Being an artist with roots from another country, I always like to connect my paintings to my heritage and those who came before me. “The Scarlet Hibiscus” is one of those paintings. Whenever I look at it, I think of my Sri Lankan roots. The island with its luscious greenery and cerulean waters brimming with tropical flowers, just like that of my hibiscus. From sketching the outline of the painting with dusty charcoal to stroking the canvas with a soft, cadmium red-white tipped brush, truly, this is my love letter to my island paradise.