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.
Tag: Roses
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EDM 2016, The Everyday in May Challenge.
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 ! -
For the Love of Fragrant Roses
It is a strange coincidence that this post links to the previous one about warthogs. Last Saturday we had just turned on our recently re-erected electric fence around my rose garden when 4 warthogs came into the garden. I had finished pruning, and wanted to protect the new spring shoots on the roses. We have duiker and steenbuck that enjoy eating the roses.
Warthogs baffled by the electric fence! The warthogs were most frustrated by the electric fence, and tried in vain to find a way in to the roses. It was most amusing and a great relief that the fence served its intended purpose.
“But he that dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose.” -Anne Bronte
At the time of pruning I was also painting roses, from the many photographs taken over the past couple of years. It was the first time I have painted an oil of these roses. The previous oil which was painted in 2004; when we renovated our kitchen, was painted from old roses in books. It hangs over the hearth in the kitchen, and is not for sale.
My Kitchen Roses oil painting, 2004 “Beauty without virtue is like a rose without scent.” (more…)
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‘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.
“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
