Inspired by his surroundings and things he loves, his micro artworks turn the streets into an exciting place and bring joy to everyone who walks through the world with open eyes.
Jamie Paul Scanlon, going by his initials JPS, was born in 1977 in Weston-Super-Mare, a seaside town not far from Bristol, UK. Even though his creativity showed from an early age, several events in his life led him down the path of drink, drugs and homelessness.
However, in 2009, when he hit rock bottom, his friend took him to a street art show in Bristol. For Jamie, this moment was life-changing and he realized how he’d thrown his life and talent away.
So he decided to seek help and turned his life around. With a rusty scalpel, old books from the charity shop and spray paint bought at the hardware store, he created his first artworks. With time, not only his equipment, but also his skills improved, he evolved his own style and technique – and nowadays his artworks are unique and simply impressive.
JPS creates both massive murals and incredibly detailed miniature artworks. We got in touch with Scanlon and asked what draws him to working on such different scales. The artist said: “It really depends on available space on the scale I decide to work. I mainly cut tiny stencils originally as a form of training because they are much more difficult than the larger pieces sometimes. Over the past few years, the miniature ones have become very popular.”
We wanted to know what tools and techniques Jamie employs to create his highly detailed miniature artworks. He shared with us: “I mainly work with stencils I cut by hand. The tiny ones are a different process to the larger stencils, usually consisting of 5-7 layers and can be painted in less than ten minutes in good weather.
The full-size works are a combination of stencil and freehand - several are done using just one main layer that is applied to the wall twice. I have also done a few big freehand pieces using the doodle grid method.”
Many of JPS’ works feature pop culture icons. We were curious why these figures keep inspiring the artist to bring them to life on the streets. Scanlon said: “I was a big movie and video game fan from a young age. It’s a great feeling to be able to paint them full size in a cool location, the setting for the pieces is very much as important to me as the artwork itself.”
Lastly, we were wondering if there is any upcoming project that the artist is particularly excited about or one that holds special meaning for him. Jamie shared: “I have been handed the keys to a cool building that was a water treatment place and have been given permission to paint the inside and outside along with multiple other walls on a walking and cycle route. So I will spend the winter preparing pieces and will hopefully do something special.”
