Tag: pen and wash sketches
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More Journal pages, August to December 2018
Our Garden Fountain. African Hoopoe Candle and Lamps, during a power failure. Orphan lamb feeding Purple Iris in my garden. Shearing time, Silvermere Apricot Blossoms and Yellow canary Glossy Ibis, Journal page Orange River Francolin -
A selection of sketches from Sept – Dec 2018
Sue & Chloe 
Jude the Obscure, my favourite rose 
Gum trees near the road 
Donkey at the gate 
My love of writing. 
The white bench -
A few more Journal pages
Peacock, in our Guinea fowl flock. 
The African Wild Cat, while pruning. 
Sweet Violets and the Roman Alphabet. -
New Art Journal
Coffee mug, squirrel and birds. 
Bloemfontein, Amici Caffe Bar, scene to paint. 
Sunday morning drive, views and wildlife. 
Sheep in the land, Blue Cranes & Ducks 
Sheep flock. Early morning photo shoot. -
Mini Journal
Even though I have been keeping journals always, I have started using small ones. One is in my handbag for on-the-road, and one is for short entries, when time is limited. Here is a selection from October. It is great fun keeping these, with some small sketches and a few quotes or notes from the day. I used the Paperblank journal
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Lambert’s Bay holiday. 2017
In April 2017 John and I travelled across the karoo to the west coast of South Africa, to Lambert’s Bay. Over the years we have been to different parts of the East coast, but never the West coast. So it was wonderful to experience the wild wild sea of the west coast for the first time. It is such a different coastal town with extraordinary bird life and breathtaking sunsets every evening. Our only disappointment was the lack of fresh fish in the restaurants. Perhaps all those seabirds have eaten them all? These are the sketches that I did while we were there and later in the May challenge.
Boat repairs, Lambert’s Bay 
Last Sunset, Lambert’s Bay holiday 
Kelp Gulls, and Sacred Ibis, Lambert’s Bay. SA 
Lambert’s Bay Harbour 
Cape Gannets, Lambert’s Bay, South Africa -
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. -
EDM 2016, The Everyday in May Challenge.
In 2015 I took up the “Everyday in May” challenge, and when May 2016 rolled around, I was keen to give it another try. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, and hope you will too; while scrolling through these 31 sketches.
Day 1 of the Everyday in May 2016 challenge. EDM 1. 
Day 2. Everyday in May challenge 2016. Benjamin visited recently. 
Day 3 of the Every Day in May Challenge 2016. Sunset from my kitchen 
Common Waxbills in my garden yesterday. Love the way they wag their tails like dogs. 
Day 5, Everyday in May Challenge 2016. Little Karoo scene north of Bethulie in the Freestate. 
Day 6, Everyday in May Challenge 2016, A little marmalade farm cat. 
Day 7, Everyday in May challenge 2016. One of the two shearers we had last week, to shear a few grown lambs. 
Day 8, Every day in May challenge 2016,. The second of the 2 shearers that came to shear a few grown lambs. 
Day 9, Every day in May Challenge, colourful farm fowls seen recently. 
For those who would like to add their own colours, I added this original line drawing. 
Day 10, Every Day in May 2016, a little misty scene on Silvermere. 
Day 11, Every Dayin May challenge, sheep portrait from one of our Afrino flock 
Day 12, Everyday in May Challenge, a detail of one of the Acacias we have on Silvermere. 
Day 13, Everyday in May Challenge, Eggs in three of my favourite old eggcups. 
Day 14, Everyday in May Challenge 2016, The informal settlement on the edge of Aliwal North. 
Day 15, Everyday in May challenge 2016, “Happy Birthday” to Grandpa & Granddaughter who share the 15th May Birthday. 
Day 16, Everyday in May challenge 2016, I used a turtle dove and my Bible to illustrate the commemoration of Pentecost. 
Day 17, Everyday in May Challenge 2016, lovely view of the autumn-leafed trees from the bridge over the Stormberg Spruit. 
Day 18, Everyday in May Challenge 2016, While taking photos of a herd of Sable Antelope recently, I noticed all the young ones in a group together. 
