Barbara Philip

Tag: farm wildlife

  • A little Study of the Cape Hare

    A little Study of the Cape Hare

    Thirty years ago, our son, John Oliver was given a little rabbit called Flapsocks. He was a delightful and soft little bunny, and as these things happen, time passed and we got more rabbits and later guinea pigs too.

    photo of John and Flapsocks

    The wild Cape Hare that we have now, is bigger than a domestic rabbit; but whenever I see him hopping about in the garden, I think of Flapsocks.

    Since the Cape Hare has been feeding in our garden quite often recently, I have taken some photos, with the intention of doing some sketches. Unfortunately my photos were of poor quality, so I found a few good ones on the website : ARKive and have worked from those. It has been an enjoyable little excursion; and a reminder of Flapsocks, and those long ago days when our children were little.

    Cape Hare study 1
    Cape Hare study 1. Watercolour. 210 x 295 mm
    Cape Hare study 2
    Cape Hare study 2. Watercolour. 350 x 250 mm.
    Cape Hare study 3
    Cape Hare study 3. Pen & Watercolour 350 x 250 mm.
    Cape Hare Study 4
    Cape Hare Study 4. Pen and watercolour. 210 x 295 mm

     

     

     

  • The Feathered Fruit-eaters in our Garden

    The Feathered Fruit-eaters in our Garden

    Acacia Pied Barbet, Redeyed Bulbul & Cape White-eyes. Watercolour.325 x 505mm.

    Some time ago I posted a blog featuring the seed-eaters under the title; ‘Feeding the Birds’.  I really love the birds, so I continue to photograph them in and around our garden. Those that come to the bird table outside my studio window are a wonderful and colourful distraction. We feed them seeds and crushed maize, bread crusts, grated cheese, dry cooked maize porridge called, ‘Umphokoqo’, and fruit. The oranges have to be attached with wire to keep them from falling onto the ground below.

    Crested Barbet. Watercolour & Gouache 470 x 285 mm.

    As it is the fruit-salad season at the moment, with oranges and paw-paws in abundance, I have kept the fruit–eating birds happy with all the fruit-skins that they enjoy. The first birds that come for them include; the Crested and Pied Barbets, the Mousebirds, The Red-eyed Bulbuls and many more. The Crested Barbet is so bright and cheerful while all around winter hues still drape the garden in sombre tones of ochre and grey, and the seed-eating weavers have yet to clothe themselves in their bright breeding plumage of red and yellow. Therefore I decided to make a small study of some of these fruit-eaters. The bright and dainty Cape White-eyes are my favourites, so I chose two compositions with them.

    Mousebirds with Oranges. Watercolour. 385 x 265 mm.
    Cape White-eyes on the Grapevine. Watercolour & Gouache. 290 x 420 mm.
  • The First Study of our Silvermere Meerkat Family

    The First Study of our Silvermere Meerkat Family

    Watercolour & Gouache on Grey Canson Pastel paper. 620 x 430 mm.
    Meerkat Family, Watercolour & Gouache on Grey Canson Pastel paper. 620 x 430 mm.

    ‘Meerkat Manor’ on Animal Planet has been my favourite Soap Opera on TV for as long as the series has been running. So you can imagine how delighted I was when our own nomadic family of Meerkats set up home ( for a short while) behind our farm shed. There is a small broken window at the back of the shed, just big enough for my camera lens. I could sit there on the Lucerne bales, with my camera positioned through the hole in the window, and the meerkats were totally oblivious to my presence. So I spent many a happy hour photographing the antics and dramas of our own little meerkat family. It was very entertaining and I am delighted with the good photos I was able to take. There hasn’t been much of an opportunity to really explore them with my paints, but since the pressure of the exhibition is over, I have done a few paintings and sketches. Needless to say many more will follow, but here are the first ones: (more…)

  • ‘Tails Up’ & The Silvermere Warthogs

    ‘Tails Up’ & The Silvermere Warthogs

    This post is about optimism and waiting on God’s perfect timing. The Israelites had to wait 40 years to enter the Promised Land, and I have had to wait many years, not so many by comparison , to capture on camera, warthogs running with their tails up. A friend once asked for a painting of warthogs running with their tails up, and I have failed to find any such suitable photographs. I do not like to paint from guesswork, being rather particular about anatomical accuracy. But ever since a family of warthogs have settled on Silvermere my chances have increased dramatically.  Well,  the wait has finally paid off.   However as often happens, one seldom has the camera when sighting the warthogs. Earlier this year though, John Oliver(with camera) and his Dad were walking at Excelsior, the top part of our farm; when they saw the warthogs, and managed to capture them running off. These action photos though blurred, were then enhanced slightly thanks to Photoshop, and these two sketches were the result.

    Warthogs. (560 x 250 mm. Pencil and wash sketch, on unstretched watercolour paper.)
    Warthogs. (560 x 250 mm. Pencil and wash sketch, on unstretched watercolour paper.)
    Warthogs.(560 x 250 mm. Pencil and wash sketch, on unstretched watercolour paper.)
    Warthogs.(560 x 250 mm. Pen and wash sketch, on unstretched watercolour paper.)

    These sketches sparked my interest and two more paintings followed. (more…)