Soft Decadence

This painting began with flowers, but somewhere along the way it slipped into something more theatrical. The soft pink forms started reminding me of powdered interiors, crumpled silk and those over-the-top Rococo paintings where everything feels slightly too much in the best possible way.
I painted it quite loosely and instinctively, letting the image shift as I worked rather than trying to control it too much. Parts of the flowers dissolve into gesture and movement, while the deep navy shapes bring in a darker weight that stops the painting becoming overly sweet.
There’s something airy and romantic about it, but also a little awkward and excessive, which is usually the space I’m most interested in.

PLEASE NOTE: This painting is an original acrylic on unstretched canvas and will be shipped carefully rolled in a tube.
(Professional stretching or framing is required before hanging.)
STRETCHING & FRAMING OPTIONS
To give collectors flexibility, this artwork can be purchased in three ways via Bluethumb’s framing options:
UNSTRETCHED – the painting is shipped rolled in a protective tube.
STRETCHED ONLY – the canvas is professionally stretched and ready to hang unframed.
STRETCHED & FRAMED – the artwork is professionally stretched and fitted into your choice of a black, white or natural timber float frame, then wired and ready to hang.
Stretching and framing selections can be found via the Bluethumb framing options above the ADD TO CART button.

Please feel free to message me if you have any questions, thank you x Sally

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I’ve been making art for most of my life, though the path here hasn’t been completely straightforward. What was meant to be a one-year trip from the UK to Sydney in 1994 somehow turned into a permanent move, and Australia has felt like home ever since.
A lot of my work begins outdoors; walking, noticing plants growing through fences, strange colour combinations in nature, or bringing home flowers and cuttings to paint in the studio. Painting has always been a way for me to slow down and pay attention. It’s where I feel most myself.
Before returning to painting full-time in 2015, I worked across surface pattern design, printmaking and graphic design, and those influences still shape the way I paint today; through colour, rhythm, line and composition. I’m also deeply inspired by the simplicity and spontaneity of Chinese and Japanese ink painting, calligraphy and woodblock prints, though my work has gradually evolved into something much looser and more contemporary over time.
Since returning to full-time practice, my work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across Australia and selected as a finalist in prizes including the Calleen Art Award, Lethbridge Prize, Bluethumb Art Prize and the National Contemporary Watercolour Prize. My paintings and prints have also been licensed onto homewares and collected internationally.
I still feel genuinely grateful that I get to spend my days painting, and I hope that sense of joy, calm and curiosity finds its way into the work itself.