I have set the greenery beyond a window and placed geometric shapes that echo the topiary on the sill." 'Trompe l'œil' translated from French means 'trick the eye'. It is a mural art technique involving life-like imagery in order to create an illusion. Depicted objects appear ‘real’ in three dimensions, instead of actually being a two-dimensional painting.

Daphne Gradidge studied at Winchester, Nottingham and the Slade Schools of Art. She worked initially in Theatre Design, and then applied that experience to mural painting. Murals were the main part of her work for some years, before she prioritised small-scale work.

As a mural painter, she has carried out commissions for private homes as well as for a number of hospitals, including several ceilings for the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. During the past five years she has had four solo exhibitions of her paintings at London galleries and art fairs. She is a member of the Art Workers' Guild.

Her work can also be seen in the Colposcopy Room of the Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department at Salisbury District Hospital. The mural panel is a ceiling piece, designed to be mounted around the room ceiling light, and was decorated with British native birds and trees. The viewer can imagine that they are looking up through a skylight. This work was installed on Christmas Eve 2003 and has been enjoyed since by staff and patients alike.