Description
Summer Strelitzias — Acrylic on Stretched Canvas, 560 × 710 mm
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
56 × 71 cm
R15 000
Summer Strelitzias is a vivid celebration of one of South Africa’s best-loved flowers. Several bird of paradise blooms rise on their stems in fiery orange and cobalt, their spiky, crane-like heads unmistakable against a dense meadow of slender leaves. Julie Tugwell fills the lower canvas with a tapestry of blue, pink, magenta and green foliage that seems to sway in a summer breeze.
The composition draws the eye upward from the deep, shadowy base through the crowded, colourful growth to a soft, warm sky of pale cream. Painted in confident acrylic, the strelitzias are described with quick, expressive strokes, their orange petals glowing against the cooler blues and pinks around them. The many small marks give the whole surface a lively, shimmering texture.
Bright, cheerful and full of local character, this is a painting that carries the warmth of a Cape summer garden. Its upright format suits a hallway, kitchen or sunny corner, and its bold yet balanced colour brings life to a neutral wall. A joyful, distinctly South African original for anyone who loves indigenous flowers.
Style
Julie Tugwell is a contemporary South African artist whose work shares qualities with expressive, colour-led traditions, favouring energetic brushwork and an emotional response to her subject over strict realism. In her florals she often reaches for warm, singing colour and rhythmic line, echoing the freedom of the Fauves while remaining entirely her own. She captures the vitality and atmosphere of her flowers rather than a literal likeness, creating original artworks that bring 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.
