Lily Pad Lounge (2024)

Lily Pad Lounge was created as a small-format piece exploring how character and atmosphere can coexist within a single moment. The frog, perched calmly at the centre of the composition, becomes both subject and observer — still, luminous, and oddly human in its composure.

The work takes a familiar image from nature and elevates it through mood. Diffused light filters through the surrounding water and foliage, framing the subject in a soft radiance that recalls traditional portraiture. The reflective surface of the pond introduces a gentle duality: stillness above, motion below. Though the tone is playful, the approach remains painterly, treating whimsy with sincerity.

At its core, this painting studies the act of pause. The frog rests in perfect equilibrium between awareness and ease, embodying that brief, meditative balance that exists in the natural world before movement resumes.

Painted digitally using layered brushwork inspired by 19th-century oil landscapes, Lily Pad Lounge uses glazing techniques to capture the glow of late afternoon light. The palette combines warm greens and ochres with touches of ultramarine to create subtle temperature shifts across the form. Broad, expressive background strokes contrast with the carefully modelled surface of the frog, balancing spontaneity and structure. The result is a small but deliberate composition — a study in serenity and charm.