-
The First Study of our Silvermere Meerkat Family
On Silvermere we have our own entertaining Meerkat Family, like my favourite Soapie, ‘Meerkat Manor’. I have secretly photographed them through a broken window in the shed, and started painting them in this first group of studies.
-
G.K.Chesterton and the Donkey
My Love of Donkeys and the gifted writings of G.K.Chesterton inspired this post. In recent years Donkey Carts have become popular in paintings, and I am constantly challenged by a need to keep them authentic.
-
The Lion, the Lamb, and the Exhibition.
Our First Exhibition in almost two years, was a great success! It was preceded by a flurry of activity and two quick paintings that inspired the inclusion of this meaningful verse; “The lion and the Lamb”
-
For the Love of Fragrant Roses
The Warthogs that visited our garden recently, were frustrated by the electric fence that protects my precious roses. I am passionate about old fashioned fragrant roses, and they have inspired not only this big painting in my kitchen, but a new one that has just been completed for the September Exhibition.
-
‘Tails Up’ & The Silvermere Warthogs
This story is about living with Optimism, the optimistic demeanour of Warthogs, and my patient wait to capture them running with their tails up. I was finally rewarded when John Oliver captured the perfect photos, here on Silvermere, that inspired this set of Warthog paintings.
-
Travel Notebook & High Speed Sketching.
As a passenger on long trips across South Africa, it is good to have something absorbing to do. Taking photographs and sketching the passing scenery is both challenging and enjoyable for me. Through this, my love of pen and wash has been revived, after many years of neglect.
-
The Genet and the Starling
Living on a farm means that encounters with wildlife are quite a normal occurrence. This incident happened just outside our living room late one evening, while we were watching television.
-
Feeding The Birds
The daily ritual of feeding our guinea fowl and all the other birds that arrive for the feast, inspired not only these sketches and paintings, but a reflection on how the birds can teach us to have faith in our Heavenly Father.
-
A Study of Nguni Cattle
Nguni cattle have been painted skilfully by many artists, but I never considered that it might become my own challenge too. In 2007 I received a commission to paint them, and so began a long journey that culminated, just recently, in the completion of this BIG oil painting of Ngunis.
-
Kings and Castles
There was a feeling of exhilaration as my latest commissions came to an end. The possibilities of what to paint next, were quite exciting, particularly since the painting of these two portraits and the home of a friend on a farm near Steynsburg.
-
Bundu-bashing through The Baviaanskloof, Exploring more Backroads of the Boundless Karoo
We have had a long-standing ambition to see the legendary Baviaanskloof. So, in May, after a brief visit with family in PE, we took the adventure trail through the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Reserve, and on homeward through our Beloved Karoo.
-
Zerendipity Zebras (Serendipity Zebras)
It is not often that a coincidence like this happens in painting; when I receive two separate commissions containing zebras, both destined for America. “Serendipity” seemed like an appropriate word to describe this chance occurrence.