facade of the building to the right as well. Watch this space for an update… one day.

The blue plaque, on what is now the ‘To The Moon’ bar and cafe, is a memorial to John Wright or ‘John the Caff’ as he was known locally. His obituary in The Guardian from July 2009 can be found here.