Hand – Natural adventures

7252. Lucky Lane (16)

Qubart, Lucky Lane, Bristol, September 2025

Painted as part of the Bristol Mural Collective’s recent paint jam, this unusual piece is painted by Qubart, an artist I have not come across before. I have noticed that 2025 has been a year in which there have been more ‘debutants’ on Natural Adventures than ever before, which speaks of both the growth in numbers of people who want to paint the streets and that Bristol is a number one destination for street art and graffiti.

This modernist piece, that appears to be influenced by several art genres, is bold and eye-catching, quite literally. The primary colours work well with the design and the composition. It might be considered a bit weird, but in the context of everything else that I see in Bristol, it isn’t that weird at all. It is always a pleasure to be introduced to a new artist.

7082. Peel Street Green (45)

It really isn’t that long ago that Bloem was painting rather basic fingers, cellphones and devilled cherries in some of the less popular spots all around Bristol, but her accelerated progress means that her work is more than comfortable alongside some of the best writers in the city.

Bloem, Peel Street Green, Bristol, July 2025

This is a wonderful and complex combination piece, with some amazing writing and a cartoon-style hand (long nails of course). The weave pattern used to fill her letters is beautifully worked, and very neat and tidy. Every element of the piece has been nicely thought out and has come together really well. This is one of those pieces that actually looks better in a photograph, than it does in situ, perhaps because of its complexity. What a talent.

7027. Dean Lane skate park (846)

I was rather lucky to be in the right place at the right time as Two Face was drafting up this piece on the wall. I haven’t come across the artist before, and he tells me that he has only recently moved to Bristol, so I will be on the lookout for his work, for sure.

The combination piece is really rather good, incorporating a hand and fired gun on the left and some rather nicely presented writing on the right, with very fine fill work indeed. Lots of textures, techniques and perspectives in this debut (to Natural Adventures) piece. Bravo!

6783. St Werburghs tunnel (480)

Bloem, St Werburghs, Bristol, February 2025

I have said it many times, but Bloem is one of the most improved and gifted new artists painting the streets of Bristol, whose outstanding talent and creativity is put to good use for all to enjoy. It took me a long wait to finally get a decent picture of this piece, as there was a large black van parked in front of it for what seemed like an eternity. Patience is a virtue, and it was well worth waiting to get a shot from the front.

Once more, Bloem includes some of her favourite elements, including the hand with pointy fingernails, a chain and a beautiful flower. These elements bind together nicely, and I daresay that there is a fair amount of conscious or unconscious symbolism going on here. I think that the grey plants are orchids and if we are talking of symbolism, they are associated with love, beauty and refinement.

The big orange centrepiece flower looks like a chrysanthemum and acts as a fabulous focal point of the piece. Not only is the composition original and beautiful, but it is really well executed too. Great work from Bloem.

6777. River Avon (80)

Bloem, River Avon, Bristol, February 2025

Bloem has started 2025, where she left off in 2024, in fine form, producing both tremendous graffiti writing and street art pieces in equal measure. In this combination piece, Bloem has managed to bring together some stunning line calligraffiti writing and some artwork that is heavy on some of her favourite themes.

The writing spells out BLOEM, and is quite distinct from the rest of the piece, appearing and disappearing, playing tricks with your eyes. The centrepiece is a blue hand with long fingernails (why is this not a surprise?), and the clever bit is the creeping grey flowers running through the hand and breaking out of it at different points. Bloem is one of the most creative people I have met and is a natural talent, whether on the street, or making jewellery. This is a fabulous piece that underpins her status as a rising star.

6461. Peel Street Green (34)

Bloem, Peel Street Green, Bristol, October 2024

My children, like all siblings, take great pleasure in asking me which of them is my favourite. Because I have a pigeon pair, I say to my boy, ‘you are my favourite son’, and my girl, ‘you are my favourite daughter’. It has worked so far, but the truth is that it is possible to have different favourites for different reasons. I say all of this because Bloem is definitely one of my favourites, but I have arrived at that point through liking her style, watching her develop, and also because she is a lovely person who makes time to chat and talk about her work.

In this piece Bloem visits some of her favourite themes, a hand with long nails clutching a beautiful flower and a spiked chain. The classic coming together of beauty and jeopardy and threat. The whole thing is presented in shades of pink and set on a framed black background. This is a really mature piece with a story being told and plenty of symbolism. Great work from Bloem.

6088. M32 roundabout J3 (581)

Ra is an occasional and always very welcome visitor to Bristol, and his choice of wall to paint this beautiful piece is interesting. This wall used to be the home of a fabulous mural by Michele Curtis and the Paintsmiths celebrating Roy Hackett, a Jamaican, who arrived in Britain in 1952 and became co-founder of the Commonwealth Co-ordinated Committee (CCC) which was started 1962. Unfortunately the wall was re-rendered, painted and then subject to the tagging and bombing that walls like this are subject to. This piece by Ra is the best piece, in my opinion, to adorn the wall since.

The stylised and beautifully decorated blue hand is in a pose with the middle finger and thumb touching is, I believe a mudra that represents energy and health, and it provides us with a feeling of balance. Certainly this piece feels in balance, with a complementary background and some flashes of light surrounding the hand. A wonderful spiritual piece which is beautifully executed.

Michele Curtis and the Paintsmiths, Byron Street, Bristol, May 2019

6056. M32 roundabout J3 (579)

Bloem, M32 roundabout, Bristol, March 2024

I am always excited when I find street art by Bloem. She is, as far as I can see, a very friendly and talented artist who has a quirky and distinct style that draws you in. Her use of bright primary colours creates a striking contrast in her work that is rather compelling.

Bloem’s work is often peppered with recurring themes that drift in and out of her creative designs and in this piece we have the familiar hand with sharp, pointy nails and a pair of devil cherries, one of which is melting in the hand. These motifs almost fall into the category of a brand, but I suppose in street art terms we would call it a style. Anyhoo, her work is fantastic and always a pleasure when found.

6009. M32 roundabout J3 (572)

Mr Draws, M32 roundabout, Bristol, April 2024

This is something a little different from Mr Draws, and I really rather like it. The colour scheme that he has selected works really well with the verdant spring growth at the base of the wall and the trees behind set on a stunning blue sky (something of a rarity this year).

The character hand and letters combination looks really good and is nicely proportioned. This is so typically Mr Draws, and I can’t fully explain why, but his whole approach to graffiti writing is unconventional, which is great to see, as there is quite a lot of ‘Samey’ stuff out there. I love the hand, and I think that it is something he should bring into his work more often. A great piece from an artist I really like.

5956. M32 roundabout J3 (565)

There is so much to like about Bloem’s work at the moment, and more than that, she is a really lovely person and talented artist and jewellery craftswomen. Her pieces are becoming more confident with each trip out, and she is spreading her wings, improving all the time.

This piece on the roundabout contains a few themes that she specialises in, for example the hand with sharp nails and the old-style brick mobile phone, with keypad. Springing from the phone display is a tangled growth of flowers, complete with personalities. The whole piece is set on a glorious red backdrop softened with a few patterns. This is truly stunning work from Bloem.

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	paulh121 on 7352. Cumberland Basin
	Sheree on 7352. Cumberland Basin
	paulh121 on 7350. Hillgrove Street (9…
	Bill Bisgood on Thursday doors – 11 Dece…
	scooj on Thursday doors – 11 Dece…

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