Mandala Beehive Ginger

Beehive Ginger is a name for the Zinzibar spectabile, a species of true ginger.  It is primarily grow as an ornamental plant.  It is also used in S.E. Asia as a medicinal herb so I am happy to of started this painting in my home-village of Ubud-Bali and then completed it on-the-road here in Mexico & a bit into Guatemala.  The sweet nickname "beehive ginger" comes from the similar look it has to a skep.  A skep is a basket that is placed open-end-down to house bees that has been practiced for some 2000 years.  Believed to have been first used in Ireland, they were initially made from wicker plastered with mud and dung but after the Middle Ages, almost all were made of straw. 

When looking at these types of large waxy tropical flowers, as with the Heliconia and Bird of Paradise, the main large part is the inflorescence and the bracts hold the TRUE flowers which are small.  I have shown a few flowers "popping" out of the bracts.  So, when one thinks they are looking at some large tropical amazing flower, it is really an inflorescence you are admiring...but admiring non-the-less!

These fabulous waxy large tropical plants really do come in all the funky mixtures of colours I portray!  I was originally going to do just a few with a view from the top showing the "mandala-like" pattern they have but when studying this plant more, I just wanted to show the incredible combinations of red to green, orange & red to yellow and also just the tops so the composition was very challenging for me.  I also wanted to integrate a kind of "spiritual feel" with the "mandala vibe" and the sun/moon representation...so, it took quite a bit of effort to get this piece feeling "full & finished".  Now that I am away from the tropics and traveling for the year, I will be adding to "The Americas" Collection as i go!

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This plant can be used medicinally to treat outer inflammation in general.  One must pound the leaves into a thick paste and topically apply it as a poultice to the inflamed areas.  It can be used on inflamed eyes (closed), to treat burns, sooth headaches and backpain.