Tag: buildings
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EDM. Every Day in May challenge, 2018
Robin eating cheese, Cape robin-chat, Cossypha caffra Silvermere farm road after rain Blue flowers in my garden. Lavender, Plumbago & Rosemary. Mountain Reedbuck, (Redunca Fulvorufula) on a misty & rainy day on Buffelskloof Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga. Tree by the roadside. Acacia Sieberiana. Portrait of John on his Birthday Grey Crowned Crane, Balearica regulorum, Gate on the Hill Autumn fruits and leaves. Tomatoes, Chillis, Rose-hips & Leaves of the Virginia Creeper. Lone sheep in Karoo Veld Buffelskloof Pine Forest. Mpumalanga Remembering dear Uncle Tony Fitt Mum’s Blue Tea-set, Mother’s Day. Silvermere Sunset and puddles after rain Chloë and John’s Birthday Portrait. Grand daughter and Grandpa sharing a tender moment. Expectant Ewe, lambing season, Silvermere. Secretary Bird, Sagittarius serpentarius Farm Road with Gumtree shadows Mana & Rufus, my brother’s cats. The Doves of Pentecost Karoo, Road through Veld to the Windmill. Sketchbook, Old Farm Boots Commemorating Chelsea Flower Show 2018. Floral wallpaper. On homemade paper. Hansie Lambs, Orphans. The forgotten houses on Buitekant St. Burgersdorp White-breasted Cormorant, drying his wings, Loch Logan, Bloemfontein. Sunset over Farm Dam. Silvermere Windmill Repairs, on Silvermere Feeding Guinea Fowl Clown-faced cow and calf Kalahari Karoo, between Prieska & Vanwyksvlei -
Our Fabulous Scotland Holiday
Although I have never been overseas, John went to Europe for a year when he left school. So this was the first ‘out of Africa’ trip for me.
We decided to take the plunge, when our son, Charles and his wife Janet, had their first baby, beautiful Kayla Skye, in Edinburgh earlier this year. So armed with a new camera and high expectations we left for Scotland early in September.
The new camera worked really hard and produced a wonderful collection of over 7000 photos! But, just once in a while, I took the odd opportunity to do a few on-site sketches.
View from Charles & Jan’s flat, looking towards Carlton Hill, Edinburgh. 
Sheep grazing near Dunrobin Castle, NE. Coast, Scotland. 
The quaint harbour in Cromarty, on the Black Isle, near Inverness. 
Three ewes resting beside Loch Ewe on the NW coast of Scotland. I was so inspired to paint when we got back that I picked out three favourites, to do more detailed watercolour paintings. There are others that I would like to try, but as the festive season is drawing near, I decided to stop with this little selection. It gives you a sample of the delights we found in the beautiful land of fat sheep, rolling green fields, bagpipes and tartan.
And once in a while a little rain was such a treat for us drought-hardened karoo folk!
These are the watercolours, painted since our return:
Lindisfarne Priory ruins on Holy Island, off the NE. coast of England. (A one-day-bus tour took us south to England ) 295 x 420 mm. 
: Beautiful misty scene on Loch Broom, at Ullapool. NW. coast ,Scotland. 710 x 520 mm. 
Two shaggy Highland Coos, on the Black Isle, near Inverness. 700 x 510 mm. -
An Assortment of Requests
These four new painting commissions have kept me really busy over the past 3 months.
Farm scene near Hopetown
Garage composite, Burgersdorp
Sandgrouse Sunset
Zambezi Valley Buffalo -
Farewell to the Fields of Fieldmoor
Sometimes a painting can be a useful and meaningful gift. So, a week ago I popped in to the farm Fieldmoor to take some photos. The farm has been sold, and Kenny and Margie are now starting a new life in East London, nearer to the rest of their family. As the Philip family of Silvermere, and the Field family, have been good friends for several generations, this seemed an appropriate farewell gesture. Leaving ones family home is always heart wrenching, so now they have a little reminder to bring back the fond memories.
‘Fieldmoor’ farm Composite. Watercolour & Pen & ink. 700 x 500 mm -
A Trio of Orders
Styger Farm House. 7may10. 700 x 500mm watercolour. It has been impossible to link these three paintings with a theme, other than that they are the latest big orders that have challenged me since the last post was written. All are completed and have gone off to the respective clients. I did not schedule an exhibition this year, so have been blessed by these 3 good orders. How bountiful is the Lord in taking care of our needs!
Karoo landscape with Guinea Fowl, 21may10. Watercolour, 700 x 500mm. 
Eighteen Animals Required. 23june10. Watercolour, 700 x 500mm. -
Kings and Castles
“A man’s home is his wife’s castle.” Alexander Chase
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…)
