In Iridescence, Rae Bassett offers a luminous, larger-than-life portrayal of the elusive Australian native orchid, the Wallum Sun Orchid (Thelymitra purpurata), capturing its ethereal presence in the wild. This rare native orchid, found blooming on hot, sun-drenched days in the white sands of the Wallum heathland, reveals a
shimmering iridescence that seems to shift and glow with the light.
Rae’s painting magnifies the orchid’s form to evoke its mystical quality, with the flower face symbolically tilted to the sun. The petals are rendered in detail, focusing on the play of reflected light that dances across their surface in nature. Subtle layers of iridescent medium have been applied to enhance this effect, allowing the artwork itself to respond to changing light—mirroring the orchid’s living shimmer.
With a deliberately hyper-real and romanticised aesthetic, Iridescence blurs the line between botanical study and mythic tribute. It is both an homage to a fleeting bloom and a meditation on the magic of encountering something rare, radiant, and almost otherworldly in the Australian landscape.
The painting is an original, hand painted in artist quality watercolour on 100% cotton rag Archival Arches watercolour paper. The painting is framed in a gallery oak frame with a white mount matt board and behind premium anti-reflective glass so that you can see the fine detail of the painting in any light.
Limited edition prints of this artwork are also available.