Description
Smile Though Your Heart is Aching
Smile Though Your Heart is Aching – abstract landscape painting by Navy Sloth
Smile Though Your Heart Is Aching is a triptych inspired by a moment when the beauty of nature stopped me in my tracks.
I remember walking along a woodland trail in South Wales, feeling quite anxious at the time. That familiar dread of “Are we in the middle of nowhere? Are we slightly lost?” had started filling my mind. Of course, we weren’t — but knowing we were perfectly safe wasn’t what calmed me down.
I looked up.
The trees were so tall they seemed to surround us, and above our heads the autumn leaves became a kind of yellow glitterball. Every shade of gold and yellow seemed to shimmer and move gently in the breeze, with little hints of lilac and grey from the bark woven through them. It was magical, almost enchanting and otherworldly.
We had gone for the walk to clear our heads after a stressful few weeks. My gran had recently passed away and I was still grieving, so perhaps I was more open than usual to the small moments of beauty around me.
As soon as I got home, I began sketching.
Painting this piece became about more than capturing the woodland. It became a way of holding onto that feeling of looking up and suddenly feeling calm, connected and completely present. In some ways, it felt like a celebration of my lovely gran and the joy she brought to our family too.
When I stand in front of the finished painting, I don’t feel sad or lost or anxious. I feel joy.
The kind of joy you feel when you’re surrounded by nature — that quiet sense that we are all here together, each protecting and being protected, each leaving our own little imprint on the circle of life.
That’s what I hope this painting brings into another home: a little reminder to look up, breathe, and notice the beauty that’s already around us.
Smile Though Your Heart Is Aching is an original triptych, painted in oil on canvas.
How I Painted It
Smile Though Your Heart Is Aching is an expressive abstract drip painting, built up through layers of oil paint, movement and texture.
I wanted to capture the feeling of looking upwards through the autumn canopy rather than paint the woodland literally. The energetic drips and splashes became the leaves themselves — a shimmering cloud of gold and yellow moving gently above us — while softer layers and hints of lilac and grey echo the trees and sky beyond.
The painting developed intuitively, with each layer responding to the one before it. Rather than carefully mapping out every leaf, I allowed the paint to move, drip and overlap, creating a sense of movement and that slightly magical, otherworldly feeling I remember from the walk.
The result is a piece that sits somewhere between abstract painting and nature-inspired landscape, inviting you to find your own view within it.
Who Should Buy Smile Though Your Heart Is Aching?
- 🍂 Nature lovers who find peace in woodland walks, autumn leaves and those little moments when the beauty of the natural world stops you in your tracks.
- 🌳 People who love the feeling of being surrounded by trees — looking upwards through branches and leaves and feeling small, safe and connected to something bigger.
- 💛 Those drawn to art with a story — a painting inspired by a real moment of finding calm, wonder and joy during a difficult time.
- ✨ Lovers of colour and texture who enjoy expressive, energetic paintings with layers, movement and a little bit of magic.
- 🏡 People who want their home to feel joyful and comforting — artwork that brings a sense of warmth, connection and calm rather than simply filling a wall.
- 🌿 Fans of contemporary nature-inspired art who like something more expressive and atmospheric than a traditional landscape painting.
- 🎁 A meaningful gift for someone special who loves nature, beautiful memories or simply needs a little reminder to look up and notice the good things around them.
Details:
Size: 94cm x 100cm (30cm x 100xm x 3canvas with a recommended 2cm between each canvas)
Medium: oil on canvas
Framing: unframed, ready to hang
“There are some views that just make everything feel better”