IRIS HAYNEI PALESTINE

Description

In 2019, I conceived a personal project called, The National Flowers of the World. My mission is to paint 195 countries’ national flowers. As an artist, I found my purpose in contributing to society by educating the masses on the national flowers of the world.

This would include the national flower of Palestine. I wondered, “Does Palestine have a national flower?”

Before this project I didn’t even know that Palestine does indeed have a national flower. I became really excited once I learned this fact. In fact, the Palestinian Council of Ministers declared the Faqqua Iris, or Iris Haynei, as the national flower of the state of Palestine in 2016 (This Week in Palestine).

I wondered how I would find a photo of this flower. I couldn’t rely on the internet, especially since when I Googled the flower, the results were of different flowers that were represented as the national flower for Palestine. I realized it was going to be a challenge in finding the actual national flower. But I didn’t give up on my quest to find it.

Being an international published artist, who has been featured in 3 different countries (Malaysia, United States and the UK) and who has moved from their own home country (Malaysia) to the United States, I feel blessed to be able to conduct this project.

As a former portrait artist turned realist painter specializing in painting nature’s beauty, I paint my subjects realistically so the future generations can learn and recognize the subjects at a glance.

I was determined to find the perfect photo of Iris Haynei and performed many searches to find it.

If you lived long enough, you know the conflict between Palestine and Israel. I didn’t think that I’d be able to get a picture of Palestine’s Iris Haynei. However, when I found out that Palestine had a national flower I was excited. But then I got worried, as I didn’t know where I could get the photo from. Also, I was having a hard time deciding whether I should just paint Palestine’s national flower or if I should paint both it and Israel’s national flower.

But if you know me, I love history. I know about the existence of Palestine thousands of years ago, so I made the conscious decision to only focus on painting the national flower of Palestine. Growing up in Malaysia I have been educated and told stories about how, as Muslims, Palestine is so important to us and we have to defend the land as the land is not just for the Palestinians but for all the Muslims.

Oftentimes we are spoon-fed lies by the media. This is especially true when you live in the West. If you don’t give this matter your full attention, you can get misled by the media. So, I had to put my worry aside as to whether I would upset some people for not including Israel’s national flower in my project.

It was important for me to get accurate information on the national flower of Palestine. However, it wasn’t easy to find a photo of it online. Since Palestine doesn’t have an embassy or consulate here in the US, I didn’t know who to contact to help me with my project.

I spent quite some time online doing research on finding Palestine’s national flower. My effort finally paid off! I found an article by the Wildlife Society of Palestine and they had the name as well as the picture of the national flower. I was elated to find this crucial piece of information.

I contacted the society through social media and also emailed the director personally. I was so glad that he responded to my email and agreed to send me the photo of the flower. What an honor it was for me to create a painting of a flower that was planted in that blessed land.

When I started painting it, I discovered that even though this unique flower has a simple shape, it was not easy to paint. I was wondering how I’d be able to recreate the intricate lines of the flower, especially since my painting was going to be large, 18 x 24 inches in size to be precise.

After I developed the background and the first layer of the flower, I put it aside. I was looking for an effective way to create those intricate lines on the petals.

But months went by and I didn’t attend to my painting. I found excuse after excuse to not continue it. At one point I felt like I wanted to give up because it was such a difficult flower to paint.

Finally I was inspired when I thought about my brothers and sisters in Palestine and all the people who care enough about the struggles and the liberation of Palestine. I needed to complete my painting. I wanted to inform the world about the national flower of Palestine.

So I picked up my painting, dusted off the surface, uncovered the paper that protects it, and put it on my wall easel.

I stared at my painting and I vowed that I would complete it no matter how long it would take to paint it!

I’m doing it for the sake of the Palestinians and for the people of the world to know about the national flower of Palestine.

I corrected the colors of the flower. While working on it, I got inspiration, thanks to God, on how to create the intricate lines. I used a board to act as a ruler and worked part by part, starting from the top section of the painting. As I worked near my desktop monitor, I was able to enlarge the reference photo so it was easy for me to see the details.

With deep focus, concentration, and patience to create the intricate lines on the petals, I finally completed the painting.

As I painted the flower, I felt a sense of obligation to the people of Palestine who are experiencing a lot of aggression everyday. They are resilient and brave in protecting their land. I’ve never been there but to be able to paint the National Flower of Palestine is, to me, an honor.

My mission is to bring awareness to the public that Palestine has a national flower and that this country existed a long time ago.

I offer prints in both paper and canvas in multiple sizes. For canvas prints, you can choose either canvas wrap or with a floating frame. I think you’ll love our framed canvas print as it comes in a gold frame – it will instantly elevate the look of your home!

When you purchase the print, a portion of the sale will be donated to helping the Palestinian people.

Display this beautiful Iris Haynei fine art print in your home as a reminder of the resilience of the people of Palestine.

ART PRINT OPTIONS

Fine Art Paper Prints

• This option is available in 9” x 12” and 11” x 14”.
• Printed on archival-grade thick, fine art paper, 330gsm, acid-free 100% cotton paper.
• Hand embossed.
• Shipped flat with backer board.
• Paper prints come unframed. Place them in a glass frame either with a mat or without.
• Proudly Made in the USA.

Stretched Canvas and Framed Canvas Prints

• This option is available in 18” x 24”, 30” x 40”, and 36” x 48”.
• Be prepared to be surprised with its gorgeous, finished look! For framed canvas print, it comes in a 1.5 inch thick, high quality gold color frame.
• This ready to hang canvas print brings the utmost convenience to you – no assembly required.
• The canvas print is printed on archival-grade, poly-cotton blend canvas using archival ink.
• Proudly Made in the USA.

Free shipping on orders over $99
Made to order just for you:
Fine Art Paper Prints: 1-2 weeks
Stretched Canvas and Framed Canvas Prints: 2-3 weeks