Another Sunrise in Tarlton

“There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.”
- Bern Williams

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Another Tarlton Sunrise" - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 12" x 8" - Maree©

Tarlton and surrounds in Gauteng, South Africa, offers a wide variety of landscapes for the artist to sketch - from flat Savannah to rolling hills covered in indigenous trees and tracts of Blue Gum forests planted originally for the mining industry to flower, vegetable, cattle and ostrich farms. I managed to capture the sunrise the other morning (yes, I was out there at 5am! doing a rough sketch and finishing it off once I got home).

This stream in Tarlton was once again flowing after the vast amounts of rain we've been having, but with no hope of filling the dam as it disappeared through the broken dam wall.

Dunes at Zinkwazi

“Sit in reverie, and watch the changing color of the waves that break upon the idle seashore of the mind.”
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Dunes" - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 24" x 16" - Maree©

When we go to the North Coast, one of our favourite beaches to visit is the one in Zinkwazi, snugly situated in between the lagoon on the one side and the wild ocean on the other. The lagoon is quiet and shallow and ideal to cool off in, but the ocean has huge waves with not many bathers, but a paradise for surfers.

Gum Forest 6

The great French Marshall Lyautey once asked his gardener to plant a tree.
The gardener objected that the tree was slow growing and would not reach
maturity for 100 years. The Marshall replied, 'In that case, there is no time
to lose; plant it this afternoon!'
- As told by John F. Kennedy

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Gum Forest 6" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree© (no sketching)
Size : 5.5" x 7.5"
(See the rest of the Series (7 & 8) on my SALES BLOG)

The sixth in the Gum Forest series where I've been experimenting with not doing any preliminary sketches before painting, just putting colour directly onto the paper and seeing what develops. Here I left very little white and ended up with a single blue gum tree as the main focus.

Lonely Shores

There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more.
- Lord Byron

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Lonely Shore - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - 12" x 8.5" - Maree©

I've been missing the coast for a while now, haven't been for several months. Miss the sand between my toes, watching the sun rise over a brilliantly turquoise sea, the waves washing up little treasures to sketch... I love just sitting on the rocks, the breeze in my hair, the crabs scurrying around before the tide comes in again.

The beaches in Ballito, on the North Coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, stretch flat and smooth for long distances, ideal for long walks, and some stretches have lots of rocks, offering a place to sit and ponder, but way up the North Coast, at St. Lucia, the beaches are wild and undulating, covered with vegetation. The Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles breed in these waters and lay their eggs on these shores.



If you're interested in seeing a bit more of St. Lucia, go HERE

Gum Forest 5

They are beautiful in their peace, they are wise in their silence.
They will stand after we are dust. They teach us, and we tend them.
- Galeain ip Altiem MacDunelmor

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Gum Forest 5" watercolour in Moleskine Sketch-book - Maree©
Size : 7.5" x 5.5"

(This Series is for sale on my SALES BLOG)

The fifth in the Gum Forest series where I've been experimenting with not doing any preliminary sketches before painting, just putting colour directly onto the paper and seeing what develops. After the initial washes, I then started adding more colour, delineating the tree trunks for more contrast.

More rain in Tarlton

“Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.”

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"More rain in Tarlton" - watercolour in Moleskine Watercolour Sketch-book 8" x 5" - Maree©

We have had so much rain over the past 2 months, the ground is absolutely water-logged - pools of water remain on the lawn and dips in the ground for days - yesterday again 2 short down-pours left the rain gauge at 40mm, a daily figure for the past two months. I did this sketch just around the corner from us on the Oaktree road.



I did this sketch of a corner of my garden as we had a heavy down-pour in November last year.

Gum Forest 4

Of the infinite variety of fruits which spring from the bosom of the earth,
the trees of the wood are the greatest in dignity.
- Susan Fenimore Cooper

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Gum Forest 4" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©
Size : 7.5" x 5.5"

(This Series is for sale on my SALES BLOG)

The fourth sketch in the Gum Forest series where I've been experimenting with not doing any preliminary sketches before painting, just putting colour directly onto the paper and seeing what develops. This cool palette would look lovely in a Sepia frame.

Early morning landscape

"With each sunrise, we start anew"

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Early Morning Landscape" - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - 12" x 9" - Maree©

The sun rising gently behind our Blue Gum forest and, with some imagination, the fields are turned into a wonder-wetland.

This painting is one in a series of paintings done by painting directly onto the paper, no sketching done before-hand. Lately I have found that, unless I am doing something very detailed, like the feathers of a bird, I am eager to get the image onto paper or canvass and don't feel like restricting myself with pencil lines.

this painting is for sale on my SALES BLOG.

Fine Feathers

"It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds."
- Aesop

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Fine Feathers" watercolour in Moleskine Folio - Maree©
Size : 12" x 8"

This is my neighbour's prize bantam rooster, as far as I'm concerned, anyway. I took a photograph of him on a very windy day and he had a lot of trouble staying on his feet as the wind kept catching him from behind, sending him scurrying with fast little paces!

This painting is for sale on my Sales Blog

Gum Forest 3

Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come.
- Chinese proverb

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Gum Forest 3" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©
Size : 5.5" x 7.5"

The third painting in the Gum Forest series where I've been experimenting with not doing any preliminary sketches before painting, just putting colour directly onto the paper and seeing what develops. I have done 4 vertical and 4 horizontal, which I think will make a nice display if hung in 2's or 4's, or all 8! Many of the paintings have the same colour theme, so that could also be a choice.

This Series is for sale on my SALES BLOG.

Our Comfort Zone

"Often what we call procrastination, a lack of inspiration or boredom, is really just being trapped in the shell of our own comfort zone. Our comfort zone offers a safe haven, a trusted beaten path for us to follow. However the comfort zone can easily become, over time, our liability zone!"

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!



It's amazing what you'll do when inspiration fails to materialise. I just couldn't think of anything to sketch - a landscape? No, boring! Some animals? No, boring! I was at my wit's end, trying to come up with something, so I decided to really challenge myself and do something I really hate - still life!

I looked around the kitchen and grabbed a couple of things lying around and just started sketching. Before long I was totally immersed in capturing the see-throughness of the plastic wrap and the vibrant colours on hubby's favourite mug - even my hake lying close-by got roped in!

