Her Secret is Patience, 2026

Oil on Canvas Board

30×30 cm

Finished with a black wood frame, ready to hang.

In 2020 I planted a peony bulb in my garden. For the next few years it didn’t grow bigger than a single stem and solitary leaf. I debated getting rid of the plant - my garden is tiny and it was taking up space - but something in me wanted to give it time. In the spring of 2026, she suddenly exploded into life, and produced a single perfect peony amongst a bush of green leaves. I photographed and sketched the flower every day of its life, as it transformed through the fuschia to a pastel pink, drained of life and colour, until its petals fell away.

The six years proved worth the wait - her secret was patience, and these pieces remind me of that lesson she taught me.

This piece captures the peony days before its end, as the colour had faded but the petals were holding strong.

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