From an enchanting profusion of vibrant poppies and delicately cascading camellias to a burst of pink magnolias and gracefully drooping fruit trees, Laura White‘s still-life studies are animated by an abundance of fabulous flora that feels fresh from a romantic and rebellious garden

The artist’s subjects are arranged in a loose, effortless style and set within painted Chinoiserie vessels, jade- or jewel-green ceramics and glassware that sparkles in the light. A layered approach to oil painting imbues White’s work with wonderful tonal depth, lustre and textural nuance, lending an element of sumptuousness that sits in delightful counterpoise with her subjects’ natural, unfettered forms.

Steeped in melodrama, sumptuousness and ersatz glamour, these quietly captivating and lushly painted works from Andrea Huelin feel as though they could be glimpses behind an actor’s curtain or set within the backstage den of a smoky lounge, theatre or late-night cabaret.

The winner of last year’s Archibald Packing Room prize for her ebullient picture of the late comedian Cal Wilson, Huelin is widely celebrated for her gently expressive still-life paintings, which deftly conjure a sense of personality, emotion and life – even in the absence of the human subjects who make her award-winning portraits so compelling.

Nicola Woodcock’s exquisite work shines new light on the familiar forms of the Australian bush – from otherworldly banksias to an ethereal profusion of flannel flowers and sculptural kangaroo paws.

“My pursuit of understanding and venerating Australian natives deepens through meticulously rendering their forms in oil pastel. This medium, demanding rapid execution and minimalistic precision, allows me to encapsulate the essence of the botanical specimens. The objective is to provide an authentic representation – not a pursuit of scientific precision but an endeavour to evoke sentiments of awe, gratitude and comfort.”

Spending many hours intimately observing the interplay of plant life around North Head, NSW and the nuances of dappled light as it filters down to the undergrowth, Louise Frith translates her plein-air studies into spectacular, tapestry-like walls of overlapping, almost abstracted flora that envelopes and transports the viewer.

These fecund bursts of foliage are rendered in Frith’s signature painterly style, displaying a striking entanglement of intricate precision and energetic flair.