Handpainted – Tree of Life on Slate Blue

Provenance

'Tree of Life on Slate Blue' is a painting of a broad, spreading tree set against a slate-blue ground. The tree as a source of abundance is a recurring motif in Indian painting, and here its canopy fills almost the entire picture, alive with butterflies and birds.

A dark green trunk rises from spreading roots and divides into branches carrying dense clusters of pale blue leaves, with orange butterflies scattered across the canopy. Green parakeets fly in at the upper corners, small white birds rest at the edges, and pale clouds drift along the top. White, shell-like flower motifs dot the ground, and dark rolling hills with green shrubs run along the base. A yellow and orange patterned inner border and an outer border of teal and blue motifs frame the scene.

Slate blue, pale blue and green form a cool, harmonious palette, warmed by the orange butterflies and the yellow border. The leaves are painted in small, repeated strokes that give the canopy a soft, dappled texture. It is a calm, restful painting for a bedroom, a study or a quiet living space.