In The Jungle

The lush verdant jungle seems to cover every square inch of Grenada. Plants, trees, foliage I have never seen before, each one distinct from the other and all thriving off of each other's existence. It is amazing to me how many of these plants bear fruit: mangoes, bananas, star fruit, breadfruit, sapodillas, - a virtual smorgasbord of the Mother's sweet treats. As we crossed hills and valleys we spotted tiny houses raised on concrete stilts rising out of the jungle. The colorful paint was the only way to tell them apart from the plant life growing around them. They almost seemed surreal - a modern day tree house for grownups, complete with indoor plumbing. They co-exist with the jungle, a part of its being.

I painted the outlines on the canvas and let it sit in my studio for two weeks before the vision of what I wanted it to look like came to me. I wanted the vertical shape of the canvas to mimic the jungle rising up from the earth. There is a feeling of depth and mystery in the thick undergrowth of the forest - plants varying in odd shapes and forms. I sometimes see the shack situated over a river which flows between its stilts, over rocks, and between the banks of palm trees and banana plant leaves. I kept the palette limited to variations of green - exploring the density of the jungle (in the jungle there is so much green, it is hard not to think in green). This monochromatic effect gives the painting an abstract quality, creating a flatness, a juxtaposition to the stark contrast and depth of the jungle.

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