Self-Portrait with Books

Seated behind a heavy stack of books, the artist looks down at an open page, pen in hand, caught mid-thought. She and her patterned tunic are painted in cool grey-blue monochrome, while the books, a black polka-dot jug and a red cloth carry warm, fully realist colour.

Teacups hover, weightless, in the plain grey air around her. The photorealist finish is exact, from worn book edges to the glint of a pendant, yet the floating cups and drained skin tone tip the scene gently toward the surreal, framing study and daydream at once.