Just Marley

My sister has a Lab puppy, Marley, who has such character! I just HAD to photograph him with visions of painting this loveable poochie before he gets too big. In this sketch, I was playing with colour ideas for a larger piece which I hope to paint after I get back from my trip to Pilanesberg Game Reserve....

Mama Africa.

I tried something different the other day! This is a design in watercolours from my head. I wanted to portray numerous elements of Africa. The elements which brings this picture together are the cornerstone which strongly define this continent's balance in nature of Africa today. I brought components from the whole continent into the painting. A Zulu woman from Southern Africa (Mama Africa), the landscape in the painting is more that of arid, harsh, sweltering north Africa. The animals represent the prominent wildlife which are found in parts of Africa.

The (African) lady with a zebra pattern on her clothing is representational of the people of Africa. She is the balance between nature and man. The elephant and seed pod with foliage are the symbols of nature which live in harmony. Below the trees on the top left, are the roots which anchor the elements firmly in the African soil. The arid landscape depicts the decay of nature, emphasizing the need to preserve what we have or it will be destroyed, hence the dead tree and Buffalo skull.


It's not very visible on the screen... but in the bottom right of the painting is a tiny dung beetle rolling his dung ball to it's nest! :)