John d’Oh – Natural adventures

7847. Leonard Lane (55)

John D'oh, Leonard Lane, Bristol, May 2026 — John D’oh, Leonard Lane, Bristol, May 2026

As well as occupying many of the columns under the M32, John D’oh does occasionally visit some of his other haunts, including Leonard Lane. I have noticed lately that much of Leonard lane is regularly buffed, so you have to be quick or lucky to see new pieces there.

In this stencil piece, we have a fine rendition of the Disney version of Alice, who is holding up a map of Bristol and thinking what a dump. Certainly, when compared with the fantasy world of Wonderland, that might be true, but I can’t bring myself to agree with her thoughts. A bit of fun in Leonard Lane.

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.

7807. M32 roundabout J2 (31)

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

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.

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.

7646. M32 roundabout J2 (24)

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

Where to start? There is so much to unpick in this political stencil piece by John D’oh. I’m not sure that I can offer too many of my own thoughts that the piece provokes, but I am sure that they are shared to varying degrees by many.

The action of Israel (the state of) depicted by death handing over a flower to a small innocent child holding a teddy bear is very powerful and rather moving. The faux reassurance hiding behind the violence is what comes across most strongly. I could write an essay about this, but I am resisting the temptation and am time-limited. John D’oh doing what he does best.

7612. M32 roundabout J2 (20)

I expect that Popeye will be a familiar character for many, although post-millennial cohorts are unlikely to identify strongly or even at all with the iconic character. Certainly, John D’oh provides an indication of his likely age with this characterful stencil underneath the M32 motorway.

John D’oh skilfully blends the Popeye character with contemporary politics making a link between spinach greens and the Green Party, with the words ‘Eat green, vote green’. This is a particularly salient message with the upcoming local elections next month in which the Greens are expected to do rather well, picking up disaffected left of centre voters.

7606. M32 roundabout J2 (19)

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

Another piece (and there are so many more to come) from John D’oh’s under-motorway gallery. This is a humorous piece, which leans into smutty, which I guess is all part of the edginess of street art.

The fine stencil of a young woman is accompanied by the words “Things not to say on Valentine’s day: You might not be my happy ever after, but you could be my happy ending?”. On a picky point, the second half of the sentence doesn’t read as a question, and I think that the ‘you’ and the ‘could’ are the wrong way round. The piece has the potential to cause offence, although I think the emphasis is on humour. Not one of his best ideas, but nonetheless part of his varied portfolio.

7589. M32 roundabout J2 (17)

Another wonderful stencil piece from John D’oh’s outdoor gallery underneath the M32. There is no annotation, just an image of a woman speaking into a megaphone, from which flowers are cascading.

The piece tells a story which I guess is open to interpretation. I think it speaks of protest and peace, a little bit like Banksy’s famous ‘flower thrower’. The piece is beautifully presented, simple and thought-provoking. Good to see.

7532. M32 roundabout J2 (13)

In a world filled with terrifying and depressing headlines, it is refreshing to be able to enjoy a moment of lighthearted humour, and this lovely column piece by John D’oh under the M32 is just what the doctor ordered.

How often have we heard that ‘love is just around the corner’? Well, John D’oh takes the saying literally with this two-part stencil. A simple and clever piece that would bring a smile to even the most cold-hearted viewer. Just another piece in a superb ‘gallery’ of John D’oh’s work under the M32 adjacent to Eastville Park.

7522. M32 roundabout J2 (11)

After what feels like a lengthy absence, John D’oh has been hitting a particular area of Bristol pretty hard recently and making it his own. There is a large area of supporting columns under the M32 north of J2 on the motorway and adjacent to Eastville Park to it’s east, and this is where he has established a veritable gallery of his stencil work.

John D’oh’s work, often painted in single layer stencils (one colour), usually blends humour with political commentary, and even adds a sprinkling of pathos from time to time. He is never one to shrink away from the big discussion points of the day as you can see in this piece depicting the shredding of important files by the Trump administration. As an aside, I find it unfathomable that the MAGA cult still worship this man in spite of his obvious and overt disregard for everyone and everything, especially his blind followers. Watch this space for a rush of wonderful John D’oh stencils from this spot.

	Sheree on 7910. St Werburghs tunnel…
	paulh121 on 7910. St Werburghs tunnel…
	M. on 7909. Stapleton Road
	paulh121 on Dorset bound
	paulh121 on 7909. Stapleton Road

	Sheree on 7910. St Werburghs tunnel…
	paulh121 on 7910. St Werburghs tunnel…
	M. on 7909. Stapleton Road
	paulh121 on Dorset bound
	paulh121 on 7909. Stapleton Road

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