"Indeed I see that in your intellect
now shines the never-ending light; once seen,
that light, alone and always, kindles love;
and if a lesser thing allure your love,
it is a vestige of that light which – though
imperfectly – gleams through that lesser thing. (Dante Alighieri, Paradiso V, 7-12)"

My husband was born and raised in Hawaii. I’ve visited many times, but our last trip in June was the first time I noticed that Hibiscus were a significant part of both our childhoods (albeit I grew up in California). Red and pink hibiscus grow at my husband’s childhood home while white hibiscus grow at mine. In North America, hibiscus symbolizes a perfect woman or wife. During the Victorian era, white hibiscus were given as an acknowledgment of the receiver’s beauty. Red hibiscus is a symbol of love and passion. Pink hibiscus, like the one I painted here, symbolizes friendship and all types of love including affectionate, romantic, unconditional, familial, and self love.

I sketched and painted this piece outside under the shade of the palm trees while my mother- and father-in-law splashed around with their granddaughters in their backyard pool. Moments like these make me wonder why so many of us work incredibly hard for a better life when paradise is literally right under our noses–in familiar places like home with our precious loved ones.

I hope this Hibiscus rosa-sinensis serves its collector well as a constant reminder that the finest things in life are most always close within our reach and never as far as we often make them out to be.