During the COVID lockdowns I adopted many office plants that where abandoned to a dire fate. I happily painted a bunch of them - and ultimately kept the ones I fell in love with. This Pilea Peperomioides (Chinese Money plant) in green, yellow and brown is one of them. Keep it close to your heart.
I make my own paint, in this case egg tempera, also called tempera. Tempera is made from egg yolk and pigments and is extremely durable. It has a soft satin shine which I love. I use natural chalk and animal glue to make my own gesso. Gesso is the underlayer which I apply to the panel before painting it. The process of tempera painting on gesso on a wooden panel dates back to before medieval times. It allows for light to be reflected from the white gesso, wich makes a painting seem to light up from within.
Pilea Peperomioides in Green (from the series My Lockdown Plants)
H 30.0 cm x W 30.0 cm D 1.0 cm
Original artwork hand painted with tempera on gessoed wood board. Tempera is a very strong paint that wil stand the test of time, as medieval icons prove. This art work needs no care other than dusting with a soft lint-free cloth every once in a while. Signed on the back, unframed. Be aware that colors may differ slightly in reality as all monitors differ.