7688. Willway Street – Upfest 2026 (11)

Sophie Long, Upfest 2026, Willway Street, Bristol, May 2026
Sophie Long, Upfest 2026, Willway Street, Bristol, May 2026

I haven’t seen anything by Bristol-based artist Sophie Long for an age, but if anything can get her out painting walls, it is Upfest. Renowned for her animal portraits, Sophie Long has surpassed expectations with this outstanding piece of a mother and baby gorilla.

Sophie Long, Upfest 2026, Willway Street, Bristol, May 2026
Sophie Long, Upfest 2026, Willway Street, Bristol, May 2026

Colour and drips are key elements that Sophie Long likes to incorporate into her work, and there is plenty of both in this piece. Her gorillas have the expression of love and compassion, but there is also a vulnerability here that speaks of the fragility of their existence in a human dominated word. Outstanding work from Sophie Long – you can see more of her work in this updated gallery.

Helman Tor

View from Helman Tor, Mid Cornwall Moors National Nature Reserve, Cornwall, 27 May 2026
View from Helman Tor, Mid Cornwall Moors National Nature Reserve, Cornwall, 27 May 2026

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A rocky outcrop

drops to wet willow woodland

wind turbines turning

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by Scooj

A welcome to England’s newest National Nature Reserve – Mid Cornwall Moors NNR

Birdsong

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Warm sunny May day

a day-long birdsong chorus

nothing else matters

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by Scooj

My singing heart

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Swifts circle the air

screeching fair their arrival

for now all is well

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by Scooj

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