by Laura Bernardeschi Nelson

Artwork Description

Under the Weight of Quiet Branches

35.0 x 45.0 cm

Under the Weight of Quiet Branches is an oil pastel work on paper that explores the relationship between domestic space and the surrounding natural environment. A small red house sits beneath a dense network of bare branches, their dark, overlapping lines stretching across a violet-pink sky. The structure appears both sheltered and overshadowed, suggesting a fragile coexistence between human presence and the natural world. The composition is divided between the intimacy of the house—marked by softly glowing windows—and the expansive, restless movement of the trees above. The branches form an almost architectural canopy, pressing down visually and emotionally, while the muted tones of the landscape evoke dusk or early evening. Colour is used expressively rather than descriptively, creating an atmosphere that feels contemplative and slightly unsettled. Oil pastels allow for layered marks and visible gestures, giving the surface a tactile quality. The contrast between the solid geometry of the house and the organic complexity of the branches highlights themes of vulnerability, shelter, and quiet endurance. Rather than depicting a specific place, the scene functions as a symbolic landscape, reflecting on how human spaces exist within broader ecological systems. The work forms part of an ongoing exploration of landscapes as emotional and environmental spaces, where stillness and tension coexist, and where familiar scenes take on deeper psychological resonance. Details Year: 2026 Medium: Oil pastels on paper Dimensions: 45 × 35 cm (framed) Framing: Framed Signature: Signed Condition: Excellent

Artwork Details

Medium: Painting Pastel

Genre: Expressionism