'Untitled; Pilea peperomioides, brush and green tea'

'Untitled; Pilea peperomioides, brush and green tea' (2022) was a brief painting study on the backboard of a painting my great grandfather made. The board was covered in these intricate dashes of what I believe to be paint or ink. Instead of wasting the board when I was reframing it, I re-used it with this acrylic painting.

This was one of my first live painting studies from real-life rather than a photograph. Created in a couple of hours, this brief painting is one of my favourites to date; because of the materials' history and the challenge of creating something in one sitting (something I wasn't previously used to).

My favourite elements include the dimension of the pilea leaves extending out of the pot and the green tea shimmering in the glass. There is a quiet business to this image; like flies swarming on a hot summers day, the black dashes aggravate the eyes and add texture and movement to the otherwise static piece.