When windmills propel gently through the breezes in lazy rotations, or spin frenetically facing into the strong winds that sweep across the karoo plains, I am often mesmerized by them. They knit together the vast expanses of earth and sky, in perfect stately harmony. Like elegant sentinels, windmills tower over the vast expanses of veld that surround them. They have held a deep fascination for me ever since I first settled here many years ago, and have featured quite prominently in most of the karoo landscape paintings I’ve done over the years. Here are 3 small veld scenes and one rough sketch, to add to the catalogue of windmill studies done time and again.
Teebus & Koffiebus with windmill.
Dreunberg WindmillFarm road & windmill.
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 SoapLynx or CaracalWarthogsAutumn leavesLamb RacesTravel SketchPatriciaNasturtiumsWindmill & water tank.Egyptian Geese on the dam.Ground SquirrelChloëHill & house.Spotted Eagle OwlMy dear husband, John.Crows on AgavesTwo little LambsRose. ‘Sheila’s Perfume’.Out walking with John.Pair of Steenbuck.Moonrise reflection, with windmill.Three White HorsesWindmill & Pepper TreeSheep arriving for the evening feed.Laughing DovesSunset Windmill.Persimmons.Border Collie, ‘Scot’NG Kerk, Burgersdorp. detail.pair of Yellow Mongoose.Silvermere, farm road.
We have a family of meercats that live in several sets of holes around our farmstead. In this main picture they are gathered together around holes on an old ash heap. It is a perfect place to look out for danger on all sides. They have moved on since, but were there long enough for me to take some lovely photos from which I did this big rice paper painting, with watercolour and gouache. The smaller painting is not from one of my photos.
Next year it will be 30 years since I painted this illustrated map of South Africa. It is no longer very topical with regards to South Africa at this time in history, but many of the interesting places for sightseers of South Africa, are still there. There are also a few additions that are not to be seen; like the presence of ‘Jock of The Bushveld’, a story well loved by most South Africans ; and the Bartholomew Diaz’s caravel, which reached Kwaaihoek in 1488. Diaz erected a cross there, not far from Boknes, on the East Cape coast, where we used to go for holidays.
This map is not for sale, however, I have been asked to make prints of it. So we took the painting out of it’s frame to photograph, and a few A3 & A2 prints have now been made.
Since May, a pair of Blue Cranes has settled on Silvermere. It is really quite unusual that they have made themselves at home here. Yesterday, while hanging out the washing, I heard their wistful calls and saw them circling high overhead. Usually we only see the occasional visiting cranes just passing through. We used to say that they were a rain omen, one of the many that farmers in our part of the karoo use to predict the rains. I have taken a few photos of ‘our’ pair, and felt inspired to paint them again, for the first time since way back in 1995 & 1997.
Two Blue Cranes
In those days, we saw big flocks of them in the Caledon district, and several paintings followed. But, more recently I photographed a flock that we saw on a trip home from the Nieu Bethesda district. This big watercolour depicts the cranes in the landscape where I saw them. The other 2 sketches were drawn from photos of our new resident pair of beautiful and graceful Blue Cranes.
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
Recently I came across this delightful wader in some photos taken by a friend, Wessel Rossouw, on the SE coast of South Africa. But only after I had decided to paint a series of this bird, the Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica), did I discover what an amazing long distance traveler it is during its annual migration. Here are the links (sciencedaily) & (birdlife) of the two websites that give details of its amazing stamina for long-distance flight. It set a record in 2010, for a single non-stop flight of 11,000 kms from Alaska to New Zealand.
Bar-tailed Godwit resting. Study 2
Here are the 3 studies that I made to celebrate the achievement of this truly extraordinary bird.
We have a resident pair of Spotted Dikkops ( Burhinus Capensis ), that nest not far from our house. I was fortunate to capture a photo of them last year, and have since been longing to turn it into a small painting.
We are always delighted when our favourite swallows, the Greater Striped Swallow ( Hirundo Cucullata ) arrives for the summer. We love their contented warbling song/chatter, and wistful call. Now that the summer is almost over, they will soon be leaving for northern parts. They are delightful residents of our verandahs, with their mud nests characterized by long tunnel entrances. We call them ‘Red Caps’ due to the russet colouring on the top of their heads. This year, I was able to get some good photos of them, which inspired this little study. We also have the Whitethroated Swallow, ( Hirundo Albigularis ) , but the Red Caps are our favourites.
Having grown up in a family of botanists, it is hard to separate myself from the African bush and beautiful flora that was a big part of my youth. Acacia Karroo is a species of thorn tree, that is unique in that it grows naturally around here in the karoo, where we live in South Africa, and is also to be found around Salisbury ( Harare) and many other parts of Rhodesia, (Zimbabwe) where I grew up. I never really pursued a botanical career myself, as did my brother, John Burrows (http://www.bknr.co.za/), who has written several wonderful scientific botanical books. I also don’t have many tree books, except one old treasured copy of, “Trees of Central Africa” by Keith Coates Palgrave. This book plate of Acacia Karroo, is beautifully painted by his mother, Olive H. Coates Palgrave.
Acacia Karroo / Sweet Thorn. painted by Olive H. Coates Palgrave
I do not aspire to being a botanical artist like my talented sister in law, but this pencil sketch was done in the spirit of this study.
Acacia Karroo / Sweet thorn. Pencil sketch.
I wanted to explore the visual contrasts between the Acacia Karroo, and the Nguni cattle that are often seen grazing amongst them. The patterned hides of the Nguni cattle, against the network of white thorn-covered trees was an interesting contrast, and the focus of this series of these 3 paintings.
Sometimes a painting can be a useful and meaningful gift. So, a week ago I popped in to the farm Fieldmoor to take some photos. The farm has been sold, and Kenny and Margie are now starting a new life in East London, nearer to the rest of their family. As the Philip family of Silvermere, and the Field family, have been good friends for several generations, this seemed an appropriate farewell gesture. Leaving ones family home is always heart wrenching, so now they have a little reminder to bring back the fond memories.
‘Fieldmoor’ farm Composite. Watercolour & Pen & ink. 700 x 500 mm
