Artworks and Photos of the Maranta or Prayer Plant Family

Prayer Plants get their name from the fact that its leaves close up at night, appearing to be in ‘prayer’.

Members of the Maranta or Prayer Plant family Marantacea often have colourful variegated foliage. This Rattlesnake Plant, Calathea lancifolia, has long ripply leaves with a pattern of dark green ovals branching off the mid-rib on the upper surface, and rusty-red underneath. Back-lit Peacock Plant, Calathea makoyana, leaves in Singapore Botanical Garden. Striped leaf of the Calathea ornata plant in a Bangkok Wat, Thailand. Stromanthe sanguine ‘Triostar’ has striking leaves with green on cream markings on the upper surface of the leaf and red underneath, the colouring making it make it popular for Christmas in its native tropical areas of the Americas ranging from Mexico south to Argentina. Watercolour done at the Botanical Garden in Puerto Vallarta. My reference shot of same plant run through the photo app Sketch Guru. Another watercolour sketch exploring the colour range. In the past I did several larger paintings of the little Prayer Plant in my living room combined with dancing people. I wanted my Prayer Plant ‘dancers’ to raise their arms like the Prayer Plant leaves at night, with the result that they almost appear as leafy angels shouting, “Halleluah!”