I find this shot very interesting. When I first looked at it, I initially thought the shadows around the brushes were wrinkles in the fabric covering the surface, as if the surface were soft. The curve of the surface on the back, which was earlier attributed to short lens length, contributed to my perception error.
The lighting is a bit uneven in the shot... the highlights aren't on the subject, I'm not sure if that was intentional. I'd like to see more of a spotlight on the easel and brushes... kudos on a nice concept!
I really like the thought behind this photo. However, I find myself very distracted by the lighting and the "bent" table (due to lens distortion, I assume).