7656. Ashman Road – Upfest 2026 (2)

Bex Glover, Upfest 2026, Ashman Road, Bristol, May 2026
Bex Glover, Upfest 2026, Ashman Road, Bristol, May 2026

This piece by Bex Glover is a beauty and a treat, and one of two pieces she has painted for Upfest 2026. Her work is right up my street, nearly always featuring a natural history narrative, painted in her unique style, usually steeped in her light blues, but in this instance augmented with a stunning deep red archway.

Bex Glover, Upfest 2026, Ashman Road, Bristol, May 2026
Bex Glover, Upfest 2026, Ashman Road, Bristol, May 2026

The piece has at its centre a stunning fox, beautifully presented, standing on a patch of grass and peering through the archway to a watery scene with a town in the distance, perhaps a depiction of old Bristol itself. A stunning piece for Upfest from one of our own artists.

Smooth Carrion-Beetle

Smooth Carrion-Beetle (Ablattaria laevigata), Narroways, Bristol, May 2026
Smooth Carrion-Beetle (Ablattaria laevigata), Narroways, Bristol, May 2026

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Off at a canter

from one edge to the other

pathway exposure

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by Scooj

Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata)

Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata), Riverside Park, Bristol, May 2026
Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata), Riverside Park, Bristol, May 2026

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Bottle-green chafer

exotic spring harbinger

iridescent sheen

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by Scooj

Mixed feelings

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Magpie pair nesting

deep within our garden hedge

local terrorists

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by Scooj

Poplar

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Drifts of fluffy seeds

rolling in the gentle breeze

peregrine glides by

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by Scooj

Sea Spurge (Euphorbia paralias)

Sea Spurge (Euphorbia paralias), East Head, West Sussex, April 2026 East Head
Sea Spurge (Euphorbia paralias), East Head, West Sussex, April 2026 East Head

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Down on hands and knees

getting a closer look see

Sea Spurge gathering

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by Scooj

7605. Dean Lane skate park (915)

Created By Billie, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2026
Created By Billie, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2026

When ever did a worm look so beguiling? This little flat concrete slab in the Dean Lane skate park has had many, many small pieces adorning it, but never one quite like this. It is painted by visiting artist, Created by Billie.

Created By Billie, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2026
Created By Billie, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2026

The last time the artist was in town, I met her while she was painting a wall very near this one, and what a lovely lady she is, full of enthusiasm for her work. While this piece has a comforting cartoon feel to it, it also appears to have some accurate anatomical features such as the saddle (clitellum) and segments. Striking and unusual… I love this piece.

Green-winged Orchid (Anacamptis morio)

Green-winged Orchid (Anacamptis morio), East Head, West Sussex, April 2026
Green-winged Orchid (Anacamptis morio), East Head, West Sussex, April 2026

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Nestled in the dunes

a dog-discovered orchid

natural beauty

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by Scooj

Urbane fox

Fox, Tesco car park, Golden Hill, Bristol, April 2026
Fox, Tesco car park, Golden Hill, Bristol, April 2026

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Trotting politely

with immaculate manners

she greets me and leaves

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by Scooj

7506. Purdown (102)

Creamylines, Purdown, Bristol, February 2026
Creamylines, Purdown, Bristol, February 2026

Another day and another wonderful piece from Creamylines, an artist who has been knocking it out of the park recently. Unlike most artists in Bristol, Creamylines tends to paint solo, and maybe that’s just how he likes it. It would be interesting, one day, to see him collaborate with others, it could bring about some exciting outcomes.

Creamylines, Purdown, Bristol, February 2026
Creamylines, Purdown, Bristol, February 2026

The central element of this composition is a friendly snail carrying the landscape narrative on its back, and that landscape contains the smorgasbord of sun, birds, hills, ponds, faces, figures and abundant nature that we might expect. Charming and full of the good things in life, I am so much enjoying Creamylines’ purple patch.