Description
A Nebula of Stars 2
Acrylic On Board
10 × 10 cm
R650
A Nebula of Stars 2 is a small, intensely worked portrait that pairs an expressive painted face with lines of handwritten verse. A woman gazes out from the centre of the board, her features built from cool blues, greens and warm flesh tones, set against a glowing ground of gold and soft green. Across the surface, looping pink script drifts over the image, weaving word and paint into a single layered composition.
Julie Tugwell works here in warm, luminous colour, letting the golden background hum against the cooler tones of the face. The brushwork is loose and confident, favouring gesture and feeling over precise detail, so the figure seems to emerge and dissolve at once. There is a raw, personal quality to the piece, with the written words adding rhythm and intimacy to the painted surface.
Compact yet full of presence, this little work rewards close looking. Its rich, sunlit palette and handwritten touch make it an engaging, characterful piece for a bookshelf, a gallery wall of small originals, or a quiet corner of a study or bedroom where it can be enjoyed at close range.
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 portraits she is drawn to mood and inner life rather than exact likeness, building each face from layered colour and gestural marks. Whether working in warm, luminous tones or a more restrained palette, she captures the atmosphere and vitality of her subject, 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.
