Urban – Page 3 – Natural adventures

7483. Cumberland Basin

Lise Rupa, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2026

Finding work by artists that are new to me is one of the great pleasures of this hobby. I rarely tire of the great work of Bristol artists, and we are truly blessed in the city to have such a wide spectrum of talent and styles. Visiting and new artists are, however, a refreshing addition to the scene, and this piece by Lise Rupa is something special.

I have an affinity with squid, having worked on a Japanese squid fishing boat for a year, (but that is another story). This unusual piece has a sketch-like quality to it, or almost looke like a wood-cut piece, with its two-tone colours and black hatching. The squid is anatomically correct, which pleases me greatly. What a wonderful way to make your presence known.

Below is my second ever attempt to paint with spray cans, it happens to be a squid, which is why I include it here:

Scooj, squid, Redland, Bristol, May 2019

7482. M32 roundabout J3 (743)

Desi and Posh, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2026

Here we have a lovely Desi piece which reverts back to her DESI letters, rather than her VEIL letters that she has been favouring in recent months. If you look closely, you will notice that she has been joined with an impish addition by Posh.

Desi’s letters are filled with four shades of purple containing reversed out spots through the colour courses. The letters are finished well with a black drop shadow and fine yellow border.

Posh, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2026

The addition of a Posh character exclaiming the words ‘eh up’, perhaps betraying a Derbyshire or Yorkshire origin, is a bonus bit of fun. Different artists, different styles, most likely painted at different times.

7481. Surbiton Station, London

Curiouser, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026

Although I came across this wall at Surbiton Station only a couple of weeks ago, I think that some of the pieces there have survived a long while, and in Curiouser’s Instagram, she posted this piece way back in December 2021. Although the piece has suffered a little from the weather and some light tagging, her talent and story shine through.

The portrait is stunning, with a great understanding of light, shade and depth. The picture depicts a story of aliens and spaceships. I don’t think I have seen any work by the artist before, but she would be perfect candidate for Upfest I would have thought. I’ll be looking out for her work next time I visit and spots in London.

7480. Dean Lane skate park (904)

Two artists that have had a great and productive year are Asre and Zinso, and I guess that their friendship/collaboration has in part helped each to keep at it. This is a nice, gentle piece by Asre in one of his favoured spots in Dean Lane.

The large letters are forgiving in form and filled with a subtle combination of lilac and soft pink ‘bubbles’. Two further things come to the aid of the letters, the black drop shadow and the vibrant green providing contrast. An uplifting piece from Asre.

7479. Cumberland Basin

Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2026

I was so pleased to find this piece by Werm, who like many other artists has struggled to paint this winter, I assume, because of the rain. Werm painted this spot some years ago with a skull piece, and I think that this is a throwback piece to the original painted in February 2023.

I guess you could call this a combination piece, although the skull and letters are discrete. On the left, the skull (from the cat family I guess) is beautifully observed, with some great shading to bring out the form and depth. The proportions work really well – skulls can be very difficult to paint. The writing on the right spells out WERM stacked, two letters on top of the other two. Overall, this is a fine work from Werm and almost like a study to practice his craft.

Werm, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, February 2023

7478. Surbiton Station, London

Paul Don Smith, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026

This is another piece from the surprise wall at Surbiton Station, this time one of three pieces by the artist Paul Don Smith. I know nothing about the artist, but from what I see, it looks like he likes to paint scenes in a collage style from television shows or films.

Paul Don Smith has chosen to feature Edward Scissorhands in this square piece, creating scenes and images from the film, including a nicely trimmed hedge and plenty of pairs of scissors. The artwork is a fusion of stencils and paintwork. It is difficult to know how much is brush work and how much is spray paint, but the overall effect seems to work and is quite unique. More to come from Paul Don Smith.

7477. Dean Lane skate park (903)

Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2026

There was a time when finding a Trafficity piece was something of a rarity, but it feels like he has ever so slightly turned up the dial over the last couple of years and is in a good rhythm. Trafficity’s work is quite remarkable in that he sticks to his intricate design piece after piece, with only colour changes and minor decorations. His consistency is his trademark.

Like Cort (see previous post), Trafficity belongs to the PAD crew, which is mainly composed of Polish artists. Bristol is full of these little communities of artists, sometimes defined by nationality, sometimes by gender, sometimes by friendship or sometimes a combination of all of these. The letters spell ZIOS, which is reasonably easy to see once you know. It is always good to find pieces by Trafficity.

7476. Dean Lane skate park (902)

Cort tends to bring some lovely colours into his work, often choosing ones that both contrast with and complement each other well. This approach brings into focus just how important colour selection can be, and that it is not a random process for most artists, but a carefully considered process.

The sunlight on this piece isn’t very helpful, but I think you get the picture. The KORT letters are so typically written in his unusual style, and pairs of letters are filled in common. It looks like he was running low on some colours, or the piece has been badly rain affected, because it is possible to see the paint lines in some of the fills. Another nice piece from Cort.

7475. Surbiton Station, London

Aspire, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026

Another highlight of the ‘discovery’ I made at Surbiton Station, was this absolute beauty from Aspire, formerly of Bristol, and an artist whose work I have admired for many years. The piece was painted in a narrow alleyway, and difficult to photograph head on, even with a wide angle lens.

The outstanding piece features a pixelated rose, a thrush, a stunning conker and a bird of prey – maybe a hen harrier. There is a tenderness and love for nature that comes across so strongly in all of Aspire’s work, and he loves to be true to the birds he paints. I have to say, I absolutely love the conker – not something you see all that often in street art. A great find, albeit painted some time ago.

7474. Canons Wharf

Esme Lower, Monarch's Way, Bristol, October 2025 — Esme Lower, Monarch’s Way, Bristol, October 2025

Esme Lower (Melo) absolutely smashed it with this massive commission on the harbourside from September/October last year. The opportunity was facilitated by Upfest and supported by Bristol Bid and Redcliffe and Temple Bid.

The brief was to bring together elements of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, inspiring women of Bristol and local references to the harbour and businesses. So not too much of a challenge there then. Her upbeat cartoon scenes and characters lent themselves very well to the brief, and the outcome is hugely impressive, as the pictures below show. Well done Melo!

	hitandrun1964 on Hoarse, again
	hitandrun1964 on 7499. Dean Lane skate park…
	skat on London bound
	cjsmissionaryministe… on Spring
	Sheree on 7501. St Werburghs tunnel…

	hitandrun1964 on Hoarse, again
	hitandrun1964 on 7499. Dean Lane skate park…
	skat on London bound
	cjsmissionaryministe… on Spring
	Sheree on 7501. St Werburghs tunnel…

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