Abundance; Watsonia and Scaboisa

Title: Abundance: Watsonia and Scabiosa
Medium: Oil paint on stretched canvas
Size: 1100 x 1100mm
Year: 2021
Title: Abundance: Watsonia and Scabiosa
Medium: Oil paint on stretched canvas
Size: 1100 x 1100mm
Year: 2021

For this artwork, I chose the salmon-orange Watsonia Tabularus and the small purple-white Scabiosa Columbara as focal points. Watsonias are close to my heart.  When I was born, we lived in Watsonia Street in George and the obstetrician who was present at my birth, called me the little Watsonia of Watsonia Street.  This must have started my love for fynbos for the years to come! 

This is my first oil painting signed in 2021. This series of oil paintings, (started in the 2020 Lockdown) stand in stark contrast to the tense times that we find ourselves in – with many challenges and restrictions. In these paintings, I celebrate Spring and Summer in Cape Town and included some of my favourite fynbos plants: Watsonias; Helichrysums; Gnidias; Pincushions; Leucadendrons and Brunias.

I chose themes for my artworks such as ‘Overflow’ and ‘Abundance’ to bring pleasure, colour, hope and freedom into our lives.

 I used fynbos plants as my inspiration but deviated from the original colours and shapes early in my creative process, as I wanted to portray freedom in my mark making with vibrant colours and strong contrasts.

My aim was to show the abundance of nature after such good rains in 2020 – with a thankful heart. I want the ‘Abundance’ of the subject matter to ‘Overflow’ off the canvas – just as provision and blessings overflow in my life.  May this work bring hope and light wherever it is seen.