Barbara Philip

Blog

  • The Genet and the Starling

    The Genet and the Starling

    Last night, while we were watching TV, there was a loud crashing about on our front verandah. When we turned on the light we saw a Small Spotted Genet with his prey, an unfortunate Red-wing Starling. But before I could rush for my camera, he dashed off into the night. The other Starling flew off too and obviously decided this was not a good roosting spot.
    Ironically, I have been trying unsuccessfully to discourage the pair of Starlings from roosting on the verandah. I don’t really like having them around, because they rob the nests of other birds, stealing their eggs; and it is very obvious that the other birds don’t like having them around either. Quite often the other birds mob the pair of starlings, trying to chase them away. But the starlings are very persistent and are not easily discouraged. So this incident with the little Genet last night, instantaneously achieved what the other birds and I have failed to achieve!

    Red-Wing Starling
    Red-Wing Starling

    However I couldn’t help feeling sadness for the remaining lonely Starling, who could be heard plaintively calling its mate this morning.

    Small-Spotted Genet
    Small-Spotted Genet

    Some time ago, we found a Small Spotted Genet in broad daylight, outside my studio, in the bamboos. Genets are nocturnal, so it was a surprise to see it! He was most obliging and waited for me to fetch the camera, and I was able to get a splendid photograph. I have never quite got around to painting him, but this latest incident, inspired me to sketch him here. Whether it is the same Genet, we will never know, – possibly !


  • Feeding The Birds

    Feeding The Birds

    The regular ritual of feeding the birds inspired this latest set of pictures.


    Sketch of The Birds Feeding
    Sketch of The Birds Feeding


    Several years ago we raised guinea fowls from eggs found in the Lucerne lands, and rescued them before the tractor went over their nests. We set them under broody hens, which successfully reared the large clutches of young guineas. When they grew up, they re-joined the wild flocks that live around here. But they always return when they get hungry, and many of the other weavers, sparrows and doves have enthusiastically taken to the daily feeding and arrive in large numbers to mingle with the guinea fowl.


    Three Guinea Fowl arriving for feeding time
    Three Guinea Fowl arriving for feeding time


    A quote from the Evangelical priest and scholar John Stott who wrote a sermon series called; “The Birds our Teachers”.

    “Jesus himself referred to birds in his famous Sermon on the Mount. According to the old English version he said ‘consider the fowls of the air’, but in basic English this is a command to ‘watch birds’. When Martin Luther, the great 16th century reformer, got to this verse in his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, he became quite lyrical. He wrote: ‘Let the little birds be your theologians … We have as many teachers and preachers as there are little birds in the air’. So I’ve sometimes said in rather jocular fashion that I’m developing a new science called ‘orni-theology’, – the theology of birds.”


    Feeding the Birds (50x70cms)
    'Feeding The Birds', (50 x 70 cms)Watercolour on Saunders Waterford.



    Overheard In An Orchard


    One Guinea at feeding time
    Single Guinea waiting for the seed


    Said the Robin to the Sparrow
    “I would really like to know
    Why these anxious human beings
    Rush about and worry so.”

    Said the Sparrow to the Robin
    “Friend I think that it must be
    That they have no Heavenly Father
    Such as cares for you and me.”

    –Elizabeth Chaney – 1859


     

     

  • A Study of Nguni Cattle

    A Study of Nguni Cattle


    Since the 11th march 2007 I have developed a fascination for Nguni Cattle. On that particular day I visited the farm, Rooipoort of our friends Carl and Rentia Malcomess. There I photographed their herd of Nguni cattle with the plan to paint a composition of the herd in the landscape of their farm. I started with a rough sketch here.

    Rooipoort-nguni-sketch

    Then I composed and painted the final watercolour for them.

    malcomess-ngunis

    Since then I discovered that there was another herd of Ngunis, so with the help of the farmer, Hannes Haasbroek, I acquired a substantial photo library for future Nguni paintings. However as 2008 turned out to be an year of no painting, the idea only returned on our trip to the Baviaanskloof in May. Passing a farm at Mondplaas, near Jeffrey’s Bay, I saw a wonderful small herd of Nguni. This was the spark of inspiration that got me going again. (more…)

  • Kings and Castles

    Kings and Castles

    “A man’s home is his wife’s castle.” Alexander Chase
    Sue-Elize Henning's home, near Steysnsburg.
    Sue-Elize Henning's home, near Steynsberg.

