Vibrant Lillies Poster

Three lilies open across a deep green ground, painted in thick gouache with the brush marks left where they fell. The petals are built from white, cream and pale turquoise laid side by side rather than blended, so each one keeps its own direction and catches light differently. Red stamens scatter across the centre of the largest bloom like small flames, and a stripe of ochre runs through the lower petals. Behind them the green is scraped and brushed in several tones, closer to foliage than to a flat backdrop. The flowers are cropped at the edges, which brings the eye right into them.

Deep green and warm white make this a good fit for a room with wood, wool and plants rather than painted surfaces. It carries a living room wall on its own and is large enough in feel to sit above a sofa without company. Natural oak keeps the botanical register; black deepens the green and turns the painting graphic. The red stamens pick up terracotta and rust in cushions or ceramics, which is an easy way to tie it into an existing scheme. On canvas the brushwork reads as paint rather than print.