Column – Natural adventures

7871. Cumberland basin

Mr Sleven, Cumberland Basin, Bristol, August 2026

Well this was something I was not expecting to find. More of a poster than a wheatpaste, Mr Sleven has been at work with a sketch and then decided to stick it to a column on the north side of Cumberland Basin.

This is a rather nice creation, emphasising peace and love, but the face itself has a glimmer of menace about it that is slightly unsettling. Great to see that Mr Sleven is active though. I realise that I have several of his recent pieces in my archive and shall strive to dig them out and post them.

7835. M32 roundabout J2 (32)

John D'oh, M32 roundabout J2, Bristol, July 2026 — John D’oh, M32 roundabout J2, Bristol, July 2026

John D’oh has had a remarkable purple patch this spring/summer, and maybe his relative quiet for some time before was preparation for this highly productive period. After all, stencils don’t cut themselves and each one represents many hours of work.

This is a piece of deception. At first glance this looks like a boy with a catapult… simple. But have a closer look, there is an impossibility about it. The boy has primed the catapult, fully stretched back, but the stone is already on its way. I like to think of this as a great metaphor for Artificial Intelligence, technically everything looks good, but there is a fundamental mistake, which makes us uneasy. John D’oh is playing with us. Great piece.

7824. M32 roundabout J2 (31)

John D'oh, M32 roundabout J2, Bristol, May 2026 — John D’oh, M32 roundabout J2, Bristol, May 2026

John D’oh has given me an unforgettable spring and summer with his extraordinary outdoor gallery on the concrete columns supporting the M32 above. Dozens of his stencils decorate the area with humorous and poignant material and then the council come along and buff them which allows him to refresh his gallery with new work. The circle of graffiti life.

This black and white piece with a clever touch of colour carries a powerful message and observation, with the words:

Poverty is not just the lack of money; for a child, it is a lack of security, opportunity and the simple freedom just to be a child.

A quote widely attributed to UNICEF, and perfectly illustrated with a child clutching a teddy bear. The piece is a moving one and right up there with some of John Dohs’ best commentary pieces.

7807. M32 roundabout J2 (31)

A return to John D’oh’s outdoor gallery, which currently is looking a little depleted following a buffing offensive by the council. This fun stencil, from back in May, perhaps highlights the futility of kissing frogs and hoping for a prince in a tired and resigned tone.

The stencil is nicely executed, with a young woman crouching to kiss a frog on a wall. The text above the piece is her thought bubble which reads:

“I’ve kissed so many frogs at this point that I’m not even looking for a prince any more: I’m just trying to develop a natural immunity to salmonella”

Humour is often the backbone of John D’oh’s pieces, and he has done a fine job with this piece. More to come from the artist in this spot.

7788. M32 roundabout J2 (30)

Wit and subversion are on full display in this wonderful stencil by John D’oh. I noticed recently, that many of the columns that have hosted his ‘outdoor gallery’ have been buffed, which is a real pity. I do sometimes wonder whether the Bristol City Council have better things to spend their meagre resources on, especially as this little area under the M32 has looked so much more welcoming since John D’oh started painting there, and every time I have visited the space I have seen people down there taking pictures of his work.

The kissing policewomen in this piece is a knowing take on Banksy’s kissing policemen, which was originally painted in Brighton in 2024. Some might find it offensive on various levels, but I find it charming, touching, funny, challenging and subversive in equal measure. A piece that provokes interest every which way. Well done and thank you, John D’oh for doing what you do. Keep it up no matter how often your work gets buffed.

7774. Brunel Way (361)

Creamylines, Brunel Way, Bristol, June 2026

Creamylines has been working on an array of community art projects in recent months which has taken up a fair amount of his time, and, as a result he hasn’t been painting walls all that frequently. This piece under Brunel Way has bucked that recent trend.

This time his column landscape has more of a nighttime feel to it, even though there is a large sun at the top of the piece. Perhaps it is sunset. Water, fields and an urban scene all contribute to this overall English landscape, and in such a small area of wall too. He certainly crams it all in. Another winning piece from Creamylines.

7751. M32 Cycle path (312)

John D'oh, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2026 — John D’oh, M32 Cycle path, Bristol, June 2026

With a playful variation on one of John D’oh’s sayings, this piece reminds us that ‘life is like ice cream, enjoy it before it melts away’. Advice I have not always been very good at heeding, spending too much of my time dwelling in the past or the future, and forgetting to enjoy the moment.

In this great column stencil piece, we see a youth in a hoodie enjoying a ’99’ while a gull above plans its angle of attach. This is a rather more accurate street scene than many might believe. Gulls (although many species are protected under law), can be a real pest, and frequently raid holidaymakers’ ice creams or fish and chips while wandering along a promenade. Fun stuff from John D’oh.

7737. M32 roundabout J2 (29)

Time for another jaunt back to John D’oh’s personal outdoor gallery underneath the M32. This time he presents us with a catchphrase or ‘wisdom’ that he has used before, but with a different accompanying scene.

The stencil piece shows a young boy with a backpack, kneeling down in front of a cat with a dead rat hanging from its mouth. A scene not unfamiliar to anyone who knows or has owned cats. The caption says “Enjoy life, it has an expiration date”. In terms of the artwork, although it is a single-colour stencil, I love the intricate patterning of the cat fur, and the creases in the boy’s trousers. A nicely worked and presented piece.

7708. M32 roundabout J2 (27)

This is another wonderful stencil piece from John D’oh in what has become his personal gallery. The poignant message is so relevant at the moment when global politics are so unstable and the threat of wars heightened.

The words “war does not determine who is right, only who is left”, are doing a lot of heavy lifting, leaving the reader in no doubt about the futility of war. The introduction of colourful flowers is perhaps an earnest attempt to offer some hope, some light that we can cling on to. This is a poignant and powerful piece by John D’oh.

7669. M32 roundabout J2 (26)

John D'oh, M32 roundabout J2, Bristol, April 2026 — John D’oh, M32 roundabout J2, Bristol, April 2026

More from the irrepressible John D’oh and his gallery of column stencils underneath the M32 motorway. I have reason to believe that he has recently painted a whole load more in this spot, so I will be planning a jaunt over there soon, maybe even today.

The subject of this stencil is rather gloomy, with the Grim Reaper standing over a clock at two minutes to twelve and the ominous words ‘Time is ticking’. I guess for humanity. But then I hear the birds sing, and I am filled with hope.

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	M. on Typos
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