Lifecycle

Oil on Board,
70 x 70 cms, 27.5 x 27.5 inches
Ready to hang,
Signed on reverse
Original Oil Painting

I have always loved orchids and collect and grow several varieties, however the orchid that inspired this painting I photographed many years ago when I was visiting a tropical garden. The orchid caught my attention because the centre of it looked like an animal skull. It reminded me that all animals eventually die and rot down giving nutrients to the earth which plants then absorb and which animals then eat. The cycle of life, where everything has a purpose. This idea has inspired both the painting and the start of a new series called ‘Lifecycle’.

I have painted the orchid in question in the middle of the painting and, apart from the colour, it is representational of this unusual orchid. The orchid at the bottom of the painting has been created by including an actual skull of either a sheep or a goat within the flower. The painting is a metaphor for the cycle of life where animals and plants are reliant upon each other. The mute tonal colours of the painting are a reminder that this cycle can be fragile, and threatening or removing an element can put the ecosystem out of balance, which we are learning at our cost.