A gallery of wonderful murals from Bristol designer and street artist Mr Penfold
All photographs by Scooj
Mr Penfold
Tag: Street art
3791. Upfest 2021 75×75 (11)
We, the citizens of Bristol, have been spoilt by Steve, Emma and the whole Upfest team. In the most trying of circumstances they have pulled off a most remarkable event, or show, lasting 75 days and the painting of 75 walls. As if that wasn’t enough, the legacy of this monumental effort will bring joy to the hearts of many for months and years to come.
This wonderful facade mural is by Hixxy, an artist I have not come across before. As far as I can make out, she is based in London and Liverpool and she describes her work as ‘pop botanical murals’ which looking at this piece makes total sense. This modernist painting features pear blossom and a face that Hixxy dug out from a 1950s archive. It is amazing how much information you can get from Instagram!
The whole piece works really well over the shop front of Kask wine, and Hixxy has very cleverly incorporated the windows into the darker parts of the design so that you hardly notice them. A fine Upfest piece.
3790. M32 roundabout J3 (336)
I was so pleased to see yet another lovely piece from Maesyhook, especially as it was painted alongside Bristol legends Ryder and T-Rex. Although Maesyhook is, I think, a relatively new resident of the city, she has certainly made herself very much at home, which is good news for all of us.
The piece she has painted here adopts her customary pink and turquoise colour scheme but the dear little kawaii character has been replaced with a rather less cuddly skull and the tag-line ‘scorchio’. This is another in a series of enjoyable pieces from Maesyhook and I look forward to many more.
3789. Bristol County Ground (1)
A few weeks ago, a friend organised a group (socially distanced by family) visit to a T20 cricket match at the Bristol County Cricket Ground, where Gloucestershire play their home games (Bristol was at one time in the county of Gloucestershire). This was the first match at the ground for 18 months and the sparse crowd created a great atmosphere. We had a really good time. My experience was, of course enhanced by the opportunity to find some Silent Hobo commissions that are within the ground. This is the first I am sharing on Natural Adbentures.
Silent Hobo is a brilliant artist and one of his many qualities is that he is able to work to a brief. In this piece he has faithfully recreated the cricket ground, with a match in progress, and the cricket ball bursting out of the wall. It is a quintessential English scene given the Silent Hobo treatment. So good to see it at last. More to come from this trip.
3788. M32 roundabout J3 (335)
The Pirate Wall Art (PWA) boys have been very busy this year both as individuals and as collaborators. They have also introduced a bit on a new look theme to their more recent work, which is well demonstrated in this nice piece from Soap.
The new theme is to frame the piece in a wobbly border, and it is something that Soap, Nightwayss and Face 1st are incorporating into their work. It is a PWA thing. This is a rather nice self-contained piece with Soap’s mouth/skull icon, this time attached to a body, and a hand bearing a large gem. Next time I see Soap, I must ask him what the gem thing is all about – he has been featuring them in his work for about six months now. Great fun piece.
3787. Brunel Way (115)
So here we are again with another couple of fabulous small pieces by urban artist Maybe. When it comes to simplicity and creativity Maybe ticks all the boxes, and with these pieces he also creates a sense of fun.
The lava lamp, such an iconic design, is inspired and the stretching ‘lava’ liquid takes the form of a couple of faces… such a lovely idea.
The other piece is unfortunately a little obscured with a tag on the left, but it is mostly intact, and the sunshine face is a joyful image. Much more to come from this imaginative artist.
3786. Upfest 2021 75×75 (10)
One of my all time favourite artists in Bristol is Hazard, and it is not difficult to understand why. Her portraits, so full of depth, emotion and colour, can be found dotted around the city, and although many have long-since gone, there are still several to be found. This new piece for the Upfest 75 walls in 75 days initiative, is breathtakingly beautiful. It is also frustratingly difficult to photograph.
I passed by while she was mid-way through painting the piece and was going to stop for a chat, but I could see that she was in full flow and I didn’t really want to disturb her. I rather like the ladder on the side of the building, taking away a little bit of the glamour we might associate with being a muralist.
The piece itself is a gorgeous portrait of a woman in deep red colours with blue hair and a Garland of what looks like clouds and vapours in a pinky orange hue. The connection with nature is obvious, as it is in so many of Hazard’s pieces, with the leaves to the right of the piece.
It is so good to see Hazard back out painting our walls, it has been a quiet eighteen months from her.
3785. M32 roundabout J3 (334)
I always feel like I am a little bit behind the curve when it comes to Stivs. He has only really come onto my radar over the last twelve months or so, and I have struggled to post as many of his outstanding pieces as I would like.
This is a real beauty, tucked away on the M32 roundabout. Unlike some of his more formal caligraffiti, this piece uses his calligraphic principals and blends them into some wildstyle writing. The colours work really well together and Stivs has worked in some incredibly detailed fills and patterns. This is a mighty piece.
3784. Cumberland Basin
This is another example of the willingness of Eman to stretch himself and experiment with different subjects and forms, and I for one am thoroughly enjoying the ride. The skull of an ungulate would not be everyone’s first thought for street art, but it is a perfect study for honing the skills.
Eman’s versatility and productivity is elevating the artist’s profile in Bristol, and all the hard work is paying off. Two things I love about this piece: the shadings of blues and whites to give the skull some depth and texture; and the somewhat counterintuitive red border, which is quite a bold thing to do. Great piece.
3783. Upfest 2021 75×75 (9)
It is a funny thing, but I think that this is the first time I have seen this wall painted with a single piece. It is a long wall with quite a few challenges, such as the notice board and the telegraph poles, but Molly Hawkins has done a splendid job, creating this wonderful mural for Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days initiative.
I have not come across Molly Hawkins before but I understand, from doing a little research, that she is a Bristol-based mural artist and illustrator. I believe she has other murals in Stokes Croft and Bedminster that I am going to have to track down at some point.
In this piece she has concealed a female figure holding a triangle that contained a whole lot of symbolism for the artist. She explains this on her Instagram account as follows:
I read up on the symbolism of a triangle, and found a meaning that resonated with me, and inspired the design for this piece:
‘A triangle represents manifestation, enlightenment, revelation and a higher perspective. It is often used to mark the cycles of growth that lead to a higher state of being. Spiritually, it represents a path towards enlightenment or connection to an omnipresent being.’
A very nice mural and addition to the Upfest event
