Reflective Encounters

“Hazy summer days can plump the flesh and encourage the mind to wander, which is certainly the case for Sweet Nothing’s central character who is left hot and bothered when the sound of the nearby gardener piques her interest. A sweet tale of female sensuality and mindful onanism, the use of warm hues and layers of textures mimic the drying earth under the scorching midday sun, the use of scattered brushes representing prickly heat on the skin of curved, almost melting character design further reminding us of those heavy, airless days.

The masculine bulk of the gardener stands in contrast to his gentle touch of the plants under his care, creating a sense of excitement for the character who watches from behind the bushes. A sensual, rhythmic back-and-forth of sexually symbolic imagery increases, with a splash of suncream and the perpetual drenching of a delicate flower cumulating into the climax of her fantasy. Sweet Nothing is a humorous and frisky exploration of the female gaze and the agency women have over their own sexual satisfaction, how the often extraneous details that litter everyday life can spur a carnal ache, a need for pleasure or want for physical intimacy...and can dissipate just as quickly.”

— Laura-Beth Cowley