Our memorable trip through Italy continues with the next 10 paintings. First Verona and then on to Como via Peschiera del Garda. Then we traveled down to stay with a penpal near Imola. After this we moved on to Tuscany.
Tag: travel sketches
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Our trip to Italy, 2019. Part 2. Verona, Como & Imola.
This statue made by the Veronese sculptor, Mario Salazzari. is one of 4 beautiful statues on the ends of the famous bridge. ‘Il Ponte della Vittoria’, just outside our B&B, Lady Verona. In Verona Italy. Verona view from Il Ponte della Vittoria, on the Adige River. the exquisite “Giardino Giusti”, a classic Renaissance style garden, hidden behind a simple door in the wall of a street in Verona. This is the view as seen from the entrance. Giardino Giusti Gardens, Verona. A magnificent sea of green, so exquisite, so peaceful !! Have always wanted to visit a classic Renaissance garden, so I felt that it was just my personal piece of heaven… Then to complete the picture, a cute kitty appeared and all was right with the world. This Madonna wall shrine is called, “L’Immacolata capitello “. I may not be a Catholic but having been educated in a Catholic Convent in Rhodesia, these ‘shrines’ have a nostalgic quality. We saw so many throughout our trip around Italy, but this is by far the most beautiful. Peschiera del Garda. It is on the southern tip of Lago di Garda. We passed by here and stopped briefly for breakfast, on our way from Verona to Lecco, on Lago di Como. Swans at sunset, – Lecco. Lake Como. After we had arrived at Lecco and booked into our accommodation, we took an evening stroll along the promenade beside the lake with the swans. So beautiful !! Varenna, Lago di Como. We drove around Lake Como, and though there were several wonderful views, this is the one I loved the most. Roadside scene near Parma, Emilia-Romagna. Italy. Old farmhouse near Imola. Emilia Romagna. Italy. Springtime. -
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. -
Travel Notebook & High Speed Sketching.
To paint… to travel… to combine the two… is to celebrate life. Jack R. Brouwer
“A traveller without observation is a bird without wings.” — Moslih Eddin Saadi
When travelling the long distances across South Africa, it is advisable, as a passenger, to have an entertaining pastime. For some reading, napping or listening to the radio helps while-away the hours. For me the most appealing options are; photographing the passing landscape or sketching it, depending on whether it is a small country road or a main highway. The highway is usually smooth and therefore I choose to sketch, while the small roads are too uneven for painting, so I photograph interesting scenery as we speed past.
Occasionally we have to turn around and return for some better shots of particularly inspiring scenes. On this last trip to Johannesburg last week; we took an alternative route up and therefore found several reasons to turn around: a suburban dam beside the gold mining town of Odendaalsrus with hundreds of feeding flamingoes; a little donkey cart loaded with passengers, on the road from Klerksdorp to Ventersdorp; a colourful cottage with an old grandmother and a toddler sunning themselves on the front steps; and a gravel driveway with some lovely old trees.
On our return from this particular trip to Johannesburg to visit our son, John; I realized that I was missing some interesting scenes as we sped by at 120 kms an hour on the main freeway. Usually much of the sketch is completed from memory, when it has passed us by at high speed, but I decided to photograph the good scenes, and finish the sketch from the viewer on my camera. This has made it possible to include more detail than would be possible from memory alone. (more…)
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Bundu-bashing through The Baviaanskloof, Exploring more Backroads of the Boundless Karoo
Weekends away are a rare luxury for most farmers when no-one remains to care for the farm and pets. But occasionally we call upon a farmer friend to pop in and check up on the kitties etc. and we take off for a 3-day-break.
Last weekend (8th to the 10th May 09) we went down to Port Elizabeth for my Mum’s Birthday and an Aunt’s 90th Birthday celebration. Then we decided to take a scenic route on our homeward journey, through the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Reserve. ( www.baviaanskloof.com ) We have longed to try it, but were warned that it was a 4×4 route only. Well we don’t have a 4×4, only our trusty farm truck, but took a chance and set off at 2pm on that sunny Saturday afternoon not knowing what to expect ! Well, after 5 hours of torturously rocky mountain passes, winding valleys, through rivers that reached the doors of the truck, we emerged as the twilight fell over the valley. The last part, just as the sun was setting was particularly exciting as the wildlife came out to play in the road ahead. There were kudus, bushbuck, baboons and monkeys. We found a comfortable B&B, ( Bokloof ) just as the cloak of night fell.
Many kudu crossed the road and posed beautifully for the camera . 
Many aloes, possibly,Aloe Ferox, an interesting study. The next day we emerged from the valley through the mist shrouded Nuwekloof Pass out to the wide open spaces of our beloved Karoo. We took many backroads through: Steytlerville, Mt.Stewart, Jansenville, Pearston, and over the mountains to Cradock and on home through Schoombie and the beautiful farms along the upper reaches of the Fish River. (more…)