Moving out of my comfort zone and doing something new made me realise that we so easily become entrenched in the 'known' - that excitement and passion can easily ebb away and leave us feeling drained.

Phoebe loses Stormy - RIP

A quick sketch I've done of Phoebe as I'm writing this - Phoebe back from feeding

Many of us have been following Phoebe, the Allen's Hummingbird, sitting on her nest in Orange County, California, via live cam (http://cam.dellwo.com/), whose babies, Sassy and Stormy, hatched on the 19th January 2010. The sad news is that Stormy died last night - apparently he hatched the same day as Sassy, but was only due to hatch 2 days later, so he was premature and weak and, therefore, did not make it. RIP poor Stormy...

But, of course, we must realise this is nature's way of ensuring that only the fit and strong survive. The second egg is normally laid as an insurance policy.


Sassy alone in the nest...

The Black Pirate

"The pig and the chicken were on their way to breakfast, trying to decide what to have. When chicken said, ''Let's have ham and eggs.'' The pig then replied, ''That's fine for you, it's a small donation on your part, but it's a total sacrifice for me.''

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"The Black pirate" - watercolour in Moleskine Folio - Maree© 12" x 8"

This might be the reason for one of Solly's roosters only hanging out with the one hen and not associating with the rest of the crowd - as this chap struts past my gate, giving me the beady eye, and not condescending to enter, he seems pretty sure that no-one in the yard is going to challenge his authority - ever!

Gum Forest 2

Do not be afraid to go out on a limb ... That's where the fruit is.
- Anonymous

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Gum Forest 2" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©
Size : 7.5" x 5.5"
(This Series is for sale on my SALES BLOG)

The second in the Gum Forest series where I've been experimenting with not doing any preliminary sketching before painting, just putting colour directly onto the paper and seeing what develops.

This is a fairly small series of 8 paintings, but once matted and framed, will make for a nice display.

Friends

"A Jewish woman had 2 chickens. One got sick, so the woman made chicken soup out of the other one to help the sick one get well."
- Henny Youngman

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice


"Friends" - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©

These two chickens of Solly roam through my garden every morning, and although I know Roosters are not monogamous, I can almost swear he wants nothing to do with the other hens...

Art in the Garden

"Eagle's Fare" restaurant at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, Roodepoort, South Africa

Come along and browse art in the stunning outdoor setting of the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens in Roodepoort. 10% of all sales go to the Botanical Society's Garden Development Fund.

For further info or directions, e-mail botsoc@sisulugarden.co.za

Forthcoming dates:
Sunday 31 January 2010

Solly's Rooster

"If I didn't start painting, I would have raised chickens."
- Grandma Moses

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Solly's Rooster" defiantly and slowly strutting from my garden - watercolour in Moleskine Folio 8" x 12" - Maree©

Solly started off with three chickens - one rooster and two hens - which he housed in a tiny little cage. Not before long, they had increased in numbers, now counting 23, and of course, a bigger cage was called for. I've always said, "Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as it is to build a cathedral", so Solly was encouraged to get them into more suitable housing.


Nest boxes for Solly's hens - watercolour in Moleskine watercolour note-book - Maree©

First he found some wood and wire, and some nest boxes were constructed for the hens. This was then placed inside a big disused aviary I passed on to him and voila! the chickens had their own castle. Every morning the gates are opened and they have free access to the property, sometimes popping into my garden, looking for fresher pastures. In the evening they all return to the aviary again to settle in for the night.

Phoebe Allen's babies have hatched!

Phoebe's babies, Sassy and stormy, hatched on the 19th January
(Click on images to enlarge)

An up-date on Phoebe, the Allen's Hummingbird, which I've been following the progress of via Live cam (http://cam.dellwo.com/) sitting on her eggs, laid on the 2nd and 4th of January 2010, respectively (see previous post).

Both Phoebe's eggs hatched on the 19th January and she has two of the cutest little Hummers to tend now, named Sassy and Stormy - you can just make out the two little black heads and orange beaks as they wait for Phoebe to return from searching for some food. I missed the actual hatching as it was still dark there when I tried to view the live cam.


Phoebe returned and, just after I took this screenshot, fed the babies.


Phoebe back on the nest

Across a Moonlit Sea

"Across a Moonlit Sea" watercolour in Moleskine Folio 12" x 8" - Maree©

The Moonlit Sea

On a calm sea the moonlight shimmers
Holding all eyes entranced
Bright and silvery it glimmers
As the argent light danced
By the lapping shore when the hour is late
The rippling moonlight upon the sea hypnotizing
A place to ponder and contemplate
The undulately moonlight upon the sea mesmerizing
The silvery sea's slow, rhythmic measure in the night
The gentle breakers softly caressing the shore
The brilliant moonlight is eerie bright
Its refulgent shine of splendorous galore
The lulling of the gentle breakers seduces
Where hushed night shall ever be
The radiant patterns of the silvery water induces
A spellbound state by the becalmed moonlit sea

- by Thor's Fury

Allen's Hummingbird

"Allen's Hummingbird" watercolour in Moleskine Folio - Maree©

I've been following the progress via Live cam (http://cam.dellwo.com/) of the Allen's Hummingbird sitting on her eggs, laid on the 2nd and 4th of January 2010, respectively, and which are due to hatch within the next day or so. The link was supplied by well-known bird artist, Vickie Henderson, who also sketched the Humming bird. You can see Vickie's post and sketches on her blog, Vickie Henderson Art.

I did this sketch from screenshots taken of the live cam. Not knowing Hummingbirds very well, I Googled it and somehow think I've made the beak much too curved (although it certainly looked like that on the screenshot) - the description read, "Allen's Hummingbird: Small, compact hummingbird; male has straight black bill, glittering green crown and back, white breast, and rufous sides, belly, rump, and tail. The throat (gorget) is iridescent copper-red. Feeds on nectar, insects, spiders, and sap. Swift direct flight, hovers when feeding." It also states that it is the female that incubates the eggs for 15 to 17 days, so maybe the female's bill is a bit more curved. All wonderfully new stuff to me!

I'm keeping a close eye one the Live cam, as I really would like to see the hatching of the eggs. Pop in again for an up-date!

