Open my Eyes Painting

Though there is a beauty in the warm reddy-oranges, golden browns and subtle greens of the rugged Australian bush, at first glance there is only the harshness of the rough exterior. But the more I look - the more I pray to have my eyes opened to the beauty around me - the more I see the delicate, exquisite bursts of delightful colour amongst the dry colour palette of dry bushland. I see the tiny, fragile gum nuts and flower buds hiding amongst the eucalypts, their teal, tear-drop shaped leaves shimmering with silver in the sunshine. I see the beginnings of delicate blooms coming up amongst the gum trees, their leaves perfectly framed in stunning magenta. I look up to see bursts of vibrant red against the clear blue of the Australian sky, the waratah banksia standing proud and tall atop her tower of blue-grey leaves. I see the shock of fluffy lemon-yellow blooms overflowing from the flowering wattles, glowing happily in the magic of the morning sunshine, native bees dripping from their pollen-laden branches. And I see the little splashes of white hiding amongst the tiny olive-green leaves of the tea tree, it's elegant branches waving gracefully in the soft, warm Australian breeze. I see the beauty of the endless colour of the rugged Australian bush, within the harshness of the tough exterior. But the more I look, extending to the dryness of the plain, I see the most delicate beauty of all. Breaking out from the dark green grassy foliage, the kangaroo-paw, icon of our country, reaches to the sky. Vibrant yellows, rich reds, iridescent purples, these exquisite flowers extend their open hands to the sky, praising their Creator as they display their elegant, almost fragile beauty...