Description
Strelitzia
Oil On Board
25 × 30 cm
R3 800
Strelitzia is a striking, dramatic study of a single bird-of-paradise flower set against a deep, near-black ground. Isolated in darkness, the bloom takes on real theatrical presence: its spiky crest of orange petals and arched blue tongues open like the plumage of an exotic bird, while the sculptural green-and-crimson bract curves down to a long, upright stem. There is nothing to distract from the flower itself, and it holds the eye completely.
Julie Tugwell works here with a confident, precise hand, modelling the petals in glowing amber, gold and burnt orange and lifting them with cool flashes of electric blue. The darkness around the bloom is not flat but softly worked in shadowy purples and blacks, so the flower seems to emerge from the depths and catch a single, focused light. The overall effect is intimate, elegant and quietly bold.
Compact at twenty-five by thirty centimetres, this small oil is perfect for a considered spot — a study, bedside, shelf or narrow wall — where its dark, dramatic character adds a touch of sophistication. It pairs beautifully with moody, richly coloured interiors, and its restrained scale makes it easy to place on its own or within a curated grouping of works.
Style
Julie Tugwell is a contemporary South African artist whose work shares qualities with expressive, painterly traditions, favouring an emotional response to her subject over strict realism. Here she sets a single vivid bloom against a dark, dramatic ground, using light, shadow and saturated colour to give the flower presence and mood rather than a purely botanical likeness. The result is an original artwork that brings warmth, character and considered sophistication to contemporary interiors.
Please note: Images are provided as a guide to the artwork’s size and style. As each original painting is photographed under different lighting conditions and viewed on different screens, colours may vary slightly from the original artwork.
