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‘Kirin Azalea Bonsai’ is part of my “Big Bonsai” series, where bonsai trees are painted larger than life.
The work is built in layered paint skins and acrylic. I use gravity, surface tension and paint additives to create organic textures that mimic the trunk and structure of a bonsai. In this way the painting uses the behaviour of materials to echo patterns found in nature.
The tree is inspired by the Kirin azalea, a Japanese variety that, when in bloom, seems to be swallowed by masses of pink and salmon coloured flowers. Each bloom has a delicate single layer of petals that forms a tube shape.
My interest in this variety has grown alongside a broader fascination with azaleas since working at the River Song property. I recently sourced a few Kirin azaleas for my own garden, with the hope of eventually training one as a living bonsai.
It was interesting to discover that azaleas and rhododendrons are closely related, something that becomes clear when you look closely at their flowers (even though rhododendrons are clustered).
I’ve written more about my large bonsai painting series here: https://www.amandakrantz.studio/blog/2019/05/01/2019-5-1-the-big-bonsai-catalogue
