Worth The Wait
40 x 80 cm. (15.7" x 31.5")
Available · inquire for pricing · email: robert@nitiredjo.com
This painting is called Worth The Wait, which I hope is a title well deserved in the eye of the beholder. While working on it, I found myself contemplating patience, and the quiet rhythms of nature that unfold in their own time.
My paintings take a long time to create because every brushstroke is applied with a lot of attention. I have to trust the process and slowly build the image, layer upon layer, until the painting begins to reveal itself. So as an artist, I believe it is true that good things come to those who wait. Not passively, but fully present and engaged with the moment.
The bird in this painting is a Lesser Kestrel. An elegant little falcon and a skilled hunter, feeding mainly on large insects and, on occasion, small rodents.
Like all birds of prey, its success depends on sharp eyesight, remarkable flying skills, and above all, patience. Lesser kestrels often uses the "sit and wait" strategy, perching for hours to spot movement before launching an attack. It knows that rushing rarely leads to a good catch. In the end, patience has paid off for this hunter. It has turned long, quiet waiting into a successful meal.
Although the Lesser Kestrel looks very similar to the familiar Common Kestrel, their diets are quite different. The Common Kestrel is best known for hovering over fields in search of mice and voles, whereas the Lesser Kestrel feeds mainly on large insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles. It does occasionally catch a small mammal, especially during the breeding season, but insects make up most of its diet. For the lucky falcon in this painting, today's meal happens to be a mouse.
Another example of something that is worth the wait can be found in this magnificent tree. It's a cork oak, one of the most extraordinary trees on Earth.
It is a slow-growing evergreen cultivated for its bark, the origin of cork. After harvesting, the tree requires a full decade of undisturbed growth before its bark can be collected again. This slow process reminds us that some of the most valuable things in life take time, and that patience is not only necessary but deeply rewarding.
Unfortunately, patience has become something of a lost virtue in today's fast-paced digital world, which often favors instant gratification over long-term endurance. The problem is that when we are impatient, the mind resists the present moment and wants the future to arrive sooner.
But the present moment is really all there is. Fulfillment is found in how conscious we are right now. When we fully accept the present moment, waiting is no longer a problem.
I sometimes lose track of time when I'm painting because I become completely absorbed in the process. I may even forget about my cup of tea, only noticing it when it has gone completely cold. In moments like that, patience is not something you force. It arises naturally when you are fully present. Every time I step back from a completed work, I’m reminded that the slow, attentive process is always worth the wait.
"When we fully accept the present moment, waiting is no longer a problem."
A fun detail for collectors: the sides of the frame (dark walnut) are finished with a thin layer of cork veneer. A subtle nod to the theme of the painting and also a perfect conversation starter.
