Abundance: Lion’s Ear (‘Shelter in the Shadow’ series)

Leonoti leonurus is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and part of the mint family. It is commonly known as Lion’s Ear, referring to the fringed or hairy upper lip of each velvety flower, which resembles a lions’ ear. Blooms are placed in abundant whorls along the stems of the plant, reminding me of explosions or fireworks. The base of the flowers is filled with sweet nectar, attracting bees, moths butterflies, and sunbirds.

These plants grow happily along contour path around Lion’s Head.

I love the word play of Lion’s ear growing on Lion’s head! When considering this on a deeper level, I feel close to the Lion of Juda when walking on this Capetonian mountain route – contemplating “gehoorsaamheid” (an Afrikaans word referring to hearing and listening) meaning obedience.

My 2021 solo exhibition is titled: “Shelter in the shadow”.

I began my new series of oil paintings during the hard lockdown of 2020.  With the use of strong, deep colours and exuberant brush strokes, I aimed to counterbalance the deep feelings of fear and uncertainty I experienced a year ago. I chose to call forth ‘overflow’ and ‘abundance’ in a time of need and want, and this is reflected in the titles and mood of the paintings. They stand in stark contrast to these uncertain times.

The motivation behind each piece was to bring pleasure, colour, beauty, and exuberance to our lives – and to speak of hope to those viewing them. As always, I used fynbos as my inspiration, but deviated from the exact colours and shapes as I wanted to portray freedom in my mark making with vibrant colours and strong contrasts.

The title for this exhibition, ‘Shelter in the shadow’, refers to the deep palette I used in most of these artworks. When I walk in the fynbos-rich mountain paths, I find my best inspirational material on the shadow-side of the mountain. Here the light is more subdued and the colours of my subject, much deeper. The temperature is cooler, and I can walk slower and look closer. My eyes can focus better. I aim to portray this in my paintings.

On a spiritual level this has meaning for me too. During this past year, a deep truth has resonated within me: ‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty’. I will take shelter in the shadow.