Day 19, Everyday in May Challenge 2016, Autumn trees beside the road at Sonskyn. 
Day 20, Everyday in May Challenge 2016, We have employed two fencers to make repairs to all the Silvermere fences that have deteriorated. 
Day 21, Everyday in May Challenge 2016, The second of our two fencers working here since April. 
Day 22, Everyday in May Challenge 2016, three of the Sable Antelope that I photographed on a neighbouring farm recently. 
Day 23, Everyday in May Challenge 2016, A little view of our farmyard buildings, as seen when driving down our road. 
Day 24, Everyday in May Challenge 2016. Very few roses left in my autumn rose garden, except these two, in celebration of the start of the Chelsea Flower Show that started today. 
Day 25, Everyday in May Challenge 2016, three of our orphaned lambs. 
Day 26, Everyday in May Challenge, 2016, In 2008 we had a devastating veld fire that burnt some of our veld and our neighbour’s farm too. 
Day 27, Everyday in May Challenge 2016, A little farm road with gate and windmill, below the dam wall. 
Day 28, Everyday in May Challenge 2016, A little winter scene, from 2014, early in the morning with frosty sheep. 
Day 29, Everyday in May Challenge 2016, One of my favourite birds that is now nesting in the trees nearby. Such lovely chatty and cheerful characters 
Day 30, Everyday in May Challenge 2016, A view of rain falling over the Kramberg mountain, from the Knapdaar to Burgersdorp Road. 
Day 31, of the Everyday in May Challenge 2016. Decided to do some calligraphy for this final day of the challenge, with an encouraging message to end off with ! -
The Every-Day-In-May Challenge, 2015
The Every-Day-in-May Challenge seems to be quite popular with many artists, but I only discovered the trend this year. I decided to give it a go, but chose not to use the popular subject prompts. I did a picture every day in May inspired by the day’s events or particular beauty found on that day. So, here are the daily sketches in order from 1 to 31 for the number of days in May. Please note that they are all a uniform size, ( 7.50 x 5.75 inches, or 190 x 145 mm ) They are in a small sketch book that has only 30 pages. The 31st May sketch is on a separate piece of paper measuring , 9.50 x 6.30 inches or 240 x 160 mm. None of these sketches appear in the galleries on the right, so email me if you are keen on purchasing any of them, and quote me the day and number of the drawing.
Pears Soap 
Lynx or Caracal 
Warthogs 
Autumn leaves 
Lamb Races 
Travel Sketch 
Patricia 
Nasturtiums 
Windmill & water tank. 
Egyptian Geese on the dam. 
Ground Squirrel 
Chloë 
Hill & house. 
Spotted Eagle Owl 
My dear husband, John. 
Crows on Agaves 
Two little Lambs 
Rose. ‘Sheila’s Perfume’. 
Out walking with John. 
Pair of Steenbuck. 
Moonrise reflection, with windmill. 
Three White Horses 
Windmill & Pepper Tree 
Sheep arriving for the evening feed. 
Laughing Doves 
Sunset Windmill. 
Persimmons. 
Border Collie, ‘Scot’ 
NG Kerk, Burgersdorp. detail. 
pair of Yellow Mongoose. 
Silvermere, farm road. -
The Christmas 2012 Painting Challenge.
John and I could not resist the temptation to take on another painting-a-day challenge when he came home for the Christmas holidays. It was perhaps even more challenging to find scenery or subjects that we had not done last year. So, even though this Christmas threw in some extra complications, like a new granddaughter, which meant that there was not always time to fit in a painting session each day for me; but John did succeed in his aim to do a painting a day. Here are the sketches from the 15 days of the challenge. All of mine are 400 x 320 mm. which is close to the standard A3 format.
Day 1.—- 21 Dec.2012 Behind the workshop. We painted different scenes while still sitting next to each other. The resident Ground Squirrels were so curious that they came to see if they could find anything to eat in the basket next to my chair ! John’s pen & ink drawing is on the left and mine is on the right.
Day 2. —- 22 Dec.2012. The old fowl run behind the house. This time we did the same scene. John in pen & ink is the top picture. Mine is below.
