I rarely visit Picton Lane, so when I do, there is usually something new to find, and this piece from Kid Krishna made the trip worth it. Kid Krishna is on something of a roll at the moment, and he is definitely a bit of a ‘peaks and troughs’ kind of artist, but he is without doubt peaking at the moment.
Kid Krishna, Picton Lane, Bristol, March 2025
The soft colour palette is easy on the eye and sits nicely on the purple/blue background. As ever, his letters spell CRIE, although I find it a little difficult to see in this piece. His letters are made up of lots of shapes, many of which almost morph into something recognisable and then morph away again. Unusual, clean and tidy work from a superb artist and nice man.
Doors 301 – Copenhagen, Denmark (part I), September 2024
In January last year, I turned 60, and have to say I wasn’t then, or indeed now, overjoyed about this landmark. Being eligible for a senior railcard is scant compensation for getting older and finally coming to terms with the fact that many of the things I wanted to do are now out of scope.
But, when old doors close, new ones open, and my birthday present from my (then 89-year-old) mother was a weekend break to a European city of my choice. I chose Copenhagen because I have never visited Scandinavia, it is not very far away, and you can fly from Bristol Airport. I had also heard many good reports about the Danish capital from friends who had been there before.
Getting there was incredibly straightforward and fast, and because my mother has limited mobility, we got through the airport security etc, in minutes. On arrival, the welcome was extraordinary and warm, from airport staff to train attendants. We decided to get a train from the airport to the city centre, as our hotel was next door to the Station, and it couldn’t have been easier. The train was clean and comfortable – it felt like a treat, but that probably tells you more about the appalling state of rail services in England.
Our hotel, as well as being adjacent to the station, was also very close to the Tivoli Gardens, the world’s second-oldest theme park (I am informed that the oldest one is also in Denmark). We headed in that direction on our first day and jumped the massive queues, by taking the restricted mobility entrance, and I wheeled my mother about the park for the rest of the morning, which she thoroughly enjoyed – I told her not to get too used to it!
I left my mother at the hotel for the afternoon, and went on one of two epic walks through the city hunting down street art and of course, doors. I got a little carried away, and I’m afraid this might be a very long series of doors, but worth it, I hope. Enjoy this first selection of doors from Copenhagen:
Three doors on the brick building which is on the western edge of Tivoli Gardens theme park, Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2025Front gateway to Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2024Large arched doors to the beautiful brick-built Copenhagen City Hall, Vestervold, Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2025Glass doors and grand entrance to the Palace Hotel, Vestervold, Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2025Large double doors with ironwork window panels, Vestervold, Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2025Superb green double doors and large fanlight, Vestervold, Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2025Beautiful red doors and brick surround, Galerie Ellen Frilling, Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2025Green double doors, Vestervold, Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2024
On looking back at these doors, I am reminded of the outstanding architecture and red brickwork that runs throughout the city. I am also reminded of the gorgeous weather we had for the few days that we were there. More next time, but until then may I wish you a happy weekend.
If you have made it this far, you probably like doors, and you really ought to take a look at the No Facilities blog by Dan Anton who has taken over the hosting of Thursday Doors from Norm 2.0 blog. Links to more doorscursions can be found in the comments section of Dan Anton’s Thursday Doors post.
Aha! There is a certain consistency and reliability with Nips’ pieces that I am really attracted to. Her letters tend to be similar in shape from piece to piece, but it is in her fills where she really excels and shows off what she can do.
Nips, St Werburghs, Bristol, March 2025
Set on a fairly elementary yellow backdrop, the letters NIPS are filled with a stunning patterned mix of pinks and blues, with some great designs and reversed out spots. The eye is drawn to the female symbol in the dot of the ‘i’, which is assertive and proud. Nips has included a couple of nice shout-outs to Basik and Roma too. I hope we see plenty more of Nips in 2025.
A major feature of the resurgence of Hemper recently has been the way he has experimented and embraced a whole raft of different styles. He has always painted original pieces, full of imagination, but I am not sure that I have seen such variation in letter shapes and overall appearance before.