Gum Forest Series 1

"Give me a home among the gum trees.
With lots of plum trees, a sheep or two, a kangaroo.
A clothesline out the back, verandah out the front
And an old rocking chair."
- From the song "Home among the Gum Trees"

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Gum Forest 1" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©
Size : 5.5" x 7.5"
(This series is for sale on my Sales Blog)

Here I've been experimenting with not doing any preliminary sketches before painting, just putting colour directly onto the paper and seeing what develops. The first one I did, above, where I had left some white pieces on the paper, turned out to look like a forest, so I pursued this theme and in the other paintings, which I will be posting for the next week or so, specifically left white patches to suggest the trees.

This is a fairly small series of 8 paintings, but once matted and framed, will make for a nice display.

A gum tree is the common name for the eucalyptus tree. Of all the Australian trees, the various gum trees outnumber them. Koalas like to eat the leaves of the gum tree, but Eucalypts also provide a valuable habitat for many Australian parrot species.

Here in South Africa, the gum trees play host to several species of caterpillars, a major source of food for the Red Chested Cuckoo (Piet-My-Vrou), which returns from its migration every October.

This info from http://www.gumtrees.info/

Wetland (temporarily) in Tarlton again!

"Thicket by thicket and wetland by wetland, we are losing the remaining wilderness and diversity of life. The greenbelt is stopping the loss of natural features and the species they host."
~ Jim Bradley

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Wetland - Watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©
Size - 12" x 9" (SOLD)

A foray into bright colours, showing my excitement - the Tarlton stream is flowing again! It was almost as wide as the road as it snaked its way towards the dam, dropping several meters as it flowed through the broken dam wall. We haven't seen this sight for many years, but the plentiful rains we've had must've caused it to break through the man-made obstructions further up-stream. In this view the stream is flowing from the top down towards the old dam.

Longing back to the days of swimming in the dam with our horses before the wall was broken down...

Farm shed in Magaliesburg

"The key question isn't "What fosters creativity?" But it is why in heaven's name isn't everyone more creative? Where was the human potential lost? How was it crippled? I think therefore a good question might be not why do people create, but why do people not create or innovate? We have got to abandon that sense of amazement in the face of creativity, as if it were a miracle if anybody created anything."


Farm Shed in Magaliesburg - watercolour 12" x 8.5" - Maree©

Magaliesburg, situated on the border of Gauteng and the North West Province, is renowned as a tourist destination, but also supports a vast farming community. I did this sketch of the shed on a farm not far from The Cradle of Humankind Visitors' Centre.

Fisherman's House

Never a fishermen need there be
If fishes could hear as well as see.
- Author Unknown

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Weskushuisie" - Watercolour in Moleskine Watercolour sketch-book - Maree©

Examples of the original little fishermen's houses on the West Coast of South Africa are becoming a rare site and artists seem compelled to capture images of an era long gone by. Not being anywhere near the Cape Province, I did this sketch from imagination.

The West Coast is a region of the Western Cape Province in South Africa and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the Swartland region on the east.

The Cape West Coast stretches from Cape Town as far as the border with the Northern Cape at Touws River, including within its parameters the indescribably beautiful Cederberg Mountains, famous for centuries-old rock art. All along this stretch of coastline is a series of quaint historic towns and fishing villages with names like Lambert’s Bay, Paternoster, Saldanha and Langebaan that today roll with ease off the tongue, but until fairly recently were left to languor in relative obscurity.

South Africa's fishing industry has a long and eventful history. As early as 1658, a mere six years after the first permanent settlement at the Cape, four free burghers were given permission to settle in Saldanha Bay. They established themselves as fishermen and sold dried fish to the other burghers as well as to passing ships.

Today, three centuries later, the once unlimited fish stocks have been placed under such pressure through wastage and over-exploitation that it has become necessary to protect them from total decimation. As a result, the government has reduced catch quotas drastically across the whole industry. The number of fish meal and fish oil processing plants has also been reduced.

Dam on Spring Farm

It is only when we are aware of the earth,
and of the earth as poetry, that we truly live.
- Henry Beston, 1935

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Watercolour in Moleskine Watercolour notebook

On our way to Magaliesburg, we often leave the main road and approach Magaliesburg via all the gravel roads, one of which leads past Spring Farm, a large cattle farm situated right next door to Maropeng, the Visitor Centre of the Cradle of Humankind. This is one of the dams on the farm and early in November last year we stopped and I did this sketch. The cattle on my side of the dam barely stirred as I sat down with my sketch-book - luckily!

This old stump on 84...

People in suburbia see trees differently than foresters do. They cherish every one. It is useless to speak of the probability that a certain tree will die when the tree is in someone's backyard .... You are talking about a personal asset, a friend, a monument, not about board feet of lumber.
- Roger Swain



This old stump is a relic from one of the blue Gums on our property sawn down many years ago, and now plays host to some moss and a lonely fern leaf. Was wondering if I should add a bit of soil, and maybe some compost? Would that be interfering with Mother Nature?

River landscape

“What makes a river so restful to people is that it doesn't have any doubt - it is sure to get where it is going, and it doesn't want to go anywhere else.”
- Hal Boyle


River landscape - watercolour - 12" x 8.5" - Maree©

A great story about the Zambezi River - The river god, Nyaminyami, is two snakes, one male and one female. When the bridge was built across the Zambezi at Victoria Falls, the two snakes were separated. But the male snake still longs for his mate. Every now and then, he lunges out towards her - and that's why there are earthquakes.

Blue Gum Forest on 84

It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanates from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.
- Robert Louis Stevenson



This Blue Gum forest on our smallholding is just in the process of recovering from winter and some heavy veld fires - most of the dead leaves are gone and some of the trees are still black from being burnt, but some green grass is starting to peep through. It provides me with endless hours of enjoyment walking through the trees, watching the birds and sketching.

Sketching in my area

My neighbour's house... half hidden by a huge, gnarled old Oak. I was half-way up his driveway, which is about 300m long, sketching the scene, when he came driving down in his bakkie (our term for an LDV, the 'a' being pronounced as in 'bucky', weird, but true!) - he didn't mind at all, and asked to see the sketch when it was finished, which led to him buying it when I showed it to him a week later!

Just an explanation of the long driveways - the size of our properties here in Tarlton is 8,5ha (or 21 acres or 10 morgen), which normally translates to a front width of approximately 200 meters and a depth or length of 600 meters, and most houses are either right at the back or half-way up the property. Sometimes, like ours, the house is in the front of the property, close to the road, leaving the full length of the back of the property for some farming activity.

