Beneath the lily pads

Beneath the lily pads
Acrylic on primed linen canvas, 2025 | 14cm x 18cm

This piece is part of my mini collection, a dive into experimentation of techniques while also showcasing the incredible mini beasts we share our local environment with. They are a reminder to slow down and really relish the small joys we come across daily. 

I am so in love with this piece I'm actually a little torn to sell it, it defintiely highlights the direction I want my paintings to go in and also my current interest in what it must be like to be living in a pond. 

Ponds are such incredible little places, bursting with life and movement. They are vital to the local ecosystems, providing habitats, a unique ecosystem and a food/water source. I loved pond dipping as a child and seeing all the little creatures that made the pond their home. I especially like the idea of swimming under the lily pads, through the knot of weeds and slime and coming across a beautiful tadpole, glistening in the open water for a moment. 

I think it is rare we hold such little beings with so much admiration, but have you ever truly looked at the little yellow spots on a tadpoles body? Or their eyes that are already frog-like and seem full of ancient wisdom somehow? 

This piece captures an imagined moment, a window into life in the pond.