I am the Eagle

This painting is dedicated to my friend Thys Walters, the falconer, who passed away in 2023. He came to visit me on the farm where I was staying in Stellenbosch and asked if he could fly his eagle. Years later I rediscovered the photo and felt compelled to paint it. While I was working on the painting he saw it and pointed out that all the restraints had been removed from the eagle and that it was free to fly off. This led to a poem to describe what I felt when looking at the image.
I am the pigment of all that contains me
I am the element of all that restrains me
I am the eagle that has been set free