Beyond the Murals: What I'm Painting in the Studio
Come inside the Atelier Lyrialo studio to discover atmospheric landscapes, abstract paintings, shimmering textures and experiments with colour. When I'm not painting murals, I'm exploring what paint can do and where the next idea or discovery might lead.
10/17/20263 min read
I'm drawn to landscapes for their atmosphere as much as their subject. Reflections, shifting light, tangled branches and distant horizons can hold an entire world of colour and feeling.
The Nocturne above, inspired by Mill Pond in Cambridge, is one such exploration. I'm interested in how a landscape changes as it becomes a painting, how a few dark branches, a movement of water or a flash of reflected light can transform the way we see a place.
Sometimes I want to describe a landscape; at other times, I'm more interested in what happens when it begins to dissolve into colour, movement and texture.
Getting Lost in Colour and Texture
When the paint becomes the subject
Not every painting begins with a place. Sometimes it starts with the material itself: the layering of colour, the movement of a brush, a luminous surface or an unexpected meeting between two tones.
Beyond the Murals: What I'm Painting in the Studio
When I'm not painting murals, I'm still painting. In fact, the studio is often where new ideas begin — with a colour that catches my eye, a texture I want to explore, or a landscape that stays in my mind long after I've left it behind.
My work on walls is only one part of my painting practice. Alongside murals, I explore landscapes, abstraction, colour and the many things that paint can do. Come inside and have a look.
Following the Landscape
From a familiar place to a new way of seeing
My abstract paintings give me room to follow these discoveries without deciding too early where they should lead. I can build up a surface, soften it, scrape it back or introduce a new colour and see what happens.
I'm particularly interested in texture and atmosphere, the way a surface catches the light, and how a painting can suggest depth without describing anything literally.
What Finds Its Way onto the Walls?
One practice, many possibilities
Landscape painting, abstraction and mural work might seem like different disciplines, but for me they are closely connected. They all involve looking at colour, understanding how light behaves, building atmosphere and discovering how a painted surface can change the way we experience a space.
An idea that begins on a small panel might eventually inspire a colour palette, a painted detail or an entirely new direction for a mural. Equally, working on a large wall can influence the way I approach a painting in the studio.
Not every experiment needs to become a commission or a finished product. Sometimes the value lies in exploring an idea simply because it is intriguing.
1. The original exploration
Layers of soft silver, warm neutrals and a fine trace of pink. I'm exploring how colour and texture can create depth and movement, even within a restrained palette.
2. The wallpaper development
What begins as a small exploration can suggest possibilities on a much larger scale. Could these colours and textures become a bespoke wallcovering, designed around the character of an interior?
The Work Continues
The studio is a place for curiosity, experimentation and the occasional surprise. I'm always looking for new ideas, following unexpected directions and discovering what happens when I let the paint lead the way.
Whether I'm creating a bespoke mural or exploring a landscape on a smaller surface, the pleasure is much the same: making something that wasn't there before.
And who knows where the next idea will lead?
Atelier Lyrialo — Bespoke Fine Art Murals.
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Atelier by Stefanie Schuessler—Lyrialo · Cambridge · UK · © 2025 All rights reserved