In this portrait, Lotus leans naturally against a blue post-and-rail fence. She stretches diagonally across the painting and is positioned off-centre, creating a relaxed sense of compositional balance.
Edward was inspired by Indigenous artist Thea Anamara Perkins-Zabidin, particularly her portrait of Poppy Chicka. The subject wears a light dress that captures the ambient light and softly echoes the hues of her surroundings, including gentle blues, whites, and lavenders. The rendering of her posture, head, and hands is loose yet realistic.
Like Perkins, Edward’s brushwork in the background and water is confident and gestural, creating an impression of the landscape and dappled reflections on the surface. There is a pleasing contrast between this painterly looseness and the more solid rendering of the figure and railing. The overall palette and composition are harmonious and bright, reflecting a contemplative scene.
