Some paintings begin with a plan. This one began with a feeling.
When I started working on this piece, I had the Serengeti in my mind — not the dramatic, wildlife-documentary version, but the quiet version. The stillness before sunrise. The way the earth stretches out in warm ochres and burnt siennas, broken only by the silhouette of an acacia tree standing alone against an enormous sky.
There is something deeply calming about that landscape. A sense of permanence. Of things that have stood long before us and will stand long after. That feeling became the foundation of this painting.
Two Trees, One Story
The diptych format felt right from the beginning. Two panels. Two trees. Separate, but part of the same world — rooted in the same earth, reaching toward the same sky. There's a quiet conversation happening between them, a tension and a harmony that I find endlessly compelling.
The roots were important to me. In the Serengeti, what you see above ground is only part of the story. Beneath the surface, root systems run deep and wide, anchoring trees through drought, wind and time. I wanted that visible — the strength beneath the surface, the unseen work that holds everything up.
The Palette
The colours came directly from the landscape. Warm terracotta and burnt sand for the earth. Dusty blue-grey for the sky — that particular shade you get in the early morning, before the heat of the day burns it away. White and cream for the branches, catching the light. And throughout, a warmth that ties it all together.
It's a palette that works beautifully in modern interiors — against white walls, above a dark sideboard, in a bedroom that needs a moment of calm.
The Making
This piece is built up in layers of acrylic with heavy texture — the earth in particular has a tactile, almost geological quality. Up close, you can see the marks of the palette knife, the ridges and valleys of the paint. It's a piece that rewards a closer look.
At 130cm wide and 50cm tall, it's designed to be a statement — something that anchors a room and gives it a sense of place.
One of a Kind
Like all my work, this diptych is entirely original and one of a kind. Once it finds its home, it won't be recreated. If it speaks to you, it was made for you.