Tsitsikamma Sunflower

Towards the end of what would normally be Spring Break - but in South Africa was Autumn Recess - our pack of nomads was lead to the Tsitsikamma (sit-see-kahmuh) Nature Reserve by a woman I thought was far too enthusiastic and her driver-of-choice who would disappear every so often during our road trip to get high and carry on. 

We were told that by traversing a particular path, next to the cliffs that inspired Tolkien to invent the Lord of the Rings, we would find a series of suspension bridges. I couldn’t think anything more than “what is so great about suspension bridges?”

As we came around the last curve of sea sprayed red rock, 3 giant suspension bridges floated off across churning black water. These were greatly engineered, and appeared to float on the fog rolling in. 

While in South Africa I was pushed to stop thinking in Black and White, Absolutes, Right and Wrong and see the richness of grays. Later, when we made our way back from the now mystical bridges - every color felt informed by the wonder that was an endless path of floating walkways, the red pebbles were a breathing terra cotta and that succulent marking the beginning of the pathway had turned into the brightest green possible, begging the sun to come from behind the clouds and shine on it. 

By exploring the brilliance of watercolor and a pop of structural bold black marker - I am able to understand and create the ideas of the space in between. The process of adopting the wonder expressed by other people; the ability to explore a gentle painting medium with a bold and frantic line, and the potential to see bright colors even in the doldrums of the day.

The unassuming Tsitsikamma Sunflower was the first to greet me as I left the world of absolutes, and the suspension bridges remain the image I see when Led Zeppelin is singing Stairway to Heaven.