Trip into Town

I've had a lull with watercolours of late, but have found some inspiration to get some paintings ready for the 85th National exhibition coming up in March. The paintings have to be submitted next week!
This is a sneak peek of one I'm quite excited about. Have a long way to go but I'm taking my time on this as I'm enjoying it so much.
Started of with a wet in wet wash of FUM, Indigo and Y Ochre. Let that dry and have started adding details to the subject.

Have a great weekend every one and catch up with you soon!

Till next time.....

Sketches and studies of the West Coast

I am here, haven't fallen off the face of the earth, just yet! Thought I'd catch up a bit and share with you some news.

I cannot believe there are 25 days till Christmas! I have so much to do before we leave for our annual holiday to the coast. But the spirit of Christmas is upon me as I have started making some Christmas presents and am about to pick out a colour theme for my tree. I don't take all my decorations on holiday with us as we wouldn't be able to get much else in the trailer! I normally buy a live pine branch from the Salvation Army, but that became a mission as they were an hour away from our holiday home. Then a nursery used to sell them on the side of the road not far from us but their branches were sparse and empty and not very attractive. I finally invested in a lovely artificial tree a few years ago which we take with us and pack it back up in its box each year. I love Christmas time as it's a time of giving and spirited with happy moments indulging in family and loved ones in a special place we love... the coast. I am so blessed!

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to travel down to the West Coast in the Cape. I wanted to capture some scenes of life there as it's fascinatingly different in contrast to the east coast where we normally spend our holidays. The people are different and the vegetation rich with low-lying indigenous fynbos and contrasting in comparison to the the east coast. My main aim was to take a trip up north to a little place called Paternoster. Legend has it that the the village derived it's name from the grateful prayers of the shipwrecked sailors, Paternoster meaning 'Our Father'. An old fishing village where fishermen still moor their boats on the beach after bringing in their catch of the day. The feeling of a bygone era still permeates the air with the quaint little whitewashed cottages that hug this small stretch of coastline and fishermen selling crayfish from their boats. Many an artist has painted the beach scenes there and have felt the urge to share in 'their way' the life of this attractive village.

My first small study sketch of boats on the beach at Paternoster

Colourful boats moored on the beach

White pristine beaches with the old fishermen cottages...

 but the waters are icy cold

Fisherman coming in with their catch of the day. 

 'Bokkoms' (sardines) hanging out to dry. I typical sight in 

Paternoster and delicacy of the locals.

I will be painting more of this beautiful trip I took to the west coast and show you the diverse scenes of the Cape. Now where did I put my painting hat??????

Till another time.... have fun painting!

Scorched Earth

I'm really enjoying my landscapes at the moment. It's always good to try out new things and subjects, in fact it's quite refreshing.Landscapes have never been my strong point, but I've recived wonderful positive feedback regarding the few that I've done.

This one is a light sketch of  the Namib desert in Namibia, north of South Africa. With it's vast open thirsty plains and dunes, it's surprising how much life lives there. The rains frequent only every 10 years or so, but the flora and fauna which thrive there are all accustomed to the scorching heat.

Game is plentyful, from the little speckly patina (lizard) and meercats to big cats like the leopard and lion. Each has their use and purpose in the dusty plains of Namibia.

The plant, Welwitschia grows quite easily there, and is considered to be a Fossil. It has a 20m (60ft) taproot burying into the ground. Most of it's moisture is derived from the early morning dew or mist coming in from the coast. Two long leaves grow constantly and fray at the ends from the wind. They are quite spectacular to see! Welwitschia. Camelthorn trees and some acacias are also inhabitants of this arid thirstland.

          The Welwitschias growing in the thirstland of the Namib desert

'The Berg'

While sifting through all my 'binners' or paintings I don't intend on finishing, I stumbled across a sheet of paper with a Diox and Aliz Crim wash on it. I think I started this as an experiment.... It was a sheet of Artist canvas (with Acrylic finish). You will notice on the enlarged version, the woven texture of the canvas.

I remember at the time thinking that the colours were a bit washed out and the pigment didn't run like it does on ordinary watercolour paper but gave it a try anyway. Seeing though it was an experiment I put it aside until I felt need to do something with it at some later stage. Needless to say.... 12 months later, I found it and this morning, through more colours in it. At first I had no idea what the washes represented and hadn't a clue on what I was to do with it, but after staring at it for some time..... a picture appeared in my mind.!

This is called 'The Berg' because it looks a lot like the Drakensberg mountains and terrain here in South Africa. Looking at the finished product now, makes me long to go back and just breath that wonderful crisp fresh air.

