Painting Morning Coffee, artist Oksana Potemkina

• Artist: Oksana Potemkina
• Title: "Morning Coffee"
• Size: 50 × 50 cm
• Materials: oil on canvas; framed
• Original hand-painted artwork

"Morning Coffee" is an intimate square still life. In the centre of the table stands a cut-glass vase with a lush bouquet of pink peonies: the large double blooms open in every direction, with green leaves and a few bluish-lilac flowers between them. On the left in the foreground is a white cup of black coffee on a saucer, on the right a glass bowl of strawberries, with one berry lying directly on the table. The objects are arranged loosely along a gentle arc and, together with the bouquet, form a stable triangular composition.

The work is painted in oils in an Impressionist manner. The peony petals are rendered in short impasto strokes that follow the form of the flower and create a raised, lively surface. The glass of the vase and bowl is described with a few precise highlights and reflections, through which the green stems and red berries show. The background and tabletop are handled with free, broad strokes and a visible canvas texture. The signature "O.P." is in the lower left corner.

The palette is warm and tender: pink, peach and cream peonies, an orange-ochre tabletop and red strawberry accents. The background shimmers with grey-blue, greenish and golden tones that gently balance the warm colours. The light is soft and morning-like, and the overall mood is calm and joyful, like an unhurried breakfast on a sunny summer day.

Oksana Potemkina is a contemporary Ukrainian artist who studied at the Art and Graphics Faculty of Odesa Pedagogical University. Still life, especially floral still life, is one of the main genres of her work: she explores the materiality of objects, contrasting the transparency of glass, the softness of petals and the density of texture, and makes active use of impasto — thick application of oil paint.

The canvas measures 50 × 50 cm, or 60 × 60 cm in its frame; the work is set in a light lilac frame and is ready to hang. The compact square format and warm palette are especially fitting for a kitchen, dining room, living room or a cosy breakfast corner. It will make a lovely gift for a woman, a mother or a friend who loves flowers and morning coffee.