24x24" Oil & 24 carat gold leaf on birchwood
Black handcrafted frame 
 
Showed at The Other Art Fair London presented by Saatchi Art.
 
The Lily on The Pond, is part of my Exteriority Collection. I wanted the artwork to be painted on birchwood & in the shape of an orb to represent the pond & it's natural formation. I used oil paints as they blend beautifully for the fish scales & I wanted to bring movement into this piece, unlike my last painting - The Esoteric Pond.

The harsh bright brush strokes of the lily pads are a contrast to the light washes & fine brushstrokes of the fish. The birchwood oval oil painted panel sits on a gold leafed birched wood square. I used 24 carat gold leaf to cover the birch & also in the filament of the flower.

I like to bring design into my paintings & the whole piece was planned & placed by drawing & cutting stencils for the lily pads & fish & working out placement on the birchwood.
 
The gold is pure & will never fade or tarnish. It is to be dusted lightly with a very soft clean brush twice a year.