#41 Seeing metalasia
Seeing metalasia (560mm x 710mm acrylic on stretched canvas)
Living in the richest plant kingdom in all the world has its obvious benefits, but often overlooked are its invitations to engage more consciously, to see the detail within the larger context, to remember that each plant is a unique expression of a diversity of factors that have not only enabled growth, but even shaped the plant itself. Climate and weather combine with soils and terroir, geology and topography, species and pollinators, fire and drought, even the Benguela and the Agulhas currents are all contributers to each plant’s uniqueness.
This particular metalasia bush stands close to my height, just after the turnoff which leads to the area in the reserve where we often see the mongooses, the otters and the occasional whale. Its wind-sculpted form stands as a beacon, reminding us to slow down and open up to the experience, to engage, and to not only look, but to remember to see, for then the landscape becomes richer and takes on a deeper significance. It reminds us that the quality of our experiences in nature are not only dependent upon the place we are visiting, but also upon what we bring to these experiences, how we look and what we see, for then even a single metalasia bush can become an encounter in itself.
NOTE : I would like to draw your attention and anticipation to next week’s posting – it is a special conservation piece which I am looking forward to sharing with you!
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