7699. Macscot Road – Upfest 2024 (61)

Aspire, Upfest 2024, Mascot Road, Bristol, May 2026
Aspire, Upfest 2024, Mascot Road, Bristol, May 2026

It is not possible for me to capture every Upfest piece that is painted, especially so because Upfest is in addition to the everyday street and graffiti art that is painted on the streets of Bristol every day. Inevitably, I come across some of the ‘missed’ pieces from time to time, and I found this beauty recently painted by Aspire for Upfest 2024.

Aspire, Upfest 2024, Mascot Road, Bristol, May 2026
Aspire, Upfest 2024, Mascot Road, Bristol, May 2026

Originally from Bristol, Aspire now calls London his home, so it is always wonderful to have him back to leave his magnificent bird pieces. On this huge wall, a peacock takes up most of the space, but is accompanied by a kingfisher, a great tit and a blue tit.

Aspire, Upfest 2024, Mascot Road, Bristol, May 2026
Aspire, Upfest 2024, Mascot Road, Bristol, May 2026

Aspire’s detailed work and accurate representations of birds is awe-inspiring, and he has come such a long way from his early bird pieces that used to brighten up the streets of Bristol. His trademark pixelation patches mean that there is no need for a signature on this piece. You can see his development by checking out this updated gallery of his work.

7675. Greenway Bush Lane – Upfest 2026 (10)

Jeroo, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Jeroo, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

When it comes to stylised pieces, this one from Jeroo is right up there with the very best. There are lots of things going on here, with a peacock being at the centre of it all.

Jeroo, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Jeroo, Upfest 2026, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, May 2026

Stairs and crystals and some other shapes make up the body parts of the peacock in this high-definition adventure. While the content of the piece is a little surreal, the execution and photorealism are on point. A superb piece from Jeroo.

Contentment

Peacock butterfly, Lawrence Weston, August 2024
Peacock butterfly, Lawrence Weston, August 2024

.

Lazy summer’s day

warmth reflected from the shrubs

peacock butterfly

.

by Scooj

6058. Upfest 2024 (7)

The Hass, North Street Green, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
The Hass, North Street Green, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024

The Hass is an exceptional street artist whose talents never cease to amaze me, and he has knocked it out of the park with this extraordinary piece for Upfest this year. The long wall is at the back of the brick building on North Street Green, and I believe that this is the first year it has been ‘commandeered’ for the festival.

The Hass, North Street Green, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
The Hass, North Street Green, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024

I think I got lucky with the gorgeous weather on the day I photographed this piece, because the colours of the grass and sky are reflected in the artwork. The whole piece is a mash-up of stunning portraits and a peacock and peacock feathers.

The Hass, North Street Green, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
The Hass, North Street Green, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024

The Hass has made a clever play with the eye patterns on the feathers and the eyes in the portraits, quite deliberately I’m sure. Not only does the piece blend perfectly with some abstract shapes and patterns, but there is also some incredible detail throughout the work. It is unbelievable that the whole thing is painted using spray cans. Outstanding work.

The Hass, North Street Green, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024
The Hass, North Street Green, Upfest 24, Bristol, May 2024

Overwintered

 

Three dazzling peacocks

a spectacular display

spring’s warmth awakens

 

by Scooj

2279. Porlock Road

Exploring new parts of Bristol always has its rewards, and I found this piece by Andy Council completely by accident when I went on a pilgrimage to see the My Dog Sighs and Curtis Hylton collaboration up on Windmill Hill.

Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019
Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019

It seems that Andy Council’s pieces are dotted all over Bristol, and after five years of writing posts like this one, I still have several more to find. The reason that his work is so dispersed is that he does a lot of private commissions and so he is not confined to the few ‘legal’ spots in Bristol to show off his fabulous work.

Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019
Andy Council, Porlock Road, Bristol, April 2019

This splendid peacock is a great example of Andy Council at his very best in which the whole creation is made up of buildings typical of the area in Bristol. The blue colour scheme suits this piece and the wall superbly. A great find, and good to know that there are still these hidden gems all over the place.

Peacock

 

Intimidating

deception masks a higher

imperative to

survive juvenility

into metamorphosis.

 

by Scooj

  • Below – the peacock butterfly that inspired my first haiku. This Tanka is about the peacock butterfly caterpillar.

Peacock Butterfly, Haiku 1
Peacock Butterfly, Haiku 1

Peacock

 

Love tokens on Ward Street, Bristol
Love tokens on Ward Street, Bristol

 

He loves her so much,

his proclamation is clear

for all to witness.

 

 

 

by Scooj

  • One of a pair of Haiku, to be read with Black Widow. The inspiration came from two mysterious cards stuck to a wall in Ward Street, Bristol.

Haiku 1

 

A butterfly comes

We all gaze on in wonder

Iridescent wings

 

by Scooj