Last month we went down to Adelaide for a Birthday party and left early in the morning, so that the sun was still low on the eastern horizon when I photographed this beautiful view beside the road. Just had to paint it !! Hope you like it too.
Tag: oil painting
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Ewe and Twins
Every now and then I go out early on a winter’s morning to photograph the two flocks of sheep that spend the night near the house to keep their young lambs safe from predators. This was a little ewe and twins scene that I particularly liked. I decided to do it in oils this time. I love the way the lambs wait patiently for their mothers to get up in the morning so they can have their breakfast.
Ewe with twins, early morning. -
My 2018 Sheep Painting Challenge, no 2
This is the second of my sheep challenge compositions. A group of our Afrino sheep, with a view of our farm beyond, and the Freestate hills in the distance.
Sheep group on Silvermere. -
My 2018 sheep painting challenge. No. 1
Since acquiring a few canvases at a sale at the art shop in November, I have decided to do a few paintings of sheep, in oil. Here is the first one.
Sheep in the Long Dry Grass -
The Buffalo Visit.
On the 20th February, we were surprised to find a pair of Buffalo wandering through our veld ! They had escaped from a neighbouring Game Farm. So we followed them while they were in the road, and I managed to get some marvellous photographs. Naturally I was immediately inspired; one seldom has such a perfect pair of models to paint ! So over the past month I have done three studies in three different ways :Watercolour, Oil, and Pen & Wash.
A Pair of Buffalo 
Beautiful Buffalo 
Buffalo Sketch in Pen & Wash. -
Just for something quite different, – A seascape.
With our sadly oppressive drought, it is soothing to contemplate a peaceful seascape. This was from a beautiful photograph taken by my friend, Riana, who lives on this beautiful coast near Mossel Bay. It inspired me to paint this sea scene in oils.
Seascape -
Hogsback Holiday
In April we took a short holiday to Hogsback to commemorate our 40th wedding anniversary. What a change it was compared to our dry and barren karoo. It is a wonderful jewel of forests and waterfalls and “fairies” ! It inspired these 2 forest scenes, and even a little Samango monkey sketch. We saw so many of them in the trees around Hogsback, and even in the village itself. We stayed at beautiful Nibelheim. Hogsback is an extraordinary place!!
To the Fairy Meander. 
Beautiful river and falls and paths to explore through the forests of Hogsback Swallowtail Falls.
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Karoo landscape with Ngunis.
After receiving another Nguni painting order a few months ago, I was determined to find a new herd to use for this composition. Although I have loads of pictures of Ngunis from various sources, and Nguni stud books going back almost 10 years; the animals in all the various sketches I made, did not relate to each other. This sounds like an insignificant detail. But in order to throw a good measure of life and enthusiasm into the painting, I felt the need to find a fresh new herd. I subsequently heard about a renowned Nguni breeder not far away on the farm ‘Gelykfontein’ between Venterstad and Colesburg.
When John and I paid him a visit, we were totally captivated by all the wonderful Ngunis that we saw and photographed. As a result there were loads of inspiring photos available for this composition.
I then went ahead enthusiastically, and printed up a small batch of photos to start with some new sketches; but as often happens when things go so well, my computer crashed and all my photos were trapped and inaccessible!
The computer went off to Johannesburg for repairs etc, and I was left with only that initial batch of photos that had been printed. How fortunate that I had those at least; and it was enough to get going and build up a satisfactory composition, and at least I had the fresh inspiration in my mind to launch into the project.
Karoo landscape with Ngunis. Oil on canvas. 1250 x 900 mm. I naturally enjoyed using a karoo landscape and background for this painting as it is the countryside we live in, and love ; and the cattle seemed quite at home where they were placed in the scene. Getting the composition right, is always challenging, with considerations like the direction of the light and the way the eye travels in and on towards the distance. There were several times when I wished I had access to all those other lovely photos on my computer (still in Johannesburg). However, it is amazing that it worked out quite adequately in the end, and I have a faithful Lord to thank for that.
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Nguni Herd Returning Home
Exactly 5 years ago to the day, we took a trip across the karoo from Beaufort West to Fraserberg, Calvinia, Loeriesfontein, Springbok, Pofadder, Koupan, Prieska and Philippolis .
While we were visiting Poffadder, we took a couple of trips down towards the Orange River to Pella and Ontseepkans. On one of these trips we passed this scene of a herdsman bringing his cattle home. It was evening, and the soft glow as the sun went down, shone through the dust and that striking scene has been imprinted on my mind ever since.
So I have been on a quest to replicate it as I remember.
It may have taken me 5 years to get around to it, but I am glad that the urge has been satisfied at last.
Nguni Herd Returning Home. Oil on Canvas. 1500 x 740 mm. -
The Big Mondplaas Nguni Oil, – Revisited
Mondplaas Ngunis. 1502 x 953 mm. An order came in recently for another version of the big Nguni oil that sold at Walmer Park in 2009. So I made a small change and embarked on it once again with some trepidation, as there was a deadline for the 28th November. That gave me a mere 2 weeks to complete it, and make sure it would be dry for packaging and sending off to the framers in Pretoria.
Fortunately John had made me a couple of big canvases some time ago, and one was big enough for the requirements.
I did have some clear time fortunately, and was able to get it done by Friday 18 th November . Which means it has an ample 3 days to dry before packaging & sending off; and in our hot and dry karoo weather, that is quite enough time.
Here below are some of the early stages, if anyone is interested.
The process was accompanied by the superb sermons of R.C.Sproul on the Gospel of John,
that I had downloaded for the occasion. It is a truly inspiring series !
Mondplaas Ngunis revisited. Oil on Canvas. 953 x 1520 mm. -
Remembering the 90’s, & Bon Jovi
During the 1990’s Bon Jovi became my favourite rock band and I followed them avidly. In 1995 we attended their first concert in Johannesburg. I also joined the fan club, ‘Backstage with Jon Bon Jovi’, and entered a few competitions. I sent a couple of paintings which Jon and his wife, Dorothea apparently received, according to his Mum. At that time Jon’s Mum ran the Fan Club. I won an autographed T’shirt in one competition, and collected all the Albums of their music. But during the next ten years, although I continued to follow their music and enjoyed the odd appearances on TV, gradually the fervor faded and I gave the subscription money to a worthwhile charity instead. I even forgot about the two oil portraits that I’d done during that heady decade; until recently when a friend asked about them, so here they are:
Jon Bon Jovi, 1995. oil on Canvas 450 x 550 mm 
Jon Bon Jovi, 1998, oil on Canvas 550 x 450 mm.
