Tag: Mr Penfold

6958. Wharf Street, Leeds

Mr Penfold, Wharf Street, Leeds, May 2025
Mr Penfold, Wharf Street, Leeds, May 2025

There is something very comforting about wandering around a place that I don’t know very well, and stumbling across the familiar artist, in this case, not just familiar, but Bristol’s fabulous Mr Penfold.

Mr Penfold, Wharf Street, Leeds, May 2025
Mr Penfold, Wharf Street, Leeds, May 2025

Mr Penfold has had a great deal of success with his commissions, and being invited to decorate this large building in the heart of Leeds must have been a real feather in his cap. It is interesting that alongside his colourful designs there is a lot of ‘white space’ which acts as a perfect counterbalance to his shapes and patterns. The building could risk looking too busy if all of it was ‘pimped’ a la Monsieur Penfold.

Mr Penfold, Wharf Street, Leeds, May 2025
Mr Penfold, Wharf Street, Leeds, May 2025

I felt very much at home in my ancestral city, in the company of artwork from a Bristol artist, and the sun was shining. What’s not to like about such an occasion?

6931. Purdown (89)

Mr Penfold, Purdown, Bristol, May 2025
Mr Penfold, Purdown, Bristol, May 2025

Only a few days ago I posted a piece by Mr Penfold, a collaboration with Mul that was at least a year old, and now I present a contemporary piece by the artist containing the same endearing character, that has a passing resemblance to Disney’s Pluto.

Mr Penfold, Purdown, Bristol, May 2025
Mr Penfold, Purdown, Bristol, May 2025

I love it when artists who make a living from their commissions and studio designs and illustrations, take a little bit of time out and decorate our streets. It feels like they are doing it for love and joy rather than for money, and there is something about that that is a refreshing break from the avaricious world that we live in. Thank you Mr Penfold for brightening up my day.

6919. East Street

Mr Penfold and Mul, East Street, Bristol, April 2025
Mr Penfold and Mul, East Street, Bristol, April 2025

This is a recent picture of a piece that I think was painted during Upfest last year, when Mul was visiting and dropped a few pieces about town. Here he has teamed up with Mr Penfold to create a fun and colourful collaboration.

Mr Penfold and Mul, East Street, Bristol, April 2025
Mr Penfold and Mul, East Street, Bristol, April 2025

Mul is known for his heart characters with legs and an eye. I’m not sure where Mul calls home, but occasional visits to Bristol are always very welcome. Mr Penfold is perhaps more commonly associated with his abstract commissions on shopfronts, but he intermittently produces these wonderful cartoon characters, presumably for fun. A tidy collaboration.

6373. Muriel Alleyway (14)

Rtiiika and Mr Penfold, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, August 2024
Rtiiika and Mr Penfold, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, August 2024

The Muriel Alleyway mini street art festival organised by Rtiiika at the end of July was a perfect opportunity to see the work of artists that tend only to make occasional appearances on Bristol’s streets. This piece is a lovely collaboration from Rtiiika and Mr Penfold, right at the bottom of the alleyway.

Rtiiika and Mr Penfold, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, August 2024
Rtiiika and Mr Penfold, Muriel Alleyway, Bristol, August 2024

The piece is a true collaboration, a fusion of the styles of the two artists to create a whole which presents their work as one. The black bits are most likely by Rtiiika and the pink and blue bars and white spots by Mr Penfold, but actually it matters not, because the piece is by both of them. A fine abstract mural, showing off the huge spectrum of styles we see in the city.

6203. White Street (3)

Mr Penfold, White Street, Bristol, June 2024
Mr Penfold, White Street, Bristol, June 2024

I have to confess that I really struggle with promotional pieces. In my purist mind I feel that straying into advertising (whether for mates or for commercial outfits) crosses the line between street art and the ‘edge’ that goes with it, and mainstream commercial activity. This is a personal view, and you may wonder why I post promotional pieces… well I suppose I do it for completeness and to showcase the full spectrum of whet we see in Bristol.

Mr Penfold, White Street, Bristol, June 2024
Mr Penfold, White Street, Bristol, June 2024

Mr Penfold uploaded a video of himself painting this piece, which reveals his techniques for getting his straight lines and curves into his designs. It is a great abstract design from the artist and is perfect for the spot that he chose to paint.

