Tag: Upfest

3929. Upfest 2021 75×75 (58)

Curtis Hylton is a superstar, and this mural confirms his status as a worldie and no mistake. He has been to Bristol a few times in recent years, both for Upfest events and for painting with his mates, he has also painted at the Cheltenham Paint Festival where a couple of his works are still on show.

Curtis Hylton, Chessel Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Curtis Hylton, Chessel Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

This piece, tucked away in one of the residential streets in Bedminster, is simply stunning. The owners of this property have been blessed with a magnificent piece of artwork to call their own and share with their local community.

Curtis Hylton, Chessel Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Curtis Hylton, Chessel Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

The mural features a little boy in a yellow raincoat feeding a collection of yellow birds that are partially composed of flowers – a theme that lies at the heart of Curtis Hylton pieces. This combination of petals and feathers is so effective and creates a wonderful connection with nature.

Curtis Hylton, Chessel Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Curtis Hylton, Chessel Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

Next to the front door is a cheeky little robin painted in slightly more russet tones, but well-matched with the rest of the piece. This photograph will undoubtedly be making an appearance in Thursday Doors sometime in the future – a fairly ordinary door enhanced by its surroundings.

Curtis Hylton, Chessel Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Curtis Hylton, Chessel Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

To the right of the piece is a beautiful finch with its wings spread out wide and its chest revealing a couple of roses and a magnolia flower. Amazing. This is a ‘must-visit’ mural from Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 years event, and I hope that it remains well beyond the usual one-year life cycle for these things.

Curtis Hylton, Chessel Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Curtis Hylton, Chessel Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

All of this activity and the little boy watches on.

3926. Upfest 2021 75×75 (57)

For a large wall, this one gets fairly frequent facelifts, usually, but not always, linked to Upfest. This time for 75 walls in 75 days, it is the turn of Philth and N4T4, and they have created something rather special.

Philth and N4T4, Clift House Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Philth and N4T4, Clift House Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

The two artists are no strangers to collaborating with one another, and indeed my first introduction to their talents was at an Upfest festival a few years back. In this mural, their work integrates really well, assisted by the colour palette both artists are using.

N4T4, Clift House Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
N4T4, Clift House Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

The portrait is by N4T4 and is typical of his work, where the face is composed of a whole load of tiny detailed patterns, in this case floral patterns. It is so clever the way he does this. Not so clever is the terrible photograph. I’ll have to go and take another one.

Philth and N4T4, Clift House Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Philth and N4T4, Clift House Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

The extraordinary floral backdrop is by Philth and is surely inspired by William Morris wallpaper designs. Rich and sumptuous, the poppy heads, sunflowers, foxgloves and daisies make for a stunning piece, and it is amazing how powerful the whole effect is, being created with so few colours.

Philth, Clift House Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Philth, Clift House Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

For good measure, topping the mural there is a butterfly which I think is by N4T4. The wing spots give this away as being a peacock butterfly, which again is superbly created using a limited colour palette. This is a joyful and uplifting collaboration that greets motorists on one of the busier roads in Bedminster and thoroughly deserving of its place on this premium wall.

3921. Upfest 2021 75×75 (56)

On a wall that is rather difficult to photograph, because of its proximity to an adjacent building, is this beautiful mural by Venessa Scott painted as part of Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days celebration. I hadn’t heard of Venessa Scott before I saw this piece, but it would appear that she is well known in the North of England for her creative arts and large murals.

Vanessa Scott, Lime Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Venessa Scott, Lime Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

This mural looks like a piece of colourful patterned material has been draped over the house, or at least that is what it looks like to me. Look a little closer and you can see that the patterns are in  the form of human figures dancing and leaping. This is a truly energetic, creative and unique piece.

Vanessa Scott, Lime Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Vanessa Scott, Lime Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

This is one of those walls where you need the courage to ask the neighbours if you can go into their house to photograph the mural, and I just don’t have that courage – my English reserve kicking into the max. It is so good to see so many new walls appearing for Upfest this year, but it has to be said that quite a few of them are a bit awkward to view and photograph. I guess you just can’t have everything on a plate. It is so good to welcome Vanessa Scott to Bristol and I hope it is the first of many visits.

