Introducing My Latest Collection of Original Paintings

It feels so good to be back in my home studio in Costa Rica: brushes in hand, music playing (y'all know I love me some 90's bangers, and I've had old school hip hop and rap on a loop), covered in paint. Totally in my element, or in 'Feral Artist Mode' as I have been joking with my friends. After years on the road painting murals across different corners of the world, there’s something incredibly grounding about slowing down into Yin mode between projects, and letting my creativity unfold on canvas again. What a joy to paint in a different format!

Painting murals is big, bold, and public. Painting on canvas is intimate, personal, and portable. The Tao of Yin and Yang shines though here, it's the balance of opposite mediums. Both inspire me creatively in different ways, and this new collection brings those two worlds together.

From Murals to Canvas: The Freedom of Changing Contexts

When I’m painting a mural, the environment is a very important part of the artwork: the architecture, the light, the surroundings, the energy of the place and the people who live there. On canvas, it’s different. The scale is smaller. It's a portable, 3D piece of artwork. It’s me and the blank canvas in front of me, translating everything I’ve absorbed from years of painting walls across Central America and beyond.

This body of work reflects that. It's a culmination of everything I love:
bright colour palettes, tropical themes, my nomadic surfer lifestyle, my roots in street art and the wild, natural beauty of the Central American jungle that I call home.

A Glimpse Into the Collection

Each piece in this collection tells a story:

• Entre Palmeras – I created this in a more fluid, intuitive way, rather than the structured format I use when I'm painting a commission for clients. I used messy brushstrokes and bright, pop colours to explore a subject I've painted countless times before - banana leaves - but in a more free and experimental way.

• Tropical Tonal – This combination is always a client favorite, especially in luxe beachfront homes where most of my mural commissions are painted. I used this rectangular format that sits perfectly above a bed, a neutral palette, palms fronds, but added a pop of lilac to make it feminine, and then painted the gallery wrapped canvas the same lilac color to create a point of difference.

• Smiling Toucan – This piece is playful, vibrant, and full of character. it's an evolution of a painting I created on wood in Puerto Viejo many years ago, and is influenced by the colours of the Caribbean.

• Toucan Do It! – Another toucan piece, inspired by a little bird I met whilst painting a mural in La Fortuna. I also created this piece as a mural in Pavones and have it as an Art Print in my online store. I love these birds, they are such interesting creatures and so very Costa Rica! This is the biggest canvas in the collection, and at 6ft x 6ft or around 1.8m x 1.8m it will need a large wall to call home!

• Paradise Bird – Another rectangular canvas with the intention of hanging above a bed, this piece reflects my professional experience as a print and textile designer and includes my all-time favourite tropical flower, the Bird of Paradise.

• Monstera Drip – A nod to my early days as a young creative obsessed with street art and graffiti. I have always wanted to create an oversized piece with the texture of dripping paint in bold colours, and here it is! Monstera leaves are always a crowd pleaser and I have painted them soooo many times and love them dearly, so this is a street-meets-jungle tropical mash up and will create a statement wherever it is hung! 

How AI Helped Me Show the Vision

You’ll notice that each painting on my website includes a mock-up showing what it might look like in a home. I want to be transparent: those in-situ images were created using AI. As a creative I am NOT a fan of AI generated artwork, but I do see how it can be used as a helpful tool to visually explain my intention for where and how these pieces could be displayed.

AI didn’t paint the artwork, I did. I will always keep my creativity real, human and authentic, I can promise you that. But what AI as a digital tool helped me do was visualize how I imagine each piece living in a space, for example above a bed, against a coastal wall, surrounded by natural light in a beautiful home. I want to stress that it’s a tool only. 

Designed for the Home: Scale, Space, and Intention

Some of these pieces are intentionally sized in horizontal, rectangular formats, a design choice inspired by my mural work. I’ve always loved creating artwork that lives above bedheads, so this sizing was very intentional.

The main difference between a mural and a painting on canvas is movement.
A mural stays in its place, it’s part of the architecture. A canvas can move. It can travel and find new life on different walls over time.

That’s part of what excites me about this collection. Each piece carries the same spirit and energy of my murals but with the freedom to move wherever life takes you.

The Joy of Creating Between Journeys

Spending this time in my studio between mural projects has been a much needed creative reset. A way to reconnect with my Yin rhythm and to explore new ideas with complete creative freedom. As a commission-based commercial artist, I am very grateful to have had the time and space to create in this way.

Each piece is available now on my website. Everything was created by hand, painted with love, and presented with the same intention I bring to every wall I’ve ever painted.

Explore the full collection: pepallama.com/collections/available-paintings