Using curves and distortions of complementary colors, Tennent interweaves three sinuous forms with their surroundings and one another. Their recumbent poses and dreamy expressions reiterate the sense of leisure that permeates the entire image. As the 1930s unfolded, Tennent would increasingly model forms by applying thick swirls of paint with a palette knife, a technique first explored in Reclining Girl (1929).

In her autobiography, Madge Tennent wrote of this work: “In my opinion, it [Three Filipino Ladies] was my best oil in the technique of its time [1928-1931].”