A cool lily pond emerges through layers of paint and collaged wood, with light splashing across the surface and journeying down the painting. Reflections shimmer among deep blues and soft pinks, while wide lily pads float in stillness, disrupted only by subtle ripples and movement. Shadows fall from overhanging trees, stretching across the water through the long day, creating a play of light and shade that guides the eye across the surface.
The painting captures the interplay of floating twigs and branches with wayward lines of light and dark at water level, where shallow depths blur reflection, shadow, and form. The wood is revealed in places, highlighting its inherent reflective qualities and bringing a warm, golden glow. The main substrate is French plantation birch, planted around 1960, previously part of a makeshift punt hire sign for Trinity College, Cambridge, and before that a pack case for specialist wine from Bordeaux. Collaged pieces include Scots Pine (c1850) and aged pine salvaged from a windmill grain hopper in Lincolnshire.