    I have just completed my final order for now ; whether it is a house, a home or perhaps even their ‘castle'(?) it matters not, but at least Sue-Elize seemed pleased with the painting. Now there is this  marvellous feeling  of freedom, and the possibilities of “what next”, are quite exhilerating! I’ve been thinking of Nguni cattle as a big oil, or wild cats which are so popular; or sheep, or the Whiskered Terns seen nesting on our Excelsior dam a while ago; or windmills  & dry Karoo landscapes; or butterflies on the Lavender that I photographed a couple of days ago. I’ve long considered an old cattle herder photographed near the Orange river Pella Mission. How beautiful are the rugged faces of the folk we meet on our travels, and I enjoy the challenge of portraying the years etched on their faces in all the nuances of facial expression.

    They are so different from the face of a familiar royal, who some might think, should be king. (more…)

  • Bundu-bashing through The Baviaanskloof, Exploring more Backroads of the Boundless Karoo

    Bundu-bashing through The Baviaanskloof, Exploring more Backroads of the Boundless Karoo

    Weekends away are a rare luxury for most farmers when no-one remains to care for the farm and pets. But occasionally we call upon a farmer friend to pop in and check up on the kitties etc. and we take off for a 3-day-break.

    Last weekend (8th to the 10th May 09) we went down to Port Elizabeth for my Mum’s Birthday and an Aunt’s 90th Birthday celebration. Then we decided to take a scenic route on our homeward journey, through the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Reserve. ( www.baviaanskloof.com ) We have longed to try it, but were warned that it was a 4×4 route only. Well we don’t have a 4×4, only our trusty farm truck, but took a chance and set off at 2pm on that sunny Saturday afternoon not knowing what to expect ! Well, after 5 hours of torturously rocky mountain passes, winding valleys, through rivers that reached the doors of the truck, we emerged as the twilight fell over the valley. The last part, just as the sun was setting was particularly exciting as the wildlife came out to play in the road ahead. There were kudus, bushbuck, baboons and monkeys. We found a comfortable B&B, (  Bokloof ) just as the cloak of night fell.

    Many kudu crossed the road and posed beautifully for the camera .
    Many kudu crossed the road and posed beautifully for the camera .
    Many aloes, possibly,Aloe Ferox, an interesting study.
    Many aloes, possibly,Aloe Ferox, an interesting study.


    The next day we emerged from the valley through the mist shrouded Nuwekloof Pass out to the wide open spaces of our beloved Karoo. We took many backroads through: Steytlerville, Mt.Stewart, Jansenville, Pearston, and over the mountains to Cradock and on home through Schoombie and the beautiful farms along the upper reaches of the Fish River. (more…)

  • Zerendipity Zebras (Serendipity Zebras)

    Zerendipity Zebras (Serendipity Zebras)

    Nancy's Zebras
    Nancy's Zebras

    (Serendipity Zebras)

    I love the word, ‘serendipity’ as I am sure those who love words will agree! It is a word that trickles off the tongue with such delightful playfulness that I felt inspired to use it in today’s post. There are many meanings, including ‘chance’ and ‘coincidence’. ‘Synchronicity’ may describe this happen stance better, it means ; –  ‘unlikely occurrences that take place by random chance’.

    I have just completed two orders heading for the USA, and both contain Zebras. As I don’t paint Zebras very often so this could well be a case of “synchronicity” or “serendipity”.

    As commissions do not appear in my gallery, on the painting website ( www.africanpainting.com ) I thought you may be interested to see them before they depart for America.

    “Whether we name divine presence (God’s Presence) synchronicity, serendipity, or graced moment matters little. What matters is the reality that our hearts have been understood. Nothing is as real as a healthy dose of magic which restores our spirits.”

    Nancy Long (Quote :2504)

    Synchronicity is choreographed by a great, pervasive intelligence that lies at the heart of nature,(God) and is manifest in each of us through what we call the soul.

