Zilla J Schoeman

I work primarily in watercolour, and I’m drawn to small-scale pieces that invite close observation. Working small allows me to focus on detail, experiment freely, learn as I go and move between subjects and styles, giving me the freedom to paint what I feel like in the moment.

My paintings often explore mood, a feeling, a pause, or something slightly strange within an otherwise familiar scene. Nature, animals and imagined spaces appear regularly, sometimes grounded and sometimes shifting into something more surreal.

My process is slow and layered. I build up soft washes first and then return with line work, adding structure and detail toward the end. This graphic element comes from my background in design and plays an important role in how the work resolves.

Colour plays a leading role in my work and is something I return to again and again. I love using colour, it brings me a real sense of joy while painting. I’m interested in how it can shift a mood or transform a scene, and I hope that same sense of uplift carries through to the viewer.

I spent a long time away from painting and fine art, focusing on building our business. Over the past three years, since returning to painting, I’ve reconnected with a part of myself that was missing. I’m grateful to have art-making back in my daily life. I want to keep learning, to keep improving, and to explore subjects and ideas that feel important to me. Through my work, I hope to develop a clearer voice and use painting as a way to reflect on and respond to the world around me in a way that feels honest and considered.