I never made it to Upfest 2015, which might be a blessing, as I would probably still be writing posts about it now if I had. I was struck though by how many ‘treats’ were hidden in the North Street area after the event.
23Magpies, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
It was in searching carefully for these ‘treats’ that I started to find some lovely paste ups by 23Magpies, such as this chameleon. Her work is heavily focused on wildlife and the environment, and her feature piece for Upfest was this lovely fox and design.
23Magpies, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
I am a big fan of 23Magpies’ work and will be writing about some of the treats she left behind after this year’s festival. On this particular piece, you’ve got to love the detail of the bee on the rim, which the fox appears to be watching. Great stuff.
This artist has appeared regularly on this blog and requires no introduction. Aspire’s birds are in inspiration and a tonic for those who live in the city of Bristol. He is a prolific artist who brightens up the some of the darker places for example; The Bearpit and walls and hoardings in the Stokes Croft area.
Aspire, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
This is not the first Blue Jay that I have seen by Aspire, and I hope he will continue to do more. This one is special though, in that it was produced for Upfest and will remain intact for at least a year as it is within the playground of Ashton Gate School, in the company of some other great street art.
Aspire, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Alas! I didn’t make it to this site on the Saturday, and missed the opportunity of seeing Aspire at work and of meeting him. Note to self…make better use of the Saturday at Upfest 2017.
Aspire, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
I am a huge fan of China Girl Tile, and was so excited to hear that she would be at Upfest 2016. I had seen lots of her work on social media, but nothing in the flesh, so it was a real treat not only to see her at work, but to be able to say hello and stop for a quick chat.
China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
I caught up with China Girl Tile while she was finishing off her work in the drizzle on the second day of the festival. The wall she was working on is in the back yard of the Hen and Chicken and in really great company (Fake, Cosmo Sarson…and others).
China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
I am glad she chose foxes for this installation, because as many of you may know Bristol is famous for its urban foxes. In fact some research a few years ago showed that the most densely populated group of foxes on record were in and around my allotment. Their numbers fell due to mange and the introduction of wheelie bins with strong lids. I digress. I love foxes.
China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Her reference to the Campbells soup tin is not only witty but is incorporated so very well into the unfolding story.
China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Her work is unusual and refreshing and executed with such skill and dedication. The tiles are really beautiful and enchanting. Please can we get more China Girl Tile work in Bristol.
China Girl Tile, Greville Road, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
There was so much street art on offer at Upfest, that if you blinked you could miss something. I am so glad I had my camera with me, although on the day I took this photograph, my camera ran out of battery (aaaaargh what an idiot!) so I had to use my phone camera, and the results don’t really do the art justice. This was one of those pieces that was better ‘in the flesh’ but still looks pretty good in this photograph.
Mutiny, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
The artist is Mutiny (Jane Laurie), a British, London-based, wildlife illustrator, fine art painter and street artist. Clearly very talented and driven with a desire to raise awareness about endangered wildlife; she uses the hashtag #lovewildlife and signature anatomical heart on all her street art work. Oh! so much great stuff at Upfest.
A lovely cheerful piece by Beep Monkey at Ashton Gate School. Saturday was obviously the day to be at this site, as there was only one artist on the Sunday when I came down, and most of the works were complete.
Beep Monkey, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
I must confess that I didn’t spend too long looking at this when I photographed it, but have had some time to look at it and find out more about the artist. Beep Monkey is new to street art, but has a rich background in illustrative and digital work; you can see the shading under the rabbit’s foot looks like a pen and paper sketch. I look forward to seeing more of his street pieces.
Towards the end of North Street (the West end) there are a lovely pair of garage doors that constitute a desirable spot for local street artists. At Upfest 2016 the honour was given to Rocket01 to work his magic.
Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
When I got to his pitch, he was rather concerned about the inconsiderate car drivers who were impatiently tooting street enthusiasts as they photographed his work. An irritation shared by many who were trying to admire his work on this tight corner. I chatted with him for a short while and told him I would write about his work in my blog…so here it is.
Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
This is a striking piece by Rocket01 who originally comers from Sheffield and tours the country as a street artist. This was the first time I have seen his work, and I was really impressed. I like this kind of thing.
Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
In his bio from the Upfest programme, he talks of his work with the following quote:
“I have visions of a post-apocalyptic world where mankind has finally embraced nature and immersed himself within it. He swims with the fishes, he flies with the birds, chlorophyll runs through his veins and his eyes photosyntesize.”
I rather like this, but that is no surprise coming from a ‘nature boy’.
Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
There is detail in this work that hints at sustainable energy, peace, nature…visions of hope. Another great Upfest piece.
Rocket01, North Street, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Only a few yards away from the wonderful Hannah Adamaszek piece is this striking work by one of my old favourites ATM. His works of wildlife can be found all over Bristol, and now in the very special playground of Ashton Gate school. It looks like I might only have missed him by slim moment as his step ladder is still next to the wall, but I think the work was completed.
ATM, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
As a naturalist, I really ought to know what bird this is, but I am not sure. Scratch that…I have just checked out his Instagram account and it is a wood warbler. His bird works are really exceptional and I wonder if he has been approached by the Audubon Mural Project, if not, he should be. A superb work, and an outstanding artist at this year’s festival.
This is a chimp by Matti. It is absolutely fantastic and one of my ‘best in show’ pieces from Upfest 2016. Matti is an artist who is based in Bristol, and works in the design, media and print industry. I don’t think he does much street work, which is a pity really.
Matti, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Matti has a fabulous website, very professionally put together, and ideal for a client base. For me though, I like to keep things simple (reading my blog should confirm that), and some of the descriptions on his bio leave me a little cold – probably because I am not from the world of art and design – maybe I should study more…
Matti, Ashton Gate School, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
…anyway this is a chimp by Matti. It is in Ashton Gate School. It is brilliant.
One of the artists I was most keen to meet at Upfest 2016 was Hannah Adamaszek. Her amazing works have only recently crossed my path, and put simply, I love her art. It is weird really, because her subject matter, and even her style, is not something I would naturally gravitate to, but I am so very taken with it. That is a good thing I suppose.
Hannah Adamaszek, Upfest Bristol, July 2016
Sadly, I didn’t get to the area where she was working on the Saturday, and when I got there on the Sunday, she wasn’t there. I’m sure I’ll get to meet with her before too long, but in the interim, I will be more than satisfied with writing about her pieces.
Hannah Adamaszek, Upfest Bristol, July 2016
This is a beautiful piece that was worked onto the walls of a primary school – lucky school children I say. This wonderful face is in the company of about a dozen other great street artists that I will post about in due course. It is all good.
Natural adventures 