Description
Palette Petals 5
Acrylic On Board
10 × 15 cm
R2 500
Palette Petals 5 is a small, spirited floral still life of red and orange blooms gathered in a rounded green vase. Despite its miniature scale, Julie Tugwell works with real confidence, laying down thick, sculptural strokes of the palette knife so that each petal and leaf stands proud of the surface with a lovely tactile richness.
The colour is warm and lively. A glowing orange ground rises behind the flowers, meeting cooler passages of pale blue and soft grey to either side, while the deep green of the vase grounds the arrangement against a simple, sunlit table. The reds and golds of the blooms almost hum against these contrasts, giving this tiny painting a surprising amount of energy and presence.
Little works like this are wonderfully versatile. Palette Petals 5 can sit on a shelf or desk, hang alone as a jewel-like accent, or join a cluster of small paintings in a gallery wall. It brings a hit of warmth and colour to a compact corner, kitchen or study where a larger canvas would not fit.
Style
Julie Tugwell is a contemporary South African artist whose work shares qualities with expressive, painterly traditions, favouring energetic brushwork and an emotional response to her subject over strict realism. In her floral work she leans into bold, singing colour that echoes the Fauvist palette, building petals, leaves and vessels with confident, loaded strokes of the knife and brush. She captures the vitality and atmosphere of the flowers rather than a botanical likeness, creating original artworks that bring warmth, character and considered sophistication to contemporary interiors.
Please note: Images are provided as a guide to the artwork’s size and style. As each original painting is photographed under different lighting conditions and viewed on different screens, colours may vary slightly from the original artwork.
