"Circumstances" Oil Painting - 16" x 12"

The Inspiration

Named/painted from a poem by Walterrean Salley.

I began this work with a special underpainting of bright turquoise, not only my favorite color, but also the color of the stone that is held in high regards in many Indigenous cultures as one that links spiritual realms and earth. Any time I can add an extra element to make me feel more connected to loved ones who've passed, I'll do it.

You can see the turquoise peeking out through the final layer, adding to the overall meaning. I recently visited a known Native American site here in my town and took reference photos of so many beautiful palm fronds. While it was cold out, and the sky was heavily overcast, the bright green palms seemed to sing and pop against the dreary background.

Those of us in South Carolina learned the story of our state flag while we were learning our ABC's. In the Revolutionary War, a fort in Charleston was built out of palmetto logs, which acted to absorb British fire. The spongey, fibrous wood absorbed the impact of the cannonballs, preventing the fort from collapsing. This battle prevented the British from capturing Charleston early in the war, providing a massive boost to American morale.

I also learned just how resilient palms are in general. Not only do they bend wildly instead of breaking in hurricanes, but if you've ever had one in your yard that's causing issue, they're impossible to get rid of. We have one in our backyard that's allowing vines to climb onto a pecan tree and slowly killing the tree. We've chopped down the palm and pulled out the roots a dozen times over the years, but it keeps coming back stronger. We also have another growing out of our fire pit underneath the bricks and disrupting the mortar. They don't give up! Honestly, anything fighting that hard to stay deserves it, so I've decided to let them do their thing. If that's not a symbol of perseverance and hope, despite being cut back, pulled up and burned, I don't know what is.

Anyway, I enjoyed painting these little badasses.

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About

Oil on canvas. 16" x 12" unframed with painted sides, ready to hang or be framed.

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Shipping

Free shipping to anywhere within the continental US.

This painting will ship in 3-4 weeks (currently still drying then will need to be varnished.)

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Pricing

Chosen prices are a direct correlation of time spent creating. Some paintings take 10 hours and some take several months of 60+ hours of work plus dry times between layers. The value, rarity and ornateness of each frame (or lack thereof) is also taken into account.

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Payment Plan

After 48 hours of being listed, available paintings become eligible for an invoice-based payment plan. This payment series is interest-free and is simply the cost of the painting spread out over (up to) 2 payments, spaced a month apart. Managed by Kayla, with no credit check. Please email Hello@KaylaDeVitoFineArt.com to inquire.

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Prints

Prints will be available of this painting sometime in 2026.