Beauty, Death and Decay

This atmospheric painting portrays a message of hope.  We see a beautiful woman surrounded by decay and imminent danger.  She stands thigh high in the sea and is oblivious to the giant deadly Blue Ringed Octypus circling beneath her.  She has bleeding injuries on her arms and necrosis beginning on her fingers and her hair is made from Venus Fly Traps symbolising that where there is beauty there is also death and decay.  Despite this grim outlook, in the distance there are rays of golden sunlight piercing through the gloomy sky hinting towards better days ahead.

This is an original painting created with Atelier professional acrylic paints. Painted on stretched (39" x 31.5" / 99x80cm) 12oz Fredrix Cotton Primed Canvas. This painting will be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. All paintings are sealed with a high quality UV Resistant gloss varnish.

Please Note:  Due to the limitations and relative inconsistencies of various display monitors, the colors you see on your screen may not be a totally accurate reproduction of the actual product. I strive to make my colors as accurate as possible, but screen images are intended as a guide only and should not be regarded as absolutely correct.

Image remains copyright of Laural Retz.
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Hello and welcome!

I grew up in the bush of Warrandyte in outer Melbourne which in the 70’s and 80’s was a heavily art-centric community. It was the perfect place to nurture my passion for art, wildlife and the natural environment, which has had a great impact upon what inspires my art today. Having drawn and painted since I was a small child, my subjects then included insects, budgies and horses. I admit that not much has changed, however in my 20’s I also developed a talent for life drawing and hence the female form features frequently in my work.

With a style that is colourful and bold, my paintings reflect my moods and thoughts. Most of my work is slightly quirky and a little surreal because I believe art should make us smile and feel good.

I achieved a Visual Arts Diploma from the Cooloola Sunshine Institute of Tafe in Noosaville in 2001 and since then have sold my paintings to art enthusiasts from all over the world. I’ve lived in some beautiful parts of the world like Noosa Heads, Goa and the island of Cebu in the Philippines, which I’m sure have all imparted their own unique influences upon my art.