NEW COLLECTION
“THE LONG BLOOM”
As each painting unfolded, I realised I was painting something far more personal than a flower.
The protea has always represented home to me. It reminds me of the South African landscape that shaped my earliest memories, the beauty I grew up surrounded by,
and the life I left behind many years ago.
Over time, I have come to understand that leaving a place does not mean leaving its influence. My roots travelled with me.
They quietly nourished my life, my family and, eventually, my art.
This painting marks a moment of recognising that the woman I once was and the woman I have become are not separate people.
They are connected by the same roots. Like the protea, I have continued to unfold.
‘WHERE MY ROOTS STILL BLOOM'
Oil on Canvas
60 x 60cm
£1300
Personal Reflection
I finished the first painting in what I think may become something much larger than I imagined.
While painting, memories surfaced that I hadn’t expected. The colours reminded me of South Africa - not only the landscape, but the feeling of belonging to it.
I realised that I have spent years thinking of my life as divided into “before” and “after.” Before leaving South Africa. After building a life elsewhere.
But perhaps there was never a division at all.
Perhaps my roots have simply continued to grow beneath the surface, quietly feeding every new season of my life.
The protea became a mirror.
Its petals open without hurry, layer by layer, just as we do throughout our lives. Looking at it now, I don’t see only the country I came from. I see resilience. I see gratitude. I see the young woman I once was standing beside the woman I am today.
This painting feels like the beginning of coming home - not to a place, but to myself.
A protea emerges from a tapestry of soft sage greens and warm earth tones, its petals unfolding with quiet confidence towards the light. Painted with expressive brushwork and gentle movement, the bloom becomes more than a botanical study - it is a reflection on memory, belonging, and the enduring connection between place and identity.
Inspired by South Africa, my homeland, the protea serves as both a symbol of resilience and a deeply personal reminder that although life’s journey may carry us far from where we began, our roots continue to shape who we become. This painting celebrates growth, transformation and the quiet understanding that home is not left behind- it lives within us.