7730. Sparke Evans Park (153)

Solar, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2026
Solar, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2026

Solar is smashing it out of the park everywhere I look at the moment. He seems to have upped his game over the last few months and is reaching new level of confidence, creativity and execution.

Solar, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2026
Solar, Sparke Evans Park, Bristol, June 2026

This is a banging piece on the long wall at Sparke Evans Park. The irregular letters, fringing on anti-style, have a space age look to them, with the ‘S’ looking like a space ship and the ‘R’ looking like the visor of a space helmet. All of this might be just what I see, but it is now difficult for me to unsee it. Definitely a fresh and vibrant piece of writing from a writer at the top of his game, so far.

7723. Dean Lane skate park (928)

Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026

This collaboration in Dean Lane from Dibz and Fade is as near to graffiti writing perfection as you are likely to see anywhere (in my view). The wildstyle lettering spells out DIBZ on the left and FADE on the right.

Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026

There is a superb metallic effect going on here, a little like the one I was explaining a few days ago by Hire, a stone’s throw away from this wall. The letters look like they are made of shiny chrome metal and reflecting the ground and sky – clever work. The writing is set on a purple splash with magnificent shadows, and the deep 3D drop shadow on the letters adds tons of perspective. Great collaboration perfectly executed.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026

7222. Cumberland Basin

Tizer, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Tizer, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

I haven’t seen a piece by London graffiti writer Tizer for a very long time, so it was great to come across this one on the long wall recently. The piece was painted as part of a paint jam that included ARSA, Minto and RBN One amongst others.

Tizer, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Tizer, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

The combination piece features his TIZER letters bookended by a pair of characters, one liking rather sweet and the other ghoulish and sinister. Tizer’s style isn’t crisp and clean, but rather more detailed and brush-strokey if you know what I mean. A very nice surprise from the occasional visitor.

7720. Dean Lane skate park (927)

Molar, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Molar, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026

A huge spin-off benefit of Upfest is that some artists hang around the city for a few days and leave behind a few ‘extras’ in some of the spots that locals like to paint. In my view this is a great way to get better acquainted with artist’s work from outside Bristol.

Molar, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Molar, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026

One artist that left at least one ‘extra’ is Molar, based in Brighton. His name is more associated with his toothy character pieces, but it would seem that he is enjoying his writing that looks like letters taken out of newspapers and magazines and stuck to the wall independently resembling a collage. It is a very effective technique that is well carried out. Here his letters simply spell out ‘Do it’. More from Molar soon.

7719. Cumberland Basin

Kid Crayon, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Kid Crayon, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

This is a very tidy piece by Kid Crayon on the long wall at Cumberland Basin. The combination of letters and characters works really well, and the whole thing feels like an integrated cartoon-style burner.

Kid Crayon, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
Kid Crayon, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

The large blocky letters are not uniform in distribution and size, but do stick to a font style. The character in the centre of the piece is holding a balloon fish – don’t ask me why, he just is. Another example of Kid Crayon’s creative and humorous work. Brilliant.

7718. M32 roundabout J3 (779)

Serm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026
Serm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026

This is an infrequently painted fence which was in need of a bit of a tidy up, and Serm has duly obliged. The combination piece features some lovely intricate lettering spelling SERM with a very deep drop shadow offering a strong three-dimensional aspect. Very much two-dimensional is the well-known cartoon character – the Pink Panther.

Serm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026
Serm, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026

I incorrectly identified this as an Avem808 piece originally, but he got in touch to say it wasn’t him, and so I had a closer look and the piece was indeed by Serm. It can be easy to get these things wrong from time to time. Great to see a new piece by Serm, as he doesn’t get out to paint all that often.

7717. Dean Lane skate park (926)

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026

Hire has been pushing all sorts of boundaries lately and varying his work considerably, including a character piece from a week or two back. In this superb piece of graffiti writing he spells out ODIAH, one of two words he tends to write.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, May 2026

What is really special about this piece is that it has a metallic appearance that is complete deception. The combination of blues and greys leaves the brain figuring out whether to look at those colours individually or to see what looks like a solid piece of reflecting metal. This is a technique used by many artists, perhaps the best being Fanakapan – see below to understand what I mean.

Fanakapan, Hawley Mews, Camden, September 2016
Fanakapan, Hawley Mews, Camden, September 2016

7714. M32 roundabout J3 (778)

Lupa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026
Lupa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026

Regular readers will know that I love Lupa’s work and the authenticity of her pieces. This was painted alongside Desi and Bloem and bought into the predominantly red colour scheme of the collaborative wall.

Lupa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026
Lupa, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026

Another link to Bloem’s piece is a little flash of leopard spot design on the star. Lupa’s blocky letters have a special charm, almost a personality which I think contributes to the overall uplifting appearance of her work. In addition to the star, Lupa has added a dice on the bottom left – perhaps symbolic of luck? Fun piece from Lupa.

7706. M32 roundabout J3 (777)

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026

Stivs has been turning out some sensational portrait pieces lately, and this combination piece on the roundabout is really rather special. Perhaps the most surprising thing about it is that the letters D and S look rather amateurish alongside the portrait.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026

Although the letters look at odds in this piece, it must have been deliberate, because Stivs is capable of truly great writing, and also, the shadows are perfect, which gives away a talented hand at the helm.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, May 2026

The star of the combination is the portrait of the woman. Stivs has developed this style of near-photorealism with a touch of cartoon to perfection and this is one in a series of stunning portraits. There is some beautiful shading and great use of highlights and tones in this piece. Outstanding work by Stivs.

7705. Cumberland Basin

ARSA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
ARSA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

Just a quick one this afternoon – the day has somewhat run away from me and I have a very busy schedule. Painted as part of a paint jam, this is a bold and colourful piece by ARSA.

ARSA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026
ARSA, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, May 2026

The chunky, regular letters that give the word a bilaterally symmetrical appearance are filled with blocks of colour that follow a pattern through the piece. I wonder to myself whether the pink is a bit too much, but I guess that without it there would be a risk of it being a bit flat. ARSA is becoming a bit of a regular this year, stepping up both the quality and quantity of his graffiti writing pieces.