Nalah (2023)

Nalah was painted in 2023 as part of a series of family pet portraits that quietly document affection through form. While the composition appears simple, the work focuses on an emotional subtlety often overlooked in animal portraiture: the gravity within innocence.

The subject is captured front-facing, her expression direct yet unguarded. The gaze carries both curiosity and uncertainty, the way young animals so often mirror the sensitivity of the people who raise them. Unlike the confident stance of Floki or the warmth of Kratos, this portrait centres on stillness — that early stage of becoming, when personality begins to take shape through observation.

The surrounding darkness frames the softness of the face, drawing attention to light pooling around the eyes and muzzle. Every highlight suggests motion held in pause. The work explores not idealisation but sincerity, portraying the quiet beauty of a creature learning its world.

Painted digitally with a restrained palette of raw umber, ochre, and cool grey, Nalah balances realism with painterly texture. Fine glazing was used to define the reflective surfaces of the eyes, while broader impasto strokes build depth across the fur. The background remains deliberately minimal, its diffused grey tones offering contrast without intrusion. Subtle texture overlay gives the surface a tactile quality reminiscent of oil on linen, reinforcing the intimacy of scale and the sense of gentle observation.