Sterk’s technique involves a deliberate dialogue between the physical and the digital. She begins with gold acrylic paint, creating tactile shapes that are later assembled on the computer alongside other hand-painted elements. This process allows for a rich layering of textures, where the metallic sheen of the paint provides a structural rhythm to the abstract garden, mimicking the way light filters through a canopy.

The composition is deeply informed by the artist’s love of fairy tales, specifically the atmospheric tension found in the story of Snow White. Rather than a literal illustration, the work presents a sensory environment where mature trees and hidden creatures emerge from the shadows. It is an exploration of the natural world as a place of both sanctuary and mystery, held together by the interconnectedness of its various painted parts.