This idea started out as a study of orchid leaves which then evolved through doodling into winged eyes. From there this fantastical composition developed and a narrative based around a theme of fertility and procreation played out in my mind.

The figure represents a' Queen bee' at the centre of her hive. Quietly and discreetly hidden deep in the sanctuary of her palace she represents feminine power and I also like to think of her as an Oracle of sorts, like the Delphic priestess who is sometimes referenced as a bee; here she resides over the naval of the earth (as the ancient Greeks referred to the site of Delphi) and as a channel through which truth is sought,

The palatial gates are a metaphor for a barrier to the Garden Of Eden, that is the perfect state of the world prior to the fall from grace. The humming birds are enchanting symbols of love and beauty but they are also fiercely territorial creatures here acting as guardians to their garden of Paradise and their source of sweet nectar.

Original Painting Temporarily Unavailable

(Also available as a LIMITED EDITION PRINT)

Details (Click on image to enlarge):

Queen's Inner Sanctum