I recently painted this Protea as part of my 'Native Instincts' exhibition in 2017. We seem to have adopted the Protea species as one of our native favourites, although it's actually a species from South Africa! I love them enough to have had them as my wedding bouquet! This is quite a large painting which I enjoyed experimenting with a layered, muted baground. I employed this technique in other paintings, sensing that it worked quite successfully. I feel that the leaves are part of the attraction with this flower as they have a life of their own, swaying and reaching rather gesturally. Again, the reflections in the glass vase added another element of challenge. It's quite a contemporary piece that would suit so many spaces.