    ~ Deepak Chopra,( Quote:2505)

    Trophy Zebra
    Trophy Zebra
  • ‘Frantic’, ‘Baby’ & Fragrant Roses (red & blue )

    ‘Frantic’, ‘Baby’ & Fragrant Roses (red & blue )

    I had decided at the start of this Blog to avoid photos of family and friends, and stick to Illustration as the focus of my posts. But in the interests of introducing myself and my environment I decided to put up a few pictures.Here are my favourite sheep ( as we live on a sheep farm) and some of the fragrant roses from my garden.

    franticbaby-b

    frantic-baby-b-2

    “The best things in life are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life’s plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life”. – Robert Louis Stevenson

    Fragrant Roses, Red & Blue
    Fragrant Roses, Red & Blue

  • Porcupines & Aloes

    Porcupines & Aloes

    Porcupines & Aloes

    This last week my husband, John, discovered that the Aloe Broomii which grow on one particular hillside on the farm, were suddenly being stripped, defoliated and killed. Over the years the colony of aloes have increased dramatically on this particular hill, and have been a stunning sea of golden spires in the flowering season. Now about 80% of the colony has been eaten by porcupines, which is so sad! While on the subject, I found some porcupine quills lately and enjoyed studying their variations with paint. How intricate and curious are the patterns and form to be found in both the Porcupine quills and the Aloes.

  • All the Way My Saviour Leads Me

    All the Way My Saviour Leads Me

    Sunday 18 January.

    All the Way My Saviour Leads MeI love this Hymn that my Uncle (Tony) recommended for the recent Book that I wrote; ‘A Family History Timeline, 1950-2008′ and have used it in the calligraphy page here as one of another book I am making for my God-daughter, Amy. It is precious for all the heartfelt sentiments that Fanny Crosby felt when she wrote it despite her blindness, she never blamed Christ, but praised Him instead. So as this year dawns, with all the uncertainties, the hopes and fears, it is good to remember; “For I know whatever happens, Jesus does all things well“!

    As I spent some time reading John Piper’s Blog on Desiring God, I had time to reflect on how much ‘Our Saviour leads us all the way. John Piper’s interview in his post on the Economic Downturn expresses the way God leads us back to all the important things in life and this crisis is just one way that He may be doing that for people around the world.

    And finally, as we forgo the New Year Resolutions which can be difficult to maintain, here are some lists that replace them. I LOVE lists !! Keep these near to your prayer bench. I plan to :

    John Piper’s : 9 Ways to Pray for Your Soul , Texts to Pray for Our Children , 10 Reasons to Pray the Scriptures

    May God bless your 2009, and challenge you to seek Him first.

  • Hello all, and Welcome to my Blog!

    Hello all, and Welcome to my Blog!

    Swallows over Stormberg Spruit

    “swallows over stormberg spruit”  sketched from my computer monitor

    As a self-confessed addict of creative-Journal-keeping I begin this new adventure, in this new year of 2009, to share some of my life in this remote little corner of Africa. We are far from most places, but fortunately not the internet, and therefore not far from all the far flung readers out there who may share my interests and passions in life. So my hope is that you will join me on my visually orientated journey of exploration, and through my creative meanderings, get to enjoy it along with me.

    For almost a year now, I have been visiting the sites of other creative bloggers, like Sparkletopia (the first one I found), and came to realize that it would be a great way for me to keep in touch with friends from all over the world.

    The sketch above was the first that I painted direct from my Computer Monitor as you can see in the next image. This is not my normal painting table, but the computer table. For bigger paintings the monitor can be moved.

    Working on Stormberg Spruit sketch

    Over the years the high costs of printing photographs for painting, have prompted me to start painting directly from the monitor, and though I haven’t painted much in 2008;  due to a death, a wedding & the writing of a book, the New Year holds great promise, and I invite you to visit my studio whenever you can.

  • Inspirational quote. 2509

    To love what you do and feel that it matters – how can anything be more  fun?

    Katherine Graham

  • Rural Life & Karoo Landscapes

    For older images you can upload here.