The Drakensberg mountains range is a  200-kilometre-long mountainous wonderland and world heritage site Aptly named 'Ukhahlamba', pronounced (ooka -lumba) (Barrier of Spears) by the Zulu people, and the Dutch Voortrekkers 'The Dragon Mountain'. The Drakensberg Mountains, with their awe-inspiring basalt cliffs, snowcapped in winter, tower over riverine bush, lush yellowwood forests and cascading waterfalls, form a massive barrier separating KwaZulu-Natal from the Kingdom of Lesotho, and are the tallest mountains in South Africa. The San bushmen were the original inhabitants of the Drakensberg mountains and they left behind the most beautiful paintings in caves throughout the region. The Drakensberg region include hiking trails, bird watching, game viewing, horse trails and safaris, guided tours, 4x4 trails, quad bikes, golfing, trout / fly fishing, white water rafting, rock climbing and many an artist has portrayed their versions of this splendour on canvas and paper.

This is my attempt at creating an imaginary Drakensberg landscape as I remember on our hikes across the hills and mountains.....

True reflection.

On Looking closely at the painting of my Impala's Soul on my screen, I  was drawn to his eye, I noticed that his eye had a bit of magic in it. Although this painting was a little too detailed and tight for what I had set out to do, I was so excited to see what had appeared in the reflections of his eye. If you look closely, you are able to see the blue sky and some distant shrubs and bushes.

This made me stop for a moment and contemplate what my dear impala was looking at. Was it his alert instinctive nature that was just searching into the distance or had he seen something that caught his astute eye and was alerted to danger? That's the life of an antelope unfortunately... always on its guard! Hence the quote in my earlier post.

Whether in a painting or in real life, the eye speaks volumes. This eye is saying so much to me somehow and  although a bit tight for me, I love this painting and I feel a connection to it in so many ways.

 

Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday!

Impala's Soul

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."
~Herb Caen~

Animals are wonderful to paint... not only do they show character and expression, love and energy but they have the ability to creep into the hearts of all that know them. 

The juvenile Impala that were prounching and pronking around at Jejane Nature Reserve were a delight to watch. We were in hysterics at their antics, I just had to capture these lovely graceful little creatures with my camera. The Impala are very common in South African Game Reserves and are often overlooked as they seem to be grazing around every corner and hill. One starts becoming complacent every time we see them. It's such a shame! We take it for granted as we know there are more herds over the next rise and just drive straight past them.   Meanwhile, they have the most wonderful markings and colouring and have gorgeous big eyes, I think that's where the expression 'doe eyed' comes from........ I also love this quote........

An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language. ~ Martin Buber

I did a watercolour of a male ram I captured as he looked on, totally bemused by his offspring's 'race day'. This expression was a delight to paint...... hope you love his expression too!

 Male Impala

This is the study sketch I did to get his colouring...

 

My 'Gift'

This weekend we spent the most wonderful time at a private nature reserve called Jejane in the eastern part of South Africa just outside Hoedspruit.  Our friends have a wonderful holiday home there and are blessed to be able to enjoy nature at her best.

I am at peace in the 'bush' and find my soul when I'm there, I ditch the heels and make-up and throw on the casual bush attire and comfy hiking shoes. A paint brush and camera are never far at hand. This little quote reminded me of why the bush gives my heart pleasure and brings contentment to my restless spirit.

"The human spirit needs a place where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man." ~Unknown



Although I took all my paints with me, I  didn't get the opportunity to sketch, let alone paint anything, but took loads of photographs. We spent most of the day on the game drive and then retired to the 'boma' (an outside deck or reed/wooden enclosed area) where we set up a braai (barbecue). We sat chatting about the day or just caught up on 'life' over a few glasses of wine. We retired early as we were sapped from the exhilarating adventures in the bush.  The evenings were wonderfully warm and the stars tried very hard for us, although the clouds where giving signals of it bringing overcast weather for the day ahead. In most cases this is wonderful for game viewing as the animals don't tend to hide under trees for shelter from the scorching sun and are easily visible in the veld.

                                            


As a thank you gift to our friends, I painted a scene of one of the roads in the reserve. They were thrilled with it. Hopefully, next time we're invited, I'll be able to see this painting framed and adorning one of the walls in their lovely home.......

Wild Flowers

Another of one of my indigenous flower paintings. I'm not too sure of it's name, but is very simmilar to the Hog-weed. I would love feedback if anyone does know. I came across it flowering beautifully in the Eastern Cape in December last year.

I found myself up at two am this morning so decided to make use of the time and finish this painting which I had started yesterday morning. This was one aimed at the bin  as I was playing with background colours only and tried to experiment.... think it should still be aimed at the bin! Today I remembered that I have a book by Ann Blockley - Watercolour Textures. She did an interesting exercise with something simmilar, so I think I'll redo this with some advice she gave.

 

The inspiration of the wild flower painting

Thank you Maree for enlightening me on its name...

It's Queen Anne's Lace

 

Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do. ~ Edgar Degas

Painting our indigenous Flora!

 

Limestone Sugarbush Protea

Final touches - Face in the Shadows

This is looking a little better with the shadows added and the features enhanced. I had a little giggle when my domestic help (who is a S Sotho lady) saw this.... she said it was "scary" and promptly asked me why I painted it like that. I must say that it does have an unnerving feel about it. Hope she does not think that I was portraying her people as sinister and villainous!

