Graze

Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire, June 2025
Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire, June 2025

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England’s lush pastures

pocked with solitary trees

grazed and flat-bottomed

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by Scooj

6648. Hornsey Road, North London

Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

It feels odd posting this Banksy piece from the comfort of a Marrakesh hotel room only a couple of weeks after photographing it. I took the pictures in the dark on a cold night walking to a football match with my son after seven hours of driving. It was my son who spotted the famous piece painted last year, and in the spirit of taking pictures, no matter what the conditions, I managed to get these unusual snaps.

Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

I had wondered where this piece was, but love the fact that we accidentally walked past it rather than sought it out. The misty night scene adds a different perspective on the piece, which was a clever work by Banksy, who replaced the foliage of a tree on the wall behind it, after it had been heavily cut back.

Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

In the bottom left of the piece is a stencil figure with a spray gun in his hands who presumably had been spraying the foliage on the walls. The figure is now behind Perspex. Last year was a good year for the Bristol born artist, and maybe on future trips to the old smoke I’ll find some of his animals from 2024. Arsenal won a tricky match against Ipswich 1-0, so overall a good day out.

Bare

King's Weston trees, Bristol, November 2024
King’s Weston trees, Bristol, November 2024

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Naked contorted

summer’s protective coat shed

winter’s agony

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by Scooj

Autumn quilt

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Paulownia leaves

spread evenly on the grass

quilt without stitches

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by Scooj

Miyawaki method

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Small wood creation

dense planting of mixed species

acceleration

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by Scooj

6311. Dean Lane skate park (742)

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2024
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2024

Well, this is surely one of the more unusual pieces from Hire, that indicates he is enjoying pushing boundaries. When I first encountered his work a few years ago, his USP was his spiky, sharp letters that could poke your eye out if you weren’t careful. Contrast that with this organic green piece spelling HIRE.

Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2024
Hire, Dean Lane, Bristol, August 2024

Each letter resembles a bushy tree with green branches and canopy, in various orientations. The letters are set on a dark conifer woodland silhouette. This is a very nicely considered and executed piece from Hire – connecting with nature.

Fully dressed

Christmas tree, Bristol, December 2023
Christmas tree, Bristol, December 2023

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Tree decorating

handed from parent to child

a rite of passage

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by Scooj

Tree ritual

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Tomorrow’s mission

selecting the perfect tree

for comfort and joy

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by Scooj

Tree

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Beneath cooling leaves

we have time to chew the fat

tell me your stories

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by Scooj

Reminiscence IV

Silver birch, Bristol, April 2016
Silver birch, Bristol, April 2016

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Silver birch catkins

set against a cool spring sky

life then was simpler

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by Scooj