Pincushion Protea (Growth series)

This reworked abstract painting portrays a loose and expressive interpretation of Pincushion flowers (Leucospermum). By revisiting the artwork and adding fresh layers of oil paint, I was able to give it renewed depth, movement, and vitality. The new surface carries a richer energy, with flowing marks, layered textures, and earthy colours that create a sense of both freedom and growth.

This artwork forms part of my Growth series of paintings.

Growth

Growth is the process of becoming.
It is progressive development –
increase,
expansion,
improvement,
renewal,
and transformation.

Growth is essential to life. It is how we evolve, adapt, and continue moving forward.

My solo exhibition in May 2020, Shelter in the Shadows, was created during lockdown and reflected a time of uncertainty and introspection. While I still find moments of shelter in uncertain times, growth has become increasingly important to me – both personally and artistically. I continually challenge myself to reinvent, explore, and create fresh new works that move beyond what I have done before.

The world around us often feels unpredictable and constantly changing. Yet when I spend time in nature, especially on the slopes and paths of Table Mountain, I am reminded that growth remains constant. Fynbos seeds still fall into the soil, germinate, and emerge. Winds blow fiercely. Rain arrives – or does not. Fires sweep across the mountain. Seeds burst open. Roots establish themselves deeply. Flowers bloom extravagantly. And still, the fynbos continues to grow.

Over time, my art has drawn me into a place of greater freedom. I often compare this process to a ballerina who has spent years practising technique before finally stepping onto pointe. Even then, she must continue learning to trust the movement, the music, and herself before she can truly dance freely.

In much the same way, I feel that I have stepped away from strict, life-like representations of fynbos. Rather than moving away from nature, I feel I am moving deeper into it – observing more carefully, spending more time immersed in the landscape, and allowing the experience to shape both my thoughts and my brushwork. My colours have become freer, my decisions more instinctive, and my mark-making looser and more expressive.

This reworked painting reflects that continuing journey – a willingness to revisit, renew, and transform both the artwork and myself through the creative process.

This is how I grow.
This is how fynbos continues to grow on my canvas.