
.
Close-cropped sandy bank
three nonchalant rabbits munch
the earth still spinning
.
by Scooj

.
Close-cropped sandy bank
three nonchalant rabbits munch
the earth still spinning
.
by Scooj

I don’t think that John D’oh seems to have any intention of slowing down on his magnificent outdoor gallery underneath the M32. He appears to be adding new pieces on a regular basis, and I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying this rich vein of form from the stencil artist.

There is a lot of symbolism in this piece, although I can’t quite figure out the narrative. A strong woman in ancient classical clothing is standing confidently with a raised clenched fist. Behind her is a broken chain and an olive branch. The chain suggests human bondage, and the olive branch, peace. I am guessing that this is a piece of resistance during war, but that is my take on it. So much more still to come from this outdoor gallery.

At this moment in time, I think that I am deriving the most pleasure from the rise and rise of Zinso. He returned to painting walls in Bristol last year, and has been turning our pieces on a regular basis, each one an improvement on the last. Zinso brings together a great sense of form and colour in his letters, and his crisp finishing is a joy.

There is a nice pattern to the colour fills in this piece, running from greens to oranges to purples to oranges to greens. The fill patterns are different in each letter and each is beautifully executed. Set on a nicely buffed wall, this, in my view is a great piece of graffiti writing. Eyecatching.

Oh! My heart sings every time I see a new Kid Crayon piece. It is looking like 2026 is shaping up to be a productive one for the artist, and it seems like he has freed up a bit more time to paint than in recent years, which from my perspective is a good thing.

Kid Crayon has written his letters, each with a different colour and style, which makes for an interesting piece with plenty to look at and admire. SkyHigh is another artist who often adopts this approach. In this combination piece a character replaces the ‘O’ and floating just outside his mouth is the signature crayon – which is always good to see. More to come soon from one of my Bristol favourites.

You have to look hard to find this piece by Weas painted on the swimming pool wall behind the now lush hedge. The passageway here is quite narrow, so the photographs are on full wide-angle mode to capture the whole thing.

I think that I prefer Weas’ full combination pieces over his mega-tags that litter the streets of Bristol… there is even one on a utility box in my street. These more extensive pieces show us what he can do when he spends a little more time painting. The letters WEASEL in black across the bottom are accompanied by four (three purple) ghost-like characters weaving their way about. It is versions of these characters that are a familiar sight in the City. A nicely executed piece, hidden from view.
A gallery of wonderful graffiti writing from Bristol artist Sait Bare, sometimes writing SAIT and sometimes BARE.
Instagram: sait_bare_sb7
All photographs by Scooj


















.
Queen Mab galloping
inside my word-muddled mind
dream of learning lines
.
by Scooj

I think it is fair to say that Werm has been on fire this year, and this piece on the roundabout is further proof of that. First off, his colour combinations leap off the wall and make this a rather mesmerising piece.

The symmetrical letters spelling WERM are filled with tidy vertical stripes in warm browns, reds and oranges. These are contained within a double white and turquoise border and supported with an upwards drop shadow offering perspective. A very nice tidy piece from Werm.

Bean has been back in Bristol, but only for a break I fear, as I have only found one piece recently. I believe he is still studying at university somewhere in the north of England, and only gets the occasional chance to paint. I do hope that when he graduates he will have a little bit more time to paint in Bristol because I truly admire his work.

The character in this piece is particularly notable for the flowing rainbow hair, but I am drawn to the wonderful perspective and anatomy visible through the t-shirt and on the arm and hand. Quite why the protagonist is holding a fish in chopsticks, I don’t know, but sometimes these things are simply an artist’s whim. Hoping to see more in the summer from Bean.
Doors 352 – Doors of Shrewsbury (part III) – April 2025
Well I completely fluffed it last week. I have been so busy at work, with both Wednesday and Thursday last week out of the office, that I quite ran out of time to post Thursday Doors. I guess it happens from time to time, but at least I am trying to get ahead of the game this week – I prepared some of this post last night!
The is not too much to say about this selection from Shrewsbury other than that they are a mixture of town house doors and timber-framed shopfronts. I hope you enjoy them:










A note taken from the Original Shrewsbury website about the last building featured is as follows:
Costa Coffee is one of Shrewsbury High Street’s many classic timber framed Tudor buildings. But if you look closely, you may realise that not all is as it seems! During restoration works in the 1990s, the upper carvings were given a colourful update with the addition of the heads of Margaret Thatcher and Michael Heseltine back to back, as they apparently were in political terms, the words ‘Poll Tax’ are behind them. The carvings along Grope Lane include grapes and motorcycles.
More to come from this remarkable market town next time. Until then may I wish you a fabulous 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 weekly Thursday Doors post and his Sunday recap.