The look I am trying to portray is one of rough rural Africa. The earthy tones just worked well with this subject and gave it a 'wood carving' feel. We have a lot of African sculptors here in South Africa who do the most amazing wood sculptures from the trunks of trees.

What I love about this is how the brown earthy colours meld so beautifully together and frame the subject, giving it a mystical touch.

Second wash - 'Face in the Shadows'

After looking at my painting and studying the shapes that appeared on the paper from the first wash, I was getting a feel of where the features were going to be placed. This was done minus any pre-drawing. After the features were in place I added more structure and depth around the features still adding copious amounts of water to my paper and letting the colours run into each other.

Colours used at this stage were - Burnt Sienna, Cerulean Blue, Cadmium Yellow and French Ultra Marine Blue. I still don't know whether this is a male or female..... will have to wait and see.......

I love watching the colours mingle and the appearance of blooms forming on the paper. I quite enjoy these two sections here... hope they are still visible on the completed piece.

First wash - 'Face in the Shadows'

The hiatus is over!
I am sitting here working on my desktop whilst my laptop is in for a facial, manicure and clean-up . She was acting up and performing incredibly slow and needed a little boost. The frustration of not being able access my blog these last couple of days was so infuriating to say the least but we found the problem and it's now something of the past.

Today I finally got round to painting after a long hiatus. My holiday down at the coast for our summer break was magic but just not the right kind of weather to be indoors painting, . I did however take my watercolour travel kit down to the beach with me in the hope of doing a few sketches to paint larger pieces when I got back to our holiday home. Instead I got so engrossed in a wonderful book.... I did manage to do a few rough sketches one morning under the umbrella after I got a little too sunburnt the day before. I'm also not one for sitting on the beach with people peering over my shoulder to see what I'm are painting. I had lost my muse a bit there as life was just too busy and to crown it all, I had left my quality watercolour paper back home and was saddled with inferior paper.

Sheepishly, I felt justified that the my bag of art supplies took preference over the hubby's golf clubs in the trailer, as I got a few sketches in and it did get used. Anyway, I have decided that this year is going to be MY year and I'm going to paint and paint and paint!

Hope you all have a wonderfully fulfilling 2010 and achieve all you have set out to do this year. Thank you all for your support in my blog, I'll continue to keep you up-to-date in all I achieve this year.

This is a first wash of something I have in mind..... working from my imagination, I am going to see what develops here.....................

St Francis Bay - East Cape Coast

As I sit here in what seems to be an Idealic part of the Eastern Cape coast of South Africa where the sun calls us all to come down to the beach to watch the waves roll in and the children building sandcastles in the sand, teenagers strutting up and down on the shoreline wearing Santa hats or surfing in with the waves, or just simply catch the summer rays. While I soak up the sun, my thoughts are transported to all my friends and family in the Northern hemisphere where at the moment they seem to be having their first heavy snow falls. I must say, I do envy them in a way but I do enjoy our sunny Christmases, with the wonderful warm evenings sitting on the patio with a glass of wine watching the sun go down and enjoying a festive evening with friends around the braai (barbeque). The mood is happy, everyone looks healthy and full of life.....

But one thing I would love to experience is a white Christmas. I picture it as in the movies or on chocolate boxes, where you see families wrapped up warm collecting their live Christmas trees, and warm glowing fireplaces in cosy homes with the snow softly falling outside. Is that too idealistic? Am I just kidding myself?.... I don't know, but I would like to think it's like that anyway. And I'm sticking to that thought!

Seal Point. Cape St Francis

With exactly a month to go before we follow the masses down to the coast for our annual December holidays, I can't stop thinking about how much there is to do still before we go. All these things are taking preference in my mind right right now so I decided to help slow it down by painting  a watercolour of our favourite holiday destination...... St Francis Bay.
This is actually a view of Seal point where the old light house (1878) still burns daily and lights up the Eastern Cape craggy points of Cape St.  Francis.
We love coming to this beach as it is so wide and scenically beautiful. My boys love surfing here and spend most of the day at Bruce's Beauties. So named for the stretch of 'perfect' waves along the eastern side of the lighthouse which were used for a movie called 'Endless Summer' made popular in the 60's by surf enthusiast Bruce Brown.  "The crown jewel to ten years of Bruce Brown surfing documentaries. Brown follows two young surfers around the world in search of the perfect wave, and ends up finding quite a few in addition to some colorful local characters" (IMDB -  Internet Movie Database).

Zebra

I took some lovely photo's of wildlife when I was away last week.. one being a Zebra.....Got my blacks by mixing copious amounts of UMB and B Sienna so I wouldn't run out of my (black) shade. This guy had lovely white eyelashes, which is not always the case. Done on Waterfords watercolour paper 27x38cm. No initial pencil sketch just went in with paint!

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! :)