Sometimes a painting begins with an idea.
And sometimes the idea quietly grows into a whole little world.
This is what happened with my painting “Zina’s Green Armchair.”
At first, I simply wanted to paint Zina sitting in her favorite antique green velvet armchair. She wears her familiar blue dress, with little clips in her hair. But as I was building the scene, the other characters began to appear almost naturally.
Berry is sitting at Zina’s feet, clearly asking to be allowed onto the chair.
Marmalade is on the other side, attempting to climb up all by himself, with his back turned to the viewer as if he has absolutely nothing to explain.
And then there is Fly Bob.
Of course, Fly Bob had to be there.
He has somehow found a place on top of the carved wooden frame of the armchair, already preparing to report on everything that is happening.
There is even a tiny detail that became part of the story: one of Zina’s socks is lying on the floor, while the other has somehow ended up on the armchair.
Nothing in this scene is really happening by accident anymore.
The armchair
The green armchair became more than just a piece of furniture.
In Berriboo, almost everyone has a favorite chair. Zina’s is an old antique armchair covered in green velvet. Nobody knows exactly why it is special, but there is a little legend about it.
They say that when you sit in it after a difficult day, your thoughts become clearer.
If you are sad, the sadness begins to disappear.
And if you have an important decision to make, the answer somehow finds its way to you.
There is only one rule:
The armchair belongs to Zina, so only Zina is supposed to sit in it.
At least, that is what Zina believes.
But her friends seem to have other plans.
When the characters take over
One of the most enjoyable things about creating the Berriboo world is discovering that the characters sometimes seem to have their own personalities.
I know what Zina looks like.
I know that Berry is curious.
I know that Marmalade will always find a way to investigate something himself.
And I know that Fly Bob will never allow an interesting event to happen without taking notes.
So when I looked at the finished painting, I started wondering:
What exactly is happening here?
That question became the beginning of the story.
Here is a little fragment:
“Berry looks at the armchair.
Then at Zina.
Then back at the armchair.
It is obvious that the rule does not convince her at all.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the armchair, Marmalade is conducting his own little investigation.”
And, naturally, Fly Bob is already documenting the entire incident.
A painting can become a doorway
For me, this is one of the most interesting things about painting characters who belong to an imaginary world.
A painting does not always have to tell the whole story.
Sometimes it only needs to show one moment.
A cat halfway into an armchair.
A sock left on the floor.
A tiny reporter hiding above everyone else.
A girl sitting quietly in a green velvet chair.
And suddenly there is a question:
What happened just before this moment? And what is going to happen next?
That is where a painting can become a doorway into a story.
“Zina’s Green Armchair” is not only a painting about an old green chair.
It is a little glimpse into everyday life in Berriboo, where even an ordinary morning can turn into an unexpected adventure.
And perhaps the armchair really is magical.
Or perhaps the real magic is much simpler.
Sometimes all it takes to make your thoughts sunny is a comfortable chair, a few ridiculous cats, one very persistent reporter, and someone who makes you laugh.