https://www.saatchiart.com/en-gb/studio/art/12568395/overview
Mystery
Artist: Laura B. Nelson
Medium: Oil pastels and colored pencils on paper
Inspiration: Pop Art
“Mystery” is a striking portrait that captures an enigmatic female figure with bold colours and a captivating expression. The subject’s intense blue hair, adorned with a delicate flower, creates an immediate visual impact, evoking both softness and strength. Her piercing blue eyes, emphasised by dark, sharply arched eyebrows and purple eyeshadow, convey an air of suspicion or contemplation, as if she is analysing something unseen.
Her slightly parted red lips suggest she is on the verge of speaking—or perhaps withholding a secret—adding to the painting’s sense of intrigue. The geometric green earrings and pendant necklace contribute to the bold, graphic quality typical of pop art, while the contrast between her yellow polka-dotted dress and the vibrant green background reinforces a sense of energy and playfulness.
The use of oil pastels gives the piece a textured, expressive feel, while coloured pencil details enhance her facial features, making them stand out with depth and definition. The vivid colour palette, exaggerated features, and expressive gaze align with pop art aesthetics, transforming a simple portrait into a psychological study of mystery, emotion, and silent intensity.
The woman in Mystery holds a secret that lingers just behind her parted lips, a thought unspoken, a truth known only to her. Her piercing blue eyes shift to the side, as if assessing whether to reveal what she knows—or to keep it locked away forever.
Is she hiding a forbidden love? A whispered betrayal? Or perhaps she guards a deeper truth, one about herself, her desires, her past? The way her lips curl ever so slightly suggests she might enjoy the weight of this secret, savouring the power it gives her over those who remain in the dark.
Thanks for reading
Laura Bernardeschi Nelson artworld and travels 