Peyton uses a wash technique, adding layers of thin, almost translucent paint. Her loose brushstrokes create abstracted backgrounds, like the trees in this work. Then she adds more-specific details to the figure in the foreground, highlighting the models’ most recognizable characteristics. In this painting, Peyton shows the figure’s red lips and blue eyes with great detail.
The artist uses rich, vivid colors to balance her compositions. In Nick Reading Moby Dick, the figure’s saturated red jacket contrasts with the dark background. The complementary green trees in the background radiate from behind the figure’s dark hair, drawing the viewer’s eye to the focal point, his face.
Peyton strives to capture life’s simple moments, such as a quiet afternoon with a book. “I think little things are more powerful because they’re more honest, so people feel them more strongly,” Peyton says. The resulting paintings often give viewers a surprisingly emotional glimpse of both the subject and the artist.