Her Wild Garden (in progress)

90% complete

Expected completion: August 2026

An original surreal oil painting by Vancouver artist Phaedra, being made in the studio. A seated figure rests in a wild garden of foxgloves, roses, and hydrangeas, with monarch butterflies and white rabbits around her, painted in Phaedra’s figurative, dreamlike style.

This is a work in progress. You can follow it from the early block-in to the finished canvas, and send an offer before it is complete. Every finished original ships with free 14-day returns and a Certificate of Authenticity.

Artist statement

I paint the moment between recognition and forgetting. My subjects exist in a suspended reality, part dream, part memory, where colour and form carry the emotional weight that language cannot. I work primarily in oil and coloured pencil because both mediums demand patience, and patience is what a genuine encounter with a painting requires.

How this piece is being made

Phaedra builds this painting in oil, layer by layer. She begins by blocking in the seated figure and the composition over a warm ground, then develops the garden and background around her, and finishes with fine detail in the flowers, the monarch butterflies, and the white rabbits. Each step below is a real session filmed in the studio.

Details

Medium: Oil on canvas
Style: Surreal figurative
Artist: Phaedra
Year: 2026

Expected completion: August 2026

Suggested price range: $1,800 to $2,600

The making of this piece, step by step

Follow Phaedra's progress from the first sketch to the finished canvas.

June 28, 2026
Blocking in the figure and the garden

The first sessions. The seated figure and the composition are blocked in loosely over a warm ground, setting the pose and where the flowers will fall.
About 30% complete at this step
June 29, 2026
Building the figure and the first flowers

The figure takes shape and the first flowers are painted in around her.
About 45% complete at this step
July 5, 2026
Developing the garden and background

The greens behind the figure and the deeper garden are built up, giving the piece its depth.
About 60% complete at this step
July 27, 2026
Refining the figure

Working back into the figure: the skin tones, the face, and the swept-up hair.
About 75% complete at this step
July 27, 2026
Painting the flowers in detail

The flowers are painted layer by layer, from foxgloves to roses and hydrangeas.
About 82% complete at this step
July 27, 2026
The butterflies

Adding the monarch butterflies that move through the garden.
About 88% complete at this step
July 27, 2026
The rabbit and final details

Near the end: the white rabbit in the foliage and the last fine touches.
About 92% complete at this step

Make an offer

Like this piece before it is finished? Send the artist your offer. Submitting an offer does not buy the work. The sale is only final after the artist or gallery reviews your offer and confirms it with you by email.

Follow this artwork

Get an email each time the artist adds a new step, and the moment this piece is finished. No offer needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

Questions about this work in progress

How did the idea for this work come about?

This is an original work in progress by Phaedra. The artist is documenting each step, from the first idea to the finished canvas, so you can see exactly how it takes shape.

What technique and materials does the artist use?

Phaedra is working in Oil on canvas, in a Surreal figurative style. Full size, medium and materials are listed in the details on this page.

When will the piece be finished?

The artist expects to finish around August 2026. Follow this artwork to be told the moment it is complete.

Can I buy this artwork before it is finished?

Yes. You can send the artist an offer before the work is finished using the "Make an offer" form on this page. An offer is a request, not a purchase. The sale is final only after the artist or gallery reviews your offer and confirms it with you by email.

Can I follow the artwork as it is completed?

Yes. Use "Follow this artwork" to get an email each time the artist adds a new step and when the piece is complete. No offer is needed to follow.

How do I send a price offer?

Fill in the "Make an offer" form with your offer amount, name, email and delivery city. We review every offer, coordinate with the artist, and reply by email. Every finished original ships with free 14-day returns and a Certificate of Authenticity.