We do not do any farming, but half of the property was planted with Eragrostis by the previous owner, a perennial grass used as fodder for horses and cattle, and plays host to a variety of birds, one being a little bird similar to the reed warbler, building it's nest by tying the long grass stalks together. A quarter is taken up by our living area and a quarter contains a Blue gum forest, planted in the early 20th Century for use by the mining industry. This forest is where I spend a great deal of time sketching the trees.

Sunrise over 84

“The grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never dried all at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.”
- John Muir



"Sunrise over 84" - watercolour pencils in Moleskine Watercolour Notebook - Maree©

I am up early every morning, about 4.15 - 4.30am, but that is normally my own special time, with a cup of coffee and a good book on the patio watching the sun rise. Yesterday morning I did the unthinkable - for me anyway! - grabbed my Moleskine, some watercolour pencils (a new toy for me!), a bottle of water and a blanket and set off out of the gate to go around the wall to the east side to sketch the sunrise.

I had barely settled on the blanket, when it rose over the horison in a blaze of yellow and orange, reflecting on a few wispy clouds, and I had to sketch very quickly, as it seemed to be racing across the sky. Every time I looked up, it was further up and getting more blinding by the minute. Thanks to the watercolour pencils, I managed to capture the colours before the show was over. (The 84 is the number of our smallholding)

This is the last page of this Moleskine sketch-book and it just wouldn't scan properly, sorry - now onto the next Moleskine! This will be my third one of the size 8,5" x 5".

Wise Old Owl

Some wise fords for 2010 :

“A wise old owl sat on an oak;
The more he saw the less he spoke;
The less he spoke the more he heard;
Why aren't we like that wise old bird?”


"Scops Owl" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©
{Otus senegalensis}

The African Scops Owl is a common, sometimes abundant, resident of Savannah woodland in South Africa. Scops Owls feed mostly on insects and spiders and breed in a tree cavity.

The Scops Owl is fully nocturnal and mostly insectivorous. It is a bird of scrub and bush territory, and often uses ground nest sites for breeding.

It is a small owl of only about 17cm and lays its 4-6 eggs in a tree cavity from April - June. Incubation about 27 days. Young fledge by about 30 days.

Its call is a series of low, hollow dove like notes.


Detail of Scops Owl feet


Detail of Scops Owl face

Energy Mandala

“Out of need springs desire, and out of desire springs the energy and the will to win.”
- Denis Waitley


(Click on image to enlarge)

Each year I create a Mandala, as inspiration for the coming year, choosing a theme that I feel I need to explore. For the past four years, my themes have been Growth, Truth, Compassion and Inspiration - this year I have chosen "Energy".

Wise words from Amy McKay of Soulful Living.com

"Many of us have lives filled with deadlines and daily routines. Tapping into our creative energies is often the last thing on our minds. Perhaps you think that you don’t have a creative side, perhaps your wild sense of imagination left with your childhood, perhaps you don’t even realize what’s truly within you just waiting to be set free."

I usually only make one a year. It's intense work as you allow the rhythm of the design to lead you through the colours, exploring the vibrancy as it happens. There's never telling what might emerge!

The word "Mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle," a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.

Describing both material and non-material realities, the mandala appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community.

The "circle with a center" pattern is the basic structure of creation that is reflected from the micro to the macro in the world as we know it. It is a pattern found in nature and is seen in biology, geology, chemistry, physics and astronomy.

On our planet, living things are made of cells and each cell has a nucleus -- all display circles with centers. The crystals that form ice, rocks, and mountains are made of atoms. Each atom is a mandala.



Within the Milky Way galaxy is our solar system and within our solar system, is Earth. Each is a mandala that is part of a larger mandala.
Flowers, the rings found in tree trunks and the spiraling outward and inward of a snail's shell all reflect the primal mandala pattern. Wherever a center is found radiating outward and inward, there is wholeness--a mandala.
Explanation from Mandala Project

Cowen (2005), states that forms which are evocative of mandalas are prevalent in Christianity: the celtic cross; the rosary; the halo; the aureole; oculi; the Crown of Thorns; rose windows; the Rosy Cross; and the dromenon on the floor of Chartres Cathedral. The dromenon represents a journey from the outer world to the inner sacred centre where the Divine is found.

"Making A Mark" Award

A most fitting way to start a new year! Our group blog, Sketching in Nature, hosted by Cathy (Kate) Johnson, of which I am proud to say I am also a contributor, received the "Going Greener" award from Katherine Tyrrell of "Making A Mark". These awards are given out every year to artists, blogs, groups, etc.



This year, Sketching in Nature gets it for "Going Greener" - with many kind words for the contributors of Sketching in Nature.

Thank you, Katherine!

Go to MAKING A MARK for more information.

Sunrise in Tarlton

"Sunrise doesn't last all morning, a cloudburst doesn't last all day;
seems my love is up and has left with no warning -
it's not always going to be this grey.
All things must pass, all things must pass away."
- George Harrison

My first post for 2010 and I thought it fitting to start with a sunrise, depicting a new day, a new beginning, filled with hope, joy and lovely sunshine for all!


"South African Sunrise" Watercolour on a sheet of Daler Bockingford 14in x 10in watercolour paper, 90lbs (190gsm) - Maree©

At the edge of our smallholding stands this lonely little Syringa tree, and I was up early enough one morning to capture the sun rising.

I did 286 posts from April to December last year and I hope to stick to
a-sketch-or-painting-a-day pledge I made back then.

Let's co-habit this planet with joy and peace

God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease,
avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods.
But he cannot save them from fools.
- John Muir


Spring Farm landscape - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©
Size : 12" x 9"

As we drove to Magaliesburg on Christmas Eve, we took the short-cut through Spring Farm. As we passed this old fallen-down kraal wall, I stopped and did a quick outline of the scene, adding some colour with my watercolour pencils I had with me and finished it off once we were back home again.

This is a route we often use, avoiding the traffic on the main road, passing by cattle grazing peacefully next to the road, Warthog families scurrying into the undergrowth and sometimes even small buck hurrying across the road. Unlike many motorists, whom I have seen haring along these gravel roads, with nary a thought of the abundant wildlife they're a danger to, we drive slowly, taking in the scenery and enjoying all who cross our path.

