Bird of Paradise; Strelizia Reginae

This is one of five in a series of paintings called the Common Tropicals of Hawaii.  It is a Strelitzia Reginae, most commonly known as a Bird of Paradise.  The painting represents what most people think of as the real flower but it is actually the inflorescence.  On the left hand side of the painting is both a pencil sketch of the true flower and the root or rhizome.  These paintings take months of diligent study and work painting with a magnifying glass and very small brushes.