Day 3.— 23 Dec 2012. Sketching in a small patch of shade near the garage. We chose different subjects: John, the bell and tree that I have painted before, and I chose to sketch the lambs that were also squeezing into the same patch of shade, on the other side of the gate. It was fun to stick to a black & white pencil study, with a grey wash background.
Day 4 & 5. — 24 Dec 2012. Christmas Eve was a particularly busy day for me, so John sketched alone,… the bicycle under the gum tree. His is the top sketch on the left. Whereas, on Day 5, Christmas Day, I was free to sketch the bicycle scene. John then turned his attention beyond the tree to the road that leads to the grid. He painted that scene in oils.
Day 6.—26 Dec.2012. Sketching at Excelsior. While John concentrated on one of the gum trees, I was more fascinated by the cattle under the gums.
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As my delightful little granddaugter and her parents were leaving for their seaside holiday on the 29th, I decided to give up sketching and spend more time with Sue and Chloë.
Day 7, 8 & 9. —-27 – 29 Dec 2012. The warthog skull and other scenes. While I spent time with Chloë & Sue, John painted the scenes top left, and the pen & ink of the warthog skull, bottom right. Then on Day 9 when Sue’s family had left, John and I sat together and did the other 2 sketches. I liked the skull but decided to put it onto a chair in the gardern where we sat. John chose the scene of the two store room doors and window.
Day 10. —30 Dec.2012. Old Wildebeeshoek shed. This is on our neighbour’s farm and was great fun to do. Below is a picture of the two of us painting the scene.
Day 11.— 31 Dec 2012. New Year’s Eve. Dairy session. The quest to find a shady spot always dictates the subject of our painting during the HOT, HOT days of summer. We found a little patch of shade between the stable building and the dairy. We could not sit side by side because it is a narrow passageway, so we sat with our backs to each other facing in opposite directions. John did the series of 4 gates, and I did the blue door of the Old Dairy.
Day 12 .— 1 Jan.2013. New Year’s Day. The Front Steps. John’s is the top sketch.
Day 13. — 2 Jan 2013. I put too much detail into the “On the Steps” picture that it got too late and the light was poor, so I had to finish the next day. While I did that, John did a lovely spontaneous sketch of the fountain.
Day 14. —3 Jan 2013. Old tyres and the view North. We sat together again, but did not paint the same scene. We were under the big gum trees near the Pig-sties. John chose to isolate a pile of tyres nearby, in oils ( top picture); and I chose the far scene beyond.
Day 15. — 4 Jan 2013. The Fountain Gate. Our last day of the challenge! Although we chose the same scene, I particularly wanted to concentrate on the cypress tree, so eliminated the tree that was close to the gate. It is called, ‘artistic licence’ I think. That is why our scenes look different. John’s in oil, is at the top.
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Eland Antelope Study.
I don’t often paint eland, so with a recent order I felt the need to do some drawings before the final painting. It was quite an enjoyable exercise.
Pencil drawing of an Eland's head. 290 x 210 mm. 
Eland sketch. Pen & Pencil crayons. 290 x 210 mm. 
Four Eland. Pen & wash sketch. 360mm x 280 mm. 
Kruger's Kop with 3 Eland. Watercolour. 520 x 350 mm. -
Sheep Study Two
Here are a few more sheep sketches and paintings.
"I know you're there" sheep sketch. watercolour & ink on cartridge. A4 I have an enormous online library of quirky and entertaining photos of sheep taken over the years; and now that photography is digital, it is so easy to capture moods and attitudes at every available opportunity, without the costs of printing them all.
'Two Ewes & a Lamb'. 350 x 250 mm watercolour. There was a time when I spent far too much on frequent trips to the nearest Foto-First (200 kms away) in Bloemfontein.
'Ewe with twins, cold winter morning'. 325 x 240 mm. watercolour. But now, with the aid of a trusty printer, I am able to only print what I want to paint, at the moment when inspiration strikes.
"Ewe with twins sketch", watercolour and ink. 320 x 240 mm It was difficult to choose just 4, for this set, but I really must move on to some other subject matter now. I can’t imagine there are many of you out there who are so entranced by sheep as I am, so I promise to put sheep aside for the moment!