Our term here on Mother Earth is short compared the insects and animals that have inhabited her for millions of years - doesn't it make sense to enjoy their presence and co-habit this planet with joy and peace?

I'd like to wish everybody an abundant, inspirational, peaceful and joyful 2010! Drive safely on your way back from your holiday!

Sketching in old books

“For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.”
- Martin Luther

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!



Landscape done in an old soft-cover book I found lying around.

Tarlton Stream

“An ant may well destroy a whole dam.”
- Chinese Proverbs


Tarlton Stream - the slow flow through the dam - done in Amedeo 200gsm mixed media pad - Maree©

Sitting on the edge of the Tarlton "dam", I was watching as the little stream feeding it was struggling to find it's way through all the growth in the centre which has sprung up since the dam wall was broken and all the water flowed out. I was sitting in the shade of a big old Blue gum, and even as I sketched the empty dam, the feed was already slowing down to a trickle. Tomorrow it will be dry once more...

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

Downpour

Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue.
- John Muir (1838 - 1914)

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!



A quick sketch of a corner of my garden as we had a heavy down-pour the other day.

Grass Aloes in Tarlton

I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.
- John Muir (1838 - 1914)

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


(Cick on image to enlarge)

I found a large clump of Grass Aloes not far from home on the road to Magaliesburg, flowering profusely after all the veld fires we have had this winter, spread out over the charred landscape, providing bursts of red colour.

Grass Aloes are an appealing group of deciduous aloes. As the name implies, they grow mainly in grasslands subject to winter fires. Their leaves and colours resemble their habitat, making them difficult to find when not in flower. These largely miniature aloes have very attractive flowers, making them desirable, if difficult, plants to cultivate. Their growing pattern is closely related to the winter fire cycles of the veld, some species responding directly to burning and producing leaves, flowers and later seed after such events.

This interesting aloe belongs to a group of deciduous aloes known as the "Grass Aloes" which are adapted to grassland habitat and are able to survive both fire and frost during the cold dry months. They are often burned during winter by our veld fires and then re-sprout with the onset of spring. Fires are essential ecological processes in grass aloe autecology.

This well known grass aloe is commonly found along rocky ridges and rocky slopes on the Witwatersrand and Magaliesberg as well as in mountainous areas of the Northern Province and Mpumalanga. In years gone by it was even more prolific, but numbers have been greatly reduced due to development on the ridges and from harvesting by succulent collectors. A number of different forms are found throughout its distribution range.



FIRE AND BURNING, THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN THE LIFE CYCLE OF GRASS ALOES.
Grass fires used to be less frequent in earlier centuries. They were initiated by lightning strikes, on the whole, at the beginning of the rainy season in September and October. These fires were ideal in that they cleared the habitat of moribund grass and other vegetation just before grass aloe species initiated their growth cycles.

Fires are more frequent nowadays and may occur at any time during the dry winter months from May until late spring, October. Plants are as a result, left exposed to harsh conditions for many months before they start to grow. Some species are even starting to appear on the endangered species list.

Info from Succulants.net

Little Stream of Hope...

“To be happy in this world, especially when youth is past, it is necessary to feel oneself not merely an isolated individual whose day will soon be over, but part of the stream of life flowing on from the first germ to the remote and unknown future.”
- Bertrand Russell

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Tarlton Stream - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©
Size - 12" x 9"

The little stream feeding the Tarlton Dam has been dry for years, but after the recent good rains we have had, it is once again flowing, rushing forward as if looking forward to reaching its destination. Sadly, the dam will not fill up this time, as someone thought it wise to break the dam wall down and allow the water to flow into nowhere, drying up quickly as the feed slows down. It is sad that a part of Tarlton's landscape is forever changed through this action.

I did this sketch yesterday afternoon and finished it off this morning.

The Red Bishop

Feeding the birds in the winter is a wonderful activity. Your feathered friends will appreciate your efforts as food is scarce especially at this time of the year.

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Red Bishop" watercolour on Visual 140gsm - Maree©

This is the Red Bishop (Male) from my garden again - his nest-building is absolutely masterful and he spends a lot of time hanging from the nest, his wings shivering in anticipation as the female hops from perch to perch, deciding whether to have a closer look or not.

Last season I found a fledgling in the garden minus one wing, probably the stray Tabby's work, and I managed to find a good home for him with a bird-lover friend. He wouldn't have much of a chance spending his life walking around in the garden.

Sunrise in Tarlton

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
- Martin Luther

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Sunrise in Tarlton - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©
Size 9" x 12"

The sun rising through our Blue gum forest on Sunday morning - the flowers are a wish for the New Year!

Christmas 2009

Watercolour in Amedeo 200gsm mixed media pad - Maree©

My first Christmas of blogging in My Sketch-book here on Blogger and I'd like to wish EVERYBODY a beautiful festive season and, of course, the most stunning 2010!

This year has been a year of meeting fabulous new friends on-line, learning many interesting things and beautiful memories collected over the past year that will stay with me always!

I would like to thank everyone (and yes, that means YOU!) for making my blogging experience such a pleasure and for being so understanding and supportive of my attempts at sketching and all the lovely comments I've received will for ever stay in my heart.

Farm in Oaktree

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Farm in Oaktree - watercolour in Moleskine Watercolour sketch-book - Maree©

Another sketch of the Oaktree area not far from us, this time a friend's farm nestled in the hills surrounding the Sterkfontein Caves and Maropeng, Visitor Centre of the Cradle of Humankind.

Hold on to what is good,
Even if it's a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe,
Even if it's a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do,
Even if it's a long way from here.
Hold on to your life,
Even if it's easier to let go.
Hold on to my hand,
Even if someday I'll be gone away from you.
- "Hold On," A Pueblo Indian Prayer

Save Time and Money Buying Art Online!

When I think of art I think of beauty. Beauty is the mystery of life. It is not in the eye it is in the mind. In our minds there is awareness of perfection.
- Agnes Martin


"The other side of Harties" - watercolour in Moleskine Watercolour Sketch-book - Maree©

With busy lives, finding the time do discover new and exciting artists is getting harder. As more bricks-and-mortar galleries close down, the opportunities to do so are becoming less frequent. Getting to a gallery during their opening hours might not be possible.

Purchasing art online suddenly makes even more sense.