6050. St Augustine’s Parade (3)

Mr Penfold, St Augustine's Parade, Bristol, May 2024
Mr Penfold, St Augustine’s Parade, Bristol, May 2024

At my work, there is quite a strong push to bring people back into the office, after an extended period of being enforced, then encouraged, then allowed to work from home. It seems that the Government direction (driven by Rishi Sunak’s conviction that we aren’t buying enough sandwiches in Pret a Manger, leading to the collapse of urban economies) is to get folk back into those empty buildings. My personal view is mixed. It seems mad that loads of office buildings are empty, but it also feels that we work in a new era, where for many office jobs, we are set up to work from home. I expect that this is a debate that will run and run, and then be overtaken by AI replacing our jobs in any case.

Mr Penfold, St Augustine's Parade, Bristol, May 2024
Mr Penfold, St Augustine’s Parade, Bristol, May 2024

I mention all of this because I am now starting to return to the office, which gives me a chance to explore and seek out street/graffiti art on my walks to and from work, which are not on my more usual ’rounds’. I saw, for the first time walking to work recently, this commission piece by Mr Penfold in St Augustine’s Parade. It is a wonderful piece of corporate design, but so distinctively Mr Penfold, who has managed to blend his design work with his street art passion – great work if you can get it.

5654. Elton Street (26)

Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023
Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023

Mr Penfold’s work seems to be only occasional these days, so it is always a genuine pleasure when I find one. This is a recent piece, painted alongside friends Billy and Merny, making up part of the outdoor gallery on the side of Lost Horizons.

Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023
Mr Penfold, Elton Street, Bristol, October 2023

Mr Penfold’s highly designed abstract work translates really well from the studio to large outdoor ‘canvasses’, which cannot necessarily be said for many abstract artists. I would say at this point, though, that we probably don’t have our fair share of abstract street artists in Bristol, and it is a genre that could do with a bit of a boost. Slakarts is definitely moving in that direction, but generally abstract artists are few and far between. Mr Penfold has painted his distinctive large, colourful and solid shapes on a black background, making our eyes do the hard work, dancing from one shap or colour to another. A lovely piece from the artist.

4419. M32 roundabout J3 (407)

By the time I got to it, half of this collaborative wall had been taken out, within 24 hours of being painted, fortunately, this part by Mr Penfold survived. It can be frustrating when pieces are overpainted so quickly, but everyone who paints in Bristol knows the score.

Mr Penfold, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2022
Mr Penfold, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2022

The work in this piece is so obviously by Mr Penfold, and needs no signature. Nobody else in Bristol creates these amazing abstract pieces. This one is a little different from some of his work, for example there are no shadows of any of the shapes, and it all feels a little bit more random than usual. Great to look at, and although short-lived, magnificent while it was there.

4220. M32 roundabout J3 (382)

The rewards for digging through archives are fruitful and nourishing, and this wonderful little collaboration from Mr Penfold and Merny (Morny) has managed to remain hidden for way too long. I am so happy to be sharing it with you now.

Mr Penfold and Merny (Morny), M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019
Mr Penfold and Merny (Morny), M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2019

These two have collaborated on more than one occasion, often in the company of Billy, but this is just the two of them. The abstract shapes on the left are from Mr Penfold and the lorry from Merny. The whole transport phase of work from Merny was quite one of the most unique themes in the Bristol street art world, and I have to say that I really miss it, which is why finding this in my archive is such a pleasure.

3972. King Street (4)

I got distracted last week looking for an old piece by Irony that I had never posted and came across this old archway piece from Mr Penfold in King Street. This spot ‘belongs’ to Mr Penfold, and every year or two he has a go at repainting it.

Mr Penfold, King Street, Bristol, July 2018
Mr Penfold, King Street, Bristol, July 2018

This incarnation is rather less abstract than most of his work, and you can make out a jug or vase and some ears of corn. If I am honest, I’m not sure if this is one of his best pieces, but it is nice to be able to add it to the collection of his other King Street work.

Mr Penfold, King Street, Bristol, May 2017
Mr Penfold, King Street, Bristol, September 2020
Mr Penfold, King Street, Bristol, August 2019