3918. Upfest 2021 75×75 (55)

I think I am right in saying that Paul Monsters is the only artist at Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days event to have painted more than one wall, although I still haven’t posted his first collaboration yet. This is his second collaboration, and this time he has combined delightfully with The Hass.

The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

The collaboration is painted on two sides of a building on Ashton Road, not far away from the Ashton Gate football stadium. The portrait, which looks a little bit like a self-portrait, is by The Hass, but the way it blends into the geometric patterns of Paul Monsters is what makes this a proper collaboration in my eyes.

The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

The Hass is a super-talented artist who writes under another name for his graffiti pieces. The portrait has such amazing depth, with perfect use of different tones and shading to bring out the features and highlight all the wrinkles and contours of the face. A masterful piece of wall art.

The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

It is quite unusual to see this colour combination used in the geometric work of Paul Monsters. More often he works with yellows, greens, browns, oranges and purples, but here he has gone for a rather more subtle colour palette which works really well on this particular space.

The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

I am not too sure about the significance of the owl, but The Hass has absolutely smashed it. The owl appears to be wearing a little red cap, shared by the self-portrait, and I wonder if The Hass is the owl. Who knows? I’ll have to ask him next time I see him.

All in all, another outstanding wall in this summer series. We citizens of Bristol are a lucky bunch really.

The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
The Hass and Paul Monsters, Ashton Road, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

3915. Upfest 2021 75×75 (54)

You can always expect the unexpected from Diff, and this imaginative piece for Upfest’s 75 walls in 75 days summer event, is definitely on the creative end of the spectrum of amazing pieces we have witnessed over the last few months. The Tobacco Factory is always a central venue for Upfest, and this piece is set behind one of the gates at the side entrance alongside the car parking bays.

Diff, Raleigh Road, Bristol August 2021, Upfest 21
Diff, Raleigh Road, Bristol August 2021, Upfest 21

Diff has cleverly painted that most iconic of items, namely Scrabble letters, and stacked them to spell out RACISM.  The piece, set behind the gate, is chilling, powerful and impactful. It is funny how just the work can conjure up so many images, and when framed like this becomes a talking point. This commentary piece is one of the more thought-provoking from the event, but also one that might be hidden from the general passer-by. Excellent work from Diff, beautifully executed.

3912. Upfest 2021 75×75 (53)

I met Karl Read at the Cheltenham Paint Festival last year, and what a very nice bloke he is too. He is an artist who appears to enjoy painting at festivals, and he has certainly been to several Upfest events in the past, this is his 75 walls in 75 days contribution.

Karl Read, North Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Karl Read, North Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

This is a superb bright and vibrant piece that makes great use of this slightly awkward wall. The message, in large colourful letters, is clear for all to see and will resonate with all but the most miserable people. Karl Read has chosen to paint his characters, a boy and a girl at each end of the letters, in black and white, probably using a stencil. The characters contrast beautifully with the letters and somehow bring out the colour even more. An upbeat and positive piece from the Upfest veteran.

3908. Upfest 2021 75×75 (52)

I am generally pretty well tapped into the appearance of new pieces in Bristol through Instagram and Twitter, especially anything to do with Upfest, which made finding this piece accidentally/incidentally, by Sophie Long, extra special. Sophie Long is a Bristol artist who creates stunning colourful canvasses and murals of wild animals (and usually lots of lovely drips too), and who is an Upfest favourite.

Sophie Long, North Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Sophie Long, North Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

These beautiful whale pieces, on the door shutter and wall of People Solutions on North Street, replace a pair of octopi from a previous Upfest event. Sophie Long has managed to use the vertical space brilliantly, who’d have thought you could paint blue whales in a diving pose?

Sophie Long, North Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Sophie Long, North Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

There is always an emotional connection with our largest mammal cousins and Sophie Long has done a brilliant job at representing that connection. Skilfully painted in ghostly colours, these two leviathans remind us of the fragility of biodiversity on Earth. Beautiful.

