7475. Surbiton Station, London

Aspire, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026
Aspire, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026

Another highlight of the ‘discovery’ I made at Surbiton Station, was this absolute beauty from Aspire, formerly of Bristol, and an artist whose work I have admired for many years. The piece was painted in a narrow alleyway, and difficult to photograph head on, even with a wide angle lens.

Aspire, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026
Aspire, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026

The outstanding piece features a pixelated rose, a thrush, a stunning conker and a bird of prey – maybe a hen harrier. There is a tenderness and love for nature that comes across so strongly in all of Aspire’s work, and he loves to be true to the birds he paints. I have to say, I absolutely love the conker – not something you see all that often in street art. A great find, albeit painted some time ago.

Aspire, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026
Aspire, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026

7472. Surbiton Station, London

Layla's Murals, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026
Layla’s Murals, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026

This wall at Surbiton Station was the gift that keeps on giving. Although this piece by Layla’s Murals is several years old – it took me a while to find it on her Instagram page – it is still looking rather good, and hasn’t been tagged at all.

Layla's Murals, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026
Layla’s Murals, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026

The stunning portrait of the leopard stands out alongside a large and dramatic sky. Ordinarily such a large space would be filled with bits and bobs, but Layla’s Murals clearly has the confidence and belief in her composition, and it works really well.

As a slight aside, I am learning Shakespeare’s wonderful ‘seven ages of man’ monologue, because I want to, and this picture reminds me of one of the lines…

‘Then a soldier, full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard’

The ‘pard’ is a leopard, and here you can see why a soldier might be bearded like one. Great stuff.

7467. Surbiton Station, London

SkyHigh, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026
SkyHigh, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026

Last weekend my wife and I went to London for a football match and stayed with her brother and family in Surbiton. To get to the match we had to catch a train from Surbiton Station and you can only imagine my joy, when I saw this mural buy SkyHigh, and several others tucked around the corner. Over the next few days I’ll be posting some of these.

SkyHigh, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026
SkyHigh, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026

SkyHigh is perhaps better known for his outstanding writing, but has also produced some extraordinary wildlife pieces, and this domestic nature scene certainly hits the mark. I believe that this mural was painted several years ago (December 2021?), but is still looking pretty fresh.

SkyHigh, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026
SkyHigh, Surbiton Station, London, February 2026

SkyHigh has captured the robin and the red squirrel perfectly, although there aren’t many (any) red squirrels in this part of the country. What a magnificent sight for commuters to return to after a dull day at work. Bravo!

7458. Greenbank (181)

J9449j, Greenbank, Bristol, January 2026
J9449j, Greenbank, Bristol, January 2026

I have decided to stick to the name J9449j for this artist. It was the first Instagram handle that I came across when posting his artwork, but which has changed several times since. It just makes sense to use the one name, even if it is the wrong one, for consistency’s sake.

J9449j, Greenbank, Bristol, January 2026
J9449j, Greenbank, Bristol, January 2026

There is so much mystery surrounding J9449j, and I wonder if in this piece there are some heavily disguised letters, because those shapes and the length of the piece would suggest so. The colours and shapes are absolutely wonderful, with the customary nod to nature. I also feel there is a bit of an Orla Kiely look going on, which, I might add, is a good thing.

7297. Dean Lane skate park (885)

Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2025
Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2025

At first sight, this wide piece by Mr Draws looks a little confused, but look a little closer and you will see a compelling scene unfolding of four blue whales drifting gently across the wall.

Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2025
Mr Draws, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2025

Each of the whales has some red splodges and drips which I guess symbolise blood. They could be a reference to the savage whaling, so dominant in the 1970s when the International Whaling Commission stepped in and massively curtailed the hunting and slaughter, or could reflect other challenges our oceans face due to pollution and climate change. Powerful and evocative stuff from Mr Draws.

7277. Dean Lane skate park (882)

J9449j, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2025
J9449j, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2025

There are some street artists who simply don’t appear to want to be followed, or at least that is how it seems, and it might be for a number of legitimate reasons. The first time I managed to pin down a name for this artist, he called himself j9449j on Instagram, followed by @Dr3amc0re94 and @all_4_n0thing, and now I can’t find him at all. My protocol for attributing artwork to artists who constantly change their names is to go with the first name I used for them, other examples include Slim Pickings (TES) and Biers (WD40).

J9449j, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2025
J9449j, Dean Lane, Bristol, October 2025

The design of this piece and the colour palette are exquisite, with the chrome and bronze working perfectly with the black, white and turquoise. The abstract design carries, as always, a reflection of natural elements, such as leaves and grass, a feature of j9449j’s work. An attractive piece that is easy on the eye.

Ancient

Oak tree, Bradgate Park and Swithland Wood National Nature Reserve,Leicestershire, July 2024
Oak tree, Bradgate Park and Swithland Wood National Nature Reserve,Leicestershire, July 2024

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Ancient oak rises

from earliest ancient rock

forever nature

.

by Scooj

Red Porgy

Red Porgy or Common Seabream (Pagurus pagurus), Bodinnick, Cornwall, October 2025
Red Porgy or Common Seabream (Pagurus pagurus), Bodinnick, Cornwall, October 2025

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Jewel of the sea

aquatic hidden actor

underwater scene

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by Scooj

  • all fish caught on my recent fishing trip were returned safely to the sea.

Oysters


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Oysters (Ostrea edulis), Bodinnick, Cornwall, October 2025
Oysters (Ostrea edulis), Bodinnick, Cornwall, October 2025

Steadfast attachment

oysters for tea anyone?

fruits of the ocean

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by Scooj

Grip

Wisteria and hostas, Redland, Bristol, October 2025
Wisteria and hostas, Redland, Bristol, October 2025

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Green to yellowing

magnificent leaves succumb

to autumns damp chill

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by Scooj