Nothing beautiful asks for attention

16 Jun 2018 | Works

There's beauty in the ordinary, and when you pause and appreciate it, it reveals its shine.

This oddly beautiful beast I found when I was walking around the Hillcrest neighbourhood, in a flower store that reminded me of the ones in the Netherlands. Among all the beautiful flowers, I saw this one - looking like a green corn with leaves like bird feathers. I was hesitating whether to buy it, leaving the store and coming back. I was worried I wouldn't know how to decorate it.

At that moment, I already had the theme of my next painting in my head: "Nothing beautiful asks for attention." And there it was, this shy little beauty, not asking for any attention! So what else could I do than to take it home?

I decided to simply paint the plant, in a simple vase, to memorize this experience of unassuming beauty.

PS: It took me forever to figure out what kind of a plant this is. I had to bring in the friendly Facebook army, who swarmed out over the internet to do research based on my picture. It's called Banksia Integrifolia, and originates in Australia!