3905. Upfest 2021 75×75 (51)

It is always a real pleasure to welcome Dan Kitchener back to Bristol, and his work is absolutely astonishing, but for Upfest to allocate this wall to him is unfortunate to say the least. At best, perhaps the narrow space where the wall is located reflects the backstreets of a ‘Tokyoesque’ scene, but the detail and interest in this wonderful mural just can’t be fully appreciated from the street, and it is near impossible to photograph. Rant over.

Dan Kitchener, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 2021
Dan Kitchener, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 2021

These busy scenes that Dan Kitchener creates have a strong feel of ‘Bladerunner’ about them, if you know what I mean. Dark, wet, oriental streets with neon advertising and car headlights providing an intoxicating atmosphere and people with opened umbrellas busily scurrying across the traffic. Dan Kitchener gives us a complete urban nighttime landscape.

Dan Kitchener, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 2021
Dan Kitchener, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 2021

When you look closer at the work, you can see how effective the spray paint is for creating the reflections in the wet tarmac, but also in offering great detail in the neon lighting. There is a simplicity about Dan Kitchener’s style that allows your brain to work hard and fully create the scene. It is like an illusion, yes, an illusion that tricks your brain into thinking this is a real scene, a photograph or a memory. Clever stuff. Really evocative.

Dan Kitchener, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 2021
Dan Kitchener, North Street, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 2021

It is possible to photograph the wall from the roof of the bank, but I have not yet been in the right place at the right time to achieve this, and for most passers by this is similarly an impossibility. Another outstandingly brilliant piece from Dan Kitchener for Upfest.

3903. Upfest 2021 75×75 (50)

Another fabulous Upfest 75×75 mural, and another beast to photograph… well, I suppose it is in a car park so parked cars are something of an expected irritation. The fun mural is by Georgie Webster, a Bristol-based artist who likes painting animals, the male nude, butts and more (according to her website).

Georgie Webster, Myrtle Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Georgie Webster, Myrtle Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

In this piece Georgie Webster has painted a festival of roller skating and dance, from the waist down. The legs are full of variety – is that a pair of grraffe legs? – and vibrant colours, something of a speciality of the artist.

Georgie Webster, Myrtle Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Georgie Webster, Myrtle Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

It was a pity that I haven’t yet been able to get a good photograph of the whole wall, but I think you can get the idea from the pictures posted.

Georgie Webster, Myrtle Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Georgie Webster, Myrtle Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

I particularly like the little the little guinea pig, which was hidden behind a car and took me several attempts to photograph it because the car was so close to the wall and I had to hold the camera out to one side between the wall and car. The whole mural is a splash of colour and a statement of joy, and a little view of the world from the bottom half, which makes a refreshing change.

Georgie Webster, Myrtle Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21
Georgie Webster, Myrtle Road, Bristol, July 2021, Upfest 21

3898. Upfest 2021 75×75 (49)

Another artist whose work I very much admire and who is no stranger to Upfest is Envol, and he returned to Bristol to paint one of his distinctive pieces just off North Street. I was lucky enough to meet him while he was painting this and he stopped for a while for a great chat. It turns out that he is good friends with Fanakapan, another very talented London artist and one who has also painted at Upfest in the past.

Envol, North Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21
Envol, North Street, Bristol, June 2021, Upfest 21

While I managed to photograph the piece as a work in progress, by the time I came back to photograph the final finished piece it had been vandalised, along with several other Upfest murals, by some misguided (and probably ill) idiot. Thankfully the piece was fully restored and is as good as new.

Envol, North Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21
Envol, North Street, Bristol, August 2021, Upfest 21

Envol creates these sharp and clean pieces incorporating parts of the body with abstract shapes and patterns, and sometimes disrupting them with white space. They are quite surreal, and at times remind me a little of Giorgio de Chirico fused with Matisse’s cut outs. Beautiful to look at and thought-provoking. This piece is another fabulous contribution to Upfest’s 75×75 event.