Toadstool – Natural adventures

7197. Montpelier Park

Lis, Montpelier Park, Bristol, September 2025

I was lucky enough to meet Lis for the first time this week while she was painting with Weas(el) on the M32 roundabout. Of course, I immediately recognised her work and introduced myself. Lis gave me a great big hug, which was very sweet and kind. I guess that what I write here on the pages of Natural Adventures can land well with the artists themselves, which gives me a warm glow. We chatted for a while and I told her how much I admired her work and have been enjoying her journey as a street artist.

In this piece she has reverted to her ‘sure thing’ mushroom design, which is now more confidently presented than some of her earlier ‘shrooms (see below), and more in keeping with using spray paint. I love the swirly designs on the cap, and the gills are nicely represented. Looking forward to lots more from Lis.

Le Imposter Design, Greenbank, Bristol, June 2024

7156. Station Road

Dobz, Station Road, Bristol, August 2025

A little while back I was walking home from the wonderful Italian deli in Montpelier, when this toadstool caught my attention. I instantly recognised it as a fungi piece by Dobz, who made a visit to Bristol earlier in the summer. I don’t know if she painted this one then or whether it has been her for some time.

I like it when artists leave behind a trademark character or object in spots around a city, almost as if they are ‘collectables’ to be sought and found. This toadstool is nicely presented, with some great blended shading, and the gills are very nicely observed. Artists like Dobz are always welcome in Bristol.

7013. M32 roundabout J3 (694)

Dobz, M32 roundabout, Bristol, June 2025

Some more mushroom art from Dobz, this time on the M32 roundabout. I don’t think that Dobz is local to Bristol, but managed to paint a few walls on a visit in June. There is some chance for confusion when it comes to mushroom street art, because Lis and Neoliberalizard both feature mushrooms heavily in their artwork.

These mushroom-coloured mushrooms, set on a pink background, are really nicely filled, with blended colours from dark to light providing depth and structure. The gills are really difficult to paint accurately due to their slim and numerous form, so Dobz has provided an approximation to them to ensure we know that this is a toadstool/mushroom. Keep looking out for that fungi.

6999. Purdown (90)

When I see painted toadstools, I immediately think of Lis (Le Imposter Designs), but something held me back from posting this one under her name, because it wasn’t signed, which she usually does, and there was something that just didn’t quite fit her style. A little bit of research led me to Dobz, who also, it seems, has a bit of a thing for fungi.

I don’t know much about Dobz other than a few mushroom pieces that have appeared in the last month or so about the place. I can’t say whether they are a resident of Bristol or just passing through and dropping a few ‘shrooms en route. These day glow toadstools are beautifully presented, with great multi-tone shading and thick vibrant borders. Really eye-catching stuff up at Purdown.

6878. Dean Lane skate park (824)

Lis seems to do herself proud every time she goes out to paint, and this is another fine outing, with a couple of small pieces in Dean Lane. Here she has painted one of her mushrooms, but this time as a rather cute skateboarding character, which is totally appropriate for the spot.

I anticipate a great future for Lis, who I am sure will start to attract commissions, the more she practices and the more exposure she gets. As well as this character piece, she also left behind a little ‘extra’ on a nearby wall, featuring a cluster of toadstools. This is going to be a most enjoyable journey as Lis goes from strength to strength.

6828. Purdown (86)

There is something very exciting happening at the moment with Liz (Le Imposter Designs). Having dabbled for a while with her line and paint drawings/illustrations in selected spots, she moved on to working with spray cans, and it seems to have lifted her into a new world of possibilities, and her excitement is obvious to see through the frequency of her new pieces and her creativity.

Obviously, the central theme to Lis’ artwork is the representation of mushrooms and toadstools, and this piece on a concrete slab in Purdown is a great example. It is a pity that some twit has felt the need to tag the piece, but fortunately it doesn’t detract too much from the mushroom and rather cure hedgehog. While the main body of her work is achieved using spray paint, I think that some of the detail is achieved using pens, which doesn’t devalue it one jot. I am loving the emergence of Lis and can see a very bright future ahead.

6765. M32 roundabout J3 (657)

Lis, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2025

By now, I would hope that most readers are becoming familiar with the artwork of Lis (Le Imposter Designs). Her pieces have figuratively ‘mushroomed’ all over the city and her work is becoming better known, an accolade which she has achieved in a relatively short time.

Lis has combined painting techniques in this impressive piece, using spray paint to create the body of the toadstool and the thick border, stencils for the stars, and fine line marker pens for the detail. Altogether a very ‘Lis’ kind of piece.

6681. Dean Lane skate park (800)

Lis (Le Imposter Design), Dean Lane, Bristol, January 2025

So it looks like Lis (Le Imposter Design) has found herself some cans (perhaps they were a Christmas present), and given some full-on spray-painting a go. I absolutely love it when artists get a taste for street art and broaden their horizons, and Lis has found the perfect spot for a bit of practise.

Naturally, her subject is still very much mushrooms, but this time without the precision of fine brushes to mark out the detail. When you move on to spray paint, everything has to be scaled up, but I have to say she has done a great job with these eyed fungi. I would think that she has used cans before, because these are nicely painted, and she has a steady hand, but sometimes people are simply naturals. I wonder where Lys will take us next… all aboard!

6663. Greenbank (146)

Lis (Le Imposter Design), Greenbank, Bristol, December 2024

It is an interesting discussion to try and determine what constitutes graffiti or street art, and I don’t intend to go into a long essay about it right now. Within the community, there are all kinds of tribal differences, between graffiti writers, stencil artists, wheatpasters, character artists, muralists and studio artists. My take is that if it is on the street, then it all comes under the banner of street art, and I am always happy to feature it here on Natural Adventures. I’ll leave it to others to argue the finer points. I mention this because of an emerging talent, Lis (formerly Le Imposter Design), whose hand painted mushroom pieces are causing a little bit of a stir.

Lis’ illustrative style is so very different from anything else we see on the street and, in my view, adds to the richness of the street art culture in Bristol. Her talent as an illustrator is obvious, and I love the way she is occupying small spaces on walls all over the city, treating us to interesting fungus-scapes. These orange mushrooms are accompanied by some smaller toadstools and plants as well as some little white symbols around the piece. Great work from Lis and a taste of more to come in 2025 (I dearly hope).

6596. St Werburghs tunnel (465)

Lis (Le Imposter Design), St Werburghs, Bristol, December 2024

I am always encouraged when I see studio artists exercising their subversive side by painting illegal walls, with their different take on street art, and a recent emerging talent is Lis AKA Le Imposter Design. Her work seems to feature nature a fair bit and in particular, mushrooms.

This piece, presumably entitled ‘party shrooms’ depicts three mushrooms or toadstools having a good time dancing to an imaginary beat. The piece was painted over the corner of a Hypo piece, but in a respectful way, with four black corner tabs, as if it were a photograph inserted into an album. I am loving the emergence of Lys and am very much looking forward to finding more of her work in future.

	M. on Revel Puck Circus
	paulh121 on 7352. Cumberland Basin
	Sheree on 7352. Cumberland Basin
	paulh121 on 7350. Hillgrove Street (9…
	Bill Bisgood on Thursday doors – 11 Dece…

	M. on Revel Puck Circus
	paulh121 on 7352. Cumberland Basin
	Sheree on 7352. Cumberland Basin
	paulh121 on 7350. Hillgrove Street (9…
	Bill Bisgood on Thursday doors – 11 Dece…

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