Ray Flowered Protea

I encountered this Protea in Kirstenbosch Gardens early one August morning. It seemed completely unreal - a small, quiet universe radiating a mysterious light.

I imagined that this would be an easy painting to do. In the end I spent 3 months working on it, on and off.
I have found that in order to get the life into the work, I always need to spend this amount of time. It is a question of forgetting what I think I am looking at. By looking deeply at what it really is, I come into knowing this plant, intimately.

For me, this year has been a difficult one, but working with the Ray Flowered Protea has comforted me. In the stillness of its light, I found an eternal strenght.

THIS WORK IS ON EXHIBITION AT THE CASA LABIA GALLERY, MUIZENBERG FROM 16/11/2010

THIS WORK IS NOW SOLD 16/11/2010