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, the Blogs and Websites of artists around the globe are displaying the work of their creators. They're permanent showcases that not just display the work itself, but often reveal amazing insights into the creative process behind each piece, and insights into the artist's mind. Modern transport and shipping remove the last worry to online buying.

Who wouldn't want their favourite piece of art delivered to their door?


"Fisherman's House - watercolour in Moleskine Watercolour Sketch-book - Maree©

Subscribe to artist's blogs
Many art collectors are now subscribing to the Blogs of their favourite artists. You might be surprised to learn that many art galleries also subscribe to Blogs.

And perhaps this is the key to buying art online successfully.

By subscribing to the Blog of your favourite artists, you then have the first opportunity to view fresh works.

A blog subscription is a free service offered by most artists. When a prospective art collector subscribes (two clicks and it's done) their information is stored through services such as Feedburner. It's a totally free service. Then, each time your favourite artists post new works on their Blog, your email address is sent a copy of that artist's post. It arrives to your in-box within hours of the art being shown on the net.

No more waiting in lines. No more sifting through catalogues. No more standing in the weather. It's a free notification service, and it's provided to you every time you find an artist whose style you appreciate.


Hartebeespoort Dam from the Pecanwood Estate side - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©

Be first to see new paintings
Many keen collectors subscribe to several artist blogs. My advice would be to subscribe to 5 artists at any one time. Not all artists will post new works daily. It depends on the creative process. Some days you may receive a couple of free email notifications. These will be artworks from your favourite artists... delivered to you as a service! From there you will easily be able to monitor the new work of each artist until you find the works you wish to purchase. You can see why buying art online, and dealing directly with your favourite artist has become the new way to invest in art!

This is a free article offered by Tony Moffitt from

http://tonymoffitt1.blogspot.com/

Keeping an Artist's Journal

Weeds in my garden

Well, the on-line art class "Keeping an Artist's Journal", offered by Cathy Johnson, has come to an end after 5 weeks, and this was an exercise in one of the lessons where we had to explore using various techniques in your art journal. Here I used some salt on the wet foreground, making for some interesting texture.



In the above exercise I explored collage - a piece of Hessian glued onto the page and used for the foreground of this watercolour scene, with some threads pulled up to give texture to the grass.

Although I've been journaling for many years, I found Cathy's class extremely informative and organised, beautifully laid out with great in-depth detail, covering every possible aspect of keeping an art journal.

I normally have been keeping various journals for various things - a Daily Journal for my deepest, inner thoughts, in which I often sketch and paint as well; A Gratitude Journal, where I write about what I'm thankful for every day, accompanied by little sketches; a small Moleskine note-book for to-do-lists, reminders, etc; a separate Moleskine Notebook for graphite and ink sketches and a Gardening Journal, where I note progress on my garden, visiting birds, etc. It's mayhem when I want to record something, and cannot find the relevant journal quick enough!



And this habit of having many different journals comes from my love of writing and note-books and sketch-books - I just cannot walk past a Moleskine or a pretty sketch-book without buying it!

Cathy's class helped me decide to integrate virtually everything into ONE journal. My daily gratitudes are now accompanied by little sketches, my To-do-List is at the back, together with my shopping list, also with little sketches. Pencil and ink sketches are done at a whim and my gardening progress, with sketches, dried leaves, flowers and dates is also incorporated as well as all the insects, birds and wild life in my garden - all together in one place, and easy to take anywhere!


My Feint 6-Quire Daily Journal. I mostly use it as my daily thoughts journal, but also do some accompanying sketches.

The only one that I'm keeping separate, is my Daily private journal. I use a large, thick, 6-Quire Feint, much too heavy to carry around and besides which, it is lined, beautiful to write in with my Parker fountain pen and has come a long way with me, helping to clarify thoughts and work through problems.

Sunset in Tarlton

“See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...we need silence to be able to touch souls.”
- Mother Teresa

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Sunset in Tarlton - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©
Size : 12" x 8.5"
For Sale

The smallholding across the road from us faces West and the setting sun made a spectacular show through the blue gum trees the other evening.

PRAYER OF THE WOODS
(A poem fastened to trees in the Portuguese forests for more than a 1,000 years)

Ye who pass by and would raise your hand against me,
listen to me before you harm me.

I am the heat of your heart on the cold winter nights,
The friendly shade screening you from summer sun,
And my fruits are refreshing draughts,
Quenching your thirst as you journey on.

I am the beam that holds your house,
The board of your table,
The bed on which you lie,
The timber that builds your boat.

I am the handle of your hoe,
The door of your homestead,
The wood of your cradle,
And the shell of your coffin.

I am the bread of kindness and the flower of beauty.
Ye who pass by, listen to my prayer:

HARM ME NOT.

The Rain in Tarlton

I saw in the northwest first rise, in the rose-tinted horizon sky, a dark, narrow, craggy cloud, narrow and projecting as no cloud on earth, seen against the rose-tinted sky - the crest of a thunderstorm, beautiful and grand.
- Henry David Thoreau

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


The Rain in Tarlton - watercolour 16" x 12" (41cm x 30cm)
For sale

We had a lovely down-pour a couple of weeks ago, and as the rain moved on, the sun appeared, shining brightly on the surrounding landscape. The contrast was beautiful and luckily I could capture it before it disappeared.

Redheaded Finch

Poor indeed is the garden in which birds find no homes.

Abram L. Urban

Redheaded Finch - watercolour in Moleskine
(Click on image to enlarge)

The Redheaded Finches are nesting en masse in the Butterfly bushes (Buddleia salvifolia) at the pond and what a noise! They're sharing their space with the Bronze Mannikins and the buzzing and tweeting fills the whole garden. Trying to find a space at the pond to put up some more bird feeders.

Magaliesburg Hotel

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.
- John Muir (1838 - 1914)

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Water feature at Magaliesburg Hotel dining area - watercolour in Moleskine Watercolour sketch-book - Maree©

Had supper at the Magaliesburg Hotel 3 weeks ago, sitting outside under the thatch next to this little water feature. Luckily I had my Moleskine sketch-book with me, so I quickly captured this in between sips of my glass of wine.

Seagulls in Gauteng?!

Poor indeed is the garden in which birds find no homes.
Abram L. Urban



Seagulls over my garden (click on photo to enlarge)
I DO apologise for the quality of the scan.

