White With a Touch of Red

"White With a Touch of Red" Painting by Alton R. Lowe

There are those who call the rose the Queen of Flowers; others choose the orchid; but to my mind the tropical hibiscus ranks alongside these beautiful blooms. Over the years I have painted a large number of hibiscus. No two varieties are alike and their varied colors and color combinations are astonishing. This white flower with its striking red throat was extremely popular the first night of my annual exhibition in Nassau.

An interesting fact is how Bahamians display the hibiscus. I remember seeing bouquets of hibiscus in several stores on Bay Street when I was young. The shopkeepers used a coconut straw and picked buds the night before knowing they would flower the next morning in the store. They simply attached the bud to the end of the straw making stunning displays. I even remember seeing a similar display in the entrance hall of the American Ambassador’s residence one evening. Someone had ingeniously attached the flowers to a small sisal plant in a lovely cachepot. What a beautiful sight. - Alton