Hemper, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2025
This large and unusual piece spells out HEMS, obviously, but is also surrounded by a subtly coloured background of mini ‘Hems’ in a kind of bubble graffiti style of writing. This must have taken quite a while to paint, but the overall effect was worth it. Lots more to come from an artist who is on a journey of rediscovery.
One of the great pleasures over the last eight or so months has been watching the development of Lis (formerly Le Imposter Design), from an occasional line-drawing artist to a full-on and busy spray can street artist. Her transition has been swift, but he has held onto some of her original techniques and augments some of her pieces with pens for the finer detail.
Lis, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2025
This is an unusual study piece on a column in the M32 Spot. There was a tagger a few years ago who used to paint coffee pots like this all over the city, but this is the first one I have seen since then. The piece has a naive art style about it, and is fun to look at, and I wonder if it had a dual function of being a bit of a practice for borders, lines and shading. So much more to come from an artist who is in overdrive.
Ooh! How brilliant to see Mind 49 returning to the streets after a relatively quiet start to the year. Commensurate with his last piece at the Greenbank spot in January, Mind 49 has combined a photorealistic portrait with a cartoon illustration, carrying some threat and menace.
Mind 49, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2025
The portrait is superb, painted in his unique style that creates what I would term a blurred photorealism, rather than some of the perfect sharp pieces that you see from time to time. The cartoon parts begin around the main character’s neck and show him holding a pistol. In the background, a hooded character looks on. I love the way that Mind 49 brings these two very different styles together and makes them sit side by side effortlessly. Looking forward to more as the days get longer and weather warms up.
I am not entirely sure where Jest Soubriquet is based, but he comes to Bristol to paint often enough to make me think it is probably along the M4 corridor somewhere. This piece is painted on one of my favourite walls in Bristol under the M32 and features a wolf.
Jest Soubriquet, M32 Spot, Bristol, February 2025
While I would say there are one or two things not quite right with the Wolf, I think it is a great representation and the colours and shading augment the animal really well. I am interested in the overall composition, which places the wolf in front of a brown and pink background, which might represent something, but I am not sure what. The words’Beware the dogs of war’ accompany the piece and perhaps put into some kind of context. Always great to find pieces by Jest Soubriquet.
Desi has been as busy so far this year as at any time I can remember, which is great news. This piece was painted in Greenway Bush Lane, which is fast becoming a graffiti hotspot, alongside Pekoe and Pura Decadencia.
Desi, Greenway Bush Lane, Bristol, February 2025
The orange colours are nicely blended through the VEIL letters, although the paint is a little thin (often the case with oranges and yellows in particular), and there are some nicely reversed out spots for decoration. Desi has added some subtle star bursts, which almost make the piece look slightly out of focus, an interesting effect. Long may this productive streak last!
Created by Billie, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025
It is not often you see a piece like this in Bristol, or indeed in much of the UK, as street artists tend to reflect the national prudishness and our discomfort with overt nudity in any form. These giant boobies, have been painted by Created by Billie, an artist, Billie Jo, who I believe is based in Wolverhampton, but as with all visiting artists is truly welcome in Bristol.
Created by Billie, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025
The hashtags that Created by Billie used on her Instagram post associated with this piece, might give you some indication of where it is coming from: #art #streetart #femaleempowerment #female #adhd #paintingmakesmehappy. I cannot think of better reasons for painting this piece.
Sensibly she painted it on the path alongside the swimming pool, which has a long hedge bordering it, and kept the piece from view, resulting in it lasting longer than it might have done if it had been more exposed. Personally, I like the piece, but am aware that there are some who might find it offensive, which is a pity. I look forward to more visits in the future.
This piece by Hypo, who is on a roll right now, symbolises for me a party. If you wanted to paint the word without spelling the word, this is what it could look like. The fierce is full of energy, colour and joy.
Hypo, M32 roundabout, Bristol, February 2025
The letters spell out Hypo and are full of classical graffiti writing references, such as arrows, drips, starbursts and spots. There is lots here to enjoy, and the overall sense of wellbeing that the piece transmits is palpable. This is another in a series of wonderful pieces from the artist, who has had a great couple of years.
Natural adventures 