Author: scooj

I am Stephen. I live in Bristol, UK. I decided to shorten my profile...to this: Wildlife, haiku, travel, streetart, psychogeography and my family. Not necessarily in that order.

6817. St Werburghs tunnel (485)

Hemper, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2025
Hemper, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2025

This stunner by Hemper (who else?) has caused me a lot of grief. It was painted at the farm end of the tunnel, and had a black van parked in front of it every time I went to visit. I never did get a clean shot of the piece, so I have had to decide whether to share some rubbish pictures of it or not to share at all. I chose the former.

Hemper, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2025
Hemper, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2025

This is one of a series of outstanding pieces from one of the most imaginative graffiti writers in Bristol. He has been operating at full tilt this year, and has already clocked up countless pieces, no two looking even remotely similar. It is probably a good time to update his gallery (I have just done it), which is swelling, in a positive way. These bubble letters spell out HEMS and are set on a delicious red background. The pink and blue fills are expertly worked, as you would expect. So much more to come from Hemper’s renaissance.

Sense of wellbeing

.

Irrepressible

longer evenings, bright skies

excited contentment

.

by Scooj

Brimstone

.

Sulphur yellow wings

vibrant in the midday sun

I eat lemon cake

.

by Scooj

6816. Dean Land skate park (815)

Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025
Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025

I think I am going to have to refer to Trafficity as something like ‘old faithful’, such is his consistency and form. This is one of at least three relatively recent pieces by the Polish artist on the swimming pool wall. I wonder if he paints here, because it is a little bit out of the way and less busy than other parts of the Deaner.

Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025
Trafficity, Dean Lane, Bristol, February 2025

His letters ZIOS, which for years I mistakenly thought were ZIOM, are split horizontally into three colour stripes, which is customary for his work. The writing is set on a yellow background, which looks as if it has been attached to the wall with rivets or nails, a simple but clever detail. As ever, lovely work from Traffiticy.

6815. St Werburghs tunnel (484)

St Werburghs, Lezaxer, Bristol, March 2025
St Werburghs, Lezaxer, Bristol, March 2025

When I first saw this piece, I was puzzled. The style felt familiar, but I couldn’t match it to any of the artists I am familiar with. There was a reason for that, it is a wonderful piece by visiting artist Lezaxer, and one of at least two painted during a trip to Bristol earlier this month.

St Werburghs, Lezaxer, Bristol, March 2025
St Werburghs, Lezaxer, Bristol, March 2025

The beautifully crafted writing spells out ZAXER, I think, with a perfectly complementary colour scheme, set on a cloudy background. Clearly the work of an experienced graffiti writer, and one who certainly doesn’t look out of place in Bristol.  From Lezaxer’s Instagram profile, it appears that home is Sheffield, and we are privileged that the artist made the long trip south.

Cinderella

.

Fairy Godmother

helps a poor girl meet a prince

true love wins the day

.

by Scooj

  • On seeing an outstanding performance of Cinderella by the Birmingham Royal Ballet at the Bristol Hippodrome last night.

6814. M32 roundabout J3 (667)

Stivs and Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2025
Stivs and Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2025

It was great to see this collaboration from Stivs and Pekoe recently, two artists who are knocking out some fabulous work at the moment. To the left, the calligraffiti letters are by Stivs and the character portrait on the right is by Pekoe.

Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2025
Stivs, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2025

Stivs has written his familiar letters DSC, which stands for Dog Supremacy Crew (formerly Dog Shit Crew – I think). The beautiful letters are not quite as elaborate as some of his calligraffiti pieces, but are nonetheless impressive. From the size and intricacy of it, I would think that he painted this fairly quickly.

Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2025
Pekoe, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2025

To the right, Pekoe, in keeping with the collaboration colour scheme, has painted this wonderful blue-faced portrait of a young woman with a fabulous hairdo. There is a symmetry in the face, and a slightly haunting stare. The piece is beautifully produced, and so very neat and tidy. I am not sure what the significance of the road cone is, but I’ll take it.

6813. Cumberland Basin

Conrico, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2025
Conrico, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2025

Conrico has a lightness of touch and an ability to tell stories through his pieces that is almost unique in Bristol. If I were to pick another artist who has similar qualities, it would be Daz Cat. This is a wonderful piece was painted as part of a paint jam I think to mark the birthday of Benry – I don’t know who Benry is, but there was some great art produced in celebration.

Conrico, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2025
Conrico, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, March 2025

The piece features a girl riding a white tiger (or some mythical feline beast), and why not, and the orange atmosphere around the characters indicates something magical is going on. There is movement, excitement and fantasy in this piece which is beautifully painted by Conrico. Great stuff.

Tyrrany

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Colonialism

bullying annexation

so last century

.

by Scooj

6812. Dean Lane skate park (814)

Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2025
Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2025

Although Dibz and Fade have had a reasonably quiet winter, they have still managed to get out frequently enough to collaborate on some very impressive walls. This wall is one of their favourites, and because of its shape requires them to paint closer together than some of the other longer walls they like to paint.

Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2025
Dibz and Fade, Dean Lane, Bristol, March 2025

In this piece, they each get to showcase their style and technique, using different base colours. Stepping back you can see that Fade’s work, in yellow, has a slightly softer finish, with more curves, than the slightly less forgiving angles on the green writing by Dibz. I don’t know too much about the character in this piece, but I am guessing both artists contributed to it. Naturally there is lots more to come from these two.