Cosmos on the road

There’s nobody living who couldn't stand all afternoon in front of a waterfall .... Anyone who can sit on a stone in a field awhile can see my painting. Nature is like parting a curtain, you go into it .... as you would cross an empty beach to look at the ocean.
- Agnes Martin

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Farm in Magaliesburg - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - 12" x 8.5" - Maree©
For Sale

Every time we go to Magaliesburg, as we come over one of the hills, the Farm of Maloney's Eye stretches over the horizon, the sun casting golden shadows on the fields. This is also the place where the Magalies River originates, bubbling through the earth, forming a swampy area covered in the most exotic ferns and trees, rising up from the deep depths of the Sterkfontein Caves about 15kms away. As we drove past, the Cosmos was standing fresh and tall after a lovely down-pour.

I did this sketch from memory.

Field in Oaktree

To dig in one's own earth, with one's own spade,
does life hold anything better?
- Beverly Nichols

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Oaktree Field" - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©
Size : 12" x 8.5"
For Sale

About 10km from us, on the way to Kromdraai, lies the farming area of Oaktree, spreading across valleys and hills. Within kilometers are the world-renowned Sterkfontein Caves, from where the Magalies River originates, which surfaces at the eye on Maloney's Eye Farm near Magaliesburg.

I pass this gate quite often on my way to Clearwater Mall, some 40km away, always just catching a glimpse of what's on the other side as I drive by. the other day I stopped and peered over the gate, taking in the lands and the track leading to, the house maybe? I did this sketch from memory when I got home.

Moon - Waning Gibbous

Moon - Waning Gibbous 5th Dec 2009 - South Africa, Southern Hemisphere - Maree©

The moon was 84% of full tonight, and waning, peeking through the rain clouds after a lovely downpour. I decided to try and sketch it, but substituted half of the black tree-lined foreground with water. This was my first attempt at sketching at night and quite a new experience for me!

Peach Blossom

Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.
~Rainer Maria Rilke

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Peach Blossom" ink and watercolour sketch - Maree©

Even though we seem to be well into Summer, Spring is still the theme here in South Africa - we won't let go of it that easy! I sketched some peach blossoms while the trees were still covered in them, now the fruits have already appeared and are almost ready for picking.

Veld fire in Tarlton

"There may be a great fire in our soul, net no one ever comes to warm himself at it, and the passers-by see only a wisp of smoke."
- Vincent van Gogh

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Veldfire in Tarlton in October 2009 - watercolour in Moleskine Watercolour sketch-book Maree©

This was another veld fire in our area, very late for the season - we stopped on the side of the road and this time I had my watercolour pencils with me! Did some quick preliminary colour and finished it off at home. The sunset was actually stunning behind all the smoke - should have stayed longer and gotten more detail on the clouds ... ah well, next time!

Mountain-side - Kromdraai

I never saw a discontented tree. They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fast rooted, they travel about as far as we do.
- John Muir (1838 - 1914)


Side of the mountain at Kromdraai turn-off - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm watercolour paper - Maree©

The same Kromdraai hills and area as the previous post, this time in the middle of the day. I stopped at this spot on the way back from having my car serviced and did a sketch of my favourite tree on a piece of paper I found in the cubbyhole - it always catches my eye when I pass - and then did it on some Bockingford later in the evening.

Harrismith landscape

"Harrismith landscape" - Watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - size 12" x 8.5"
For Sale

I drive down to Ballito on the North Coast of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, about 6 or 7 times a year, and have done this route along the N3 South for so many years, the scenery is etched into my mind. During June/July, our winter months, the Drakensberg mountains in the distance are covered with snow and makes for a beautiful sight.

Passing through the Free State, you come upon the town of Harrismith, close to the border of KwaZulu Natal, which is one of the major stops for fuel on this 670km trip(about 420 miles). Here the landscape changes dramatically from miles and miles of totally flat farming landscape to mountain vistas and an area called "The Valley of a 1000 Hills", and there are thousands of hills as you descend down Van Reenen's Pass for the next 20 kilometers or so into KwaZulu Natal towards the coastal region.

I did this watercolour from memory.

Memory sketch - Kromdraai

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be."
- Anne Frank (1929 - 1945)


Misty Landscape in Kromdraai - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm watercolour paper - Maree©

Had to take my car for a service last week, and I always like to leave early so that I miss the early morning traffic - from 6.30am onwards it's absolute mayhem! I left home at 5.30am to be at Landrover at 7.30am and on the way through Kromdraai, the area was thick with early morning mist.

I love the hills of Kromdraai and the memory of those hills clothed in mist stayed with me and I did this sketch from memory once I got home. Worked quickly to capture the sunrise and the misty-ness of the scene before it eluded me.

What started off as an ordinary, rather bothersome drive, turned into an early-morning drive to remember!

Equine Series X - Patience

A Dog looks up to a man,
A cat looks down on a man,
But a patient horse looks a man in the eye and sees him as an equal.

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Patience" watercolour on Bockingford 150gsm
.

Daily Matters... Crested Barbet

If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come.
Chinese Proverb


Crested Barbet - pen and watercolour in Agenda Planner Journal - Maree©

I heard the Crested Barbet's warbling song early this morning, so I rushed out with my sketch-book, knowing that they sit still in once place for a long time, stretching their warble for so long one thinks he's going to run out of breath!

Had plenty of time to do a quick outline sketch, filling it in with detail as he warbled on. A few quick stokes of colour and I was done!

The Crested Barbets are regular visitors to my garden and seem to know when the feed tables contain fruit - the love apple and banana and will sometimes swallow grapes whole!

I used only 4 colours on this quick exercise - Payne's Grey, Orange, Alizarin Crimson and Burn Sienna, all from Daler-Rowney. Oh, I almost forgot - and Sap Green for the leaves.

Farm gate in Magaliesburg

"Live out of your imagination instead of out of your memory."

~ Les Brown

Farm gate in Magaliesburg - watercolour in Moleskine - Maree©

The town of Magaliesburg in Western Gauteng, has these lovely little meandering roads leading off the main road, going to the various properties and farms, some on the banks of the Magalies River. This entrance to someone's farm is not far from a little Bistro we frequent and, as we drove past, this gate caught my eye and we stopped so I could do a quick sketch. Wonder what's on the other side of the gate?

Another veld fire

Another veld fire - this time we were on our way home from Magaliesburg (we don't live there!) and this time the fire was sweeping down from the hills towards the road. We stopped the car and I did a quick sketch, which I finished at home.

Little Green Patch in Tarlton

This little green patch on a hillock caught my eye as we drove past the other evening on the way to Magaliesburg, the sunset casting a golden glow on the distant fields. I did this sketch from memory once we got home.

Finger grass in soft-cover book

"Darwin spent several years on a scientific expedition studying plants and animals in many parts of the world."


Common finger grass - Digitaria Eriantha - done in an old soft-cover book

I took and old soft-cover book with me to record little sketches of grasses, weeds and indigenous flowers on our property. I found this finger grass, which is a palatable grass that is regarded as one of the best natural and cultivated pastures (the best known cultivar is Smuts finger grass) in Southern Africa. It remains palatable until late in the winter and is often utilised as standing hay.

Veld fire on the road to Magaliesburg

We were on our way to Magaliesburg the other day and to my amazement! a veld fire sweeping across the hills! Some areas that had not previously burnt were still brown and dry, but it always puzzles me how the fires start in good weather with no lightning. A passerby's cigarette...?

The Hills of Magaliesburg

From where we live in Tarlton, South Africa, the small village of Magaliesburg is just a short 13km drive through some wonderful scenery, especially during summer, when the area turns the most amazing green after a brown and dusty winter. Although our first rains have fallen, much of the landscape was still dry and in danger of veld fires in October.

Sketching in soft-cover books

Blue gum tree in soft-cover book

I'm feeling a bit distracted these days - I get like that when I've got a lot on my plate - besides sketching daily, doing larger paintings once or twice a week and my Private Daily Journal - I've also started an on-line art class with Cathy (Kate) Johnson on "Keeping an Artists' Journal" and I'm also participating in a sketch-book exchange between South Africa and Australia, which you can read about on Artists' Circle.

To centre my thoughts and ground my energy a bit, I took and old soft-cover book with me to record little sketches of grasses, weeds and indigenous flowers on our property. Before I started on the grasses, I couldn't resist doing a quick sketch of this Blue gum tree - I'll use the sketches that I do in these soft-covers as reference for larger paintings at a later stage.

Hydrangea - the beautiful season

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape

Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Hydrangea" in Moleskine large sketch-book

For us in South Africa, Summer means a bright, sunshiny Christmas and it also means Hydrangeas. They start flowering during late November, through December until January, and are also called Christmas Roses. Instead of Holly and Ivy decorating tables and mantles, it is the Hydrangea that takes pride of place.

Painting with Watercolour pencils

'Magalies River' in Moleskine watercolour sketch-book

I bought some Watercolour pencils yesterday morning, for the first time ever, NEVER worked in them before, but thought I'd get them seeing as they're on Kate's list of supplies for the 'Keeping an Artist's Journal' class, which starts today. I got the Derwent AQUAtone set of 12 as well as the Derwent Aquarelle set of 24 because it had some different colours.

We went to Wicker Tea Garden in Magaliesburg for lunch, so I took the small AQUAtone set with me. I did this sketch of the river bank, asked the waiter for a glass of water and voila! instant colour on the spot.

Can't say I'm mad about using watercolour pencils, feels like I'm back at school colouring in! But as far as portability and instant colour with little fuss is concerned - they just fitted into my purse - I'll certainly be using them again. But the colours seem to be fairly muddy - don't know if it's me or if it's the colours. And the colour range is also very limited - tried mixing the colours on the paper, which just made it muddier.


The Derwent sets of watercolour pencils are available in nice tins, easy for carrying around

Sketching in anything available

I hope you love birds too. It is economical. It saves going to heaven.

- Emily Dickinson

The Red Bishop on my fence post...

I was cleaning up and came upon some old books, so I carried them to the patio with a cup of tea and was busy going through them to decided which ones to throw out, when the Bishop in all his glory caught my eye. The male's buzzing song alerting the female to the nest he's building for her is always the first to alert me of their return. I was so excited to see them that I grabbed one of the books, opened it and started sketching him sitting on the fence post. I then rushed to get some paints and got his colours while he was flitting around, showing off to the female. So now none of the books are being thrown out - I've found a new use for them!

He only carries these colours during the breeding season and in Winter reverts to brown similar to the female, below.

Acacia 'karroo'

I never saw a discontented tree. They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fast rooted they travel about as far as we do.
John Muir (1838 - 1914)


Acacia karroo in Moleskine Watercolour sketch-book - Maree©

This is one of South Africa's most beautiful and useful trees. It is integrally part of our country's history having been used for everything from raft-making to sewing needles and fencing for the houses of the royal Zulu women. The thorns were even used by early naturalists to pin the insects they collected! It is very widespread throughout southern Africa and there are different forms in some places, which can be confusing. Acacia karroo may be found from the Western Cape through to Zambia and Angola. In tropical Africa it is replaced by Acacia seyal. The name Acacia is derived from Greek "akis" a point or barb. Karroo is one of the old spellings of karoo which cannot be corrected because of the laws governing botanical nomenclature (giving of names).

The sweet thorn makes a beautiful garden specimen. The bright yellow flowers look very striking against the dark green foliage. The rough, dark brown bark is also most attractive. The flowers are sweetly scented and are renowned for attracting insects which are essential to any bird garden. Birds also like to make nests in thorn trees as the thorns offer them some protection from predators. Caterpillars of 10 species of butterflies are dependant on the tree for survival. These include, the club-tailed charaxes (Charaxes zoolina zoolina) and the topaz-spotted blue (Azanus jesous). In cold and dry areas like where I live, the tree is deciduous.


Regions where the Acacia Karroo can be found - I can be found approx. where the red dot is at the bottom of Southern Africa. (Click on map to enlarge)

Acacia karroo also known as the Sweet Thorn, is a species of Acacia, and the tree is especially useful as forage and fodder for domestic and wild animals. Apparently, there is no risk of poisoning from it. Goats seem to like A. karoo better than cattle. The flowers appear in early summer in a mass of yellow pom-poms and make a very good source of forage for honey bees; honey from it has a pleasant taste.

An edible gum seeps from cracks in the tree's bark. The gum can be used to manufacture candy and it used to have economic importance as "Cape Gum". In dry areas, the tree's presence is a sign of water, both above and underground.

It is a tree of open woodland and wooded grassland. It grows to its greatest size when rainfall of 800-900