Fynbos Landscape with King Protea, Chinkerinchee and Sugarbush (Amplify series) 2000x1600mm

This very large fynbos painting was such a joy to paint!  I had all the space in the world (on the canvas) to include my personal favourites.  The background shows dried Protea branches and Restios in a windy grey sky.  The foreground boasts with the king of king proteas, Sugarbush proteas, Chinkerinchees, blue-grey Helichrysum leaves and tiny yellow everlasting flowers. Sugarbush proteas, called “Suikerbos”, reminds us of the famous Afrikaans folk song: “Suikerbos ek wil jou hê”. The Chinkerinchee flowers get their name from the sound their stems make when rubbed against each other by the wind. 

In a large painting like this, I use my entire body to partake in the process of painting, creating extra movement, abstract shapes and flow. 

This artwork is part of my Amplify-series:

Amplify:

I am preparing for my first solo exhibition in three years, coming up in September 2024. I am planning to create new fynbos artworks and to do something completely new to me:  paint the Karoo landscape, where I recently spend a lot of my time. 

I find myself drawn to large scale canvasses, to naturalistic, organic forms as well as drawn to abstraction. I aim to work even more freely and loosely.  I see in the works I am creating, that I am increasing the detail of my subject matter and using finer brush strokes with more detail.   At this stage, I do not want to over think where I am heading, but just lean into the process and trusting the spirit within me to lead my art to goodness and beauty.

As I walk in the fresh air of Table Mountain, I observe the fynbos plants with all my senses.  I look at them intentionally and try to remember not only what I see but also the emotions evoked within me.   Similarly, I look with new eyes at the Karoo landscape and see in my mind’s eye the art that will spring from it.  I aim to capture my personal view in nature, incorporating the shapes, colours, movement of the wind and sting of the sharp winter air.

I need to amplify beauty around me.

I need to exalt the Maker of all things.