Shallows (2026) Original Oil Painting by Michelle Gibbs

This painting is from my new series, The Language of Light. Light behaves differently once it slips beneath the surface of a pond. It softens and scatters, breaking into pale flickers that seem to drift with the water rather than shine on it.

Here the colour moves through soft aquas and cool mint greens, with deeper teals and inky blues gathering through the middle. Loose marks of cream and pale yellow catch the light as they float across the canvas, and small flashes of red sit just under the surface like fish turning in the shallows.

Painted in oils with quick, open brushwork, this piece is about looking down into the water and letting your eyes wander. I wanted it to feel fresh and cool, like a quiet moment by the pond where you notice more the longer you stay.

Materials used:

Oil paint on canvas

Details:

• Oil painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 75 x 75 x 5cm (unframed)
• Ready to hang
• Signed on the front
• Style: Expressive and gestural
• Subject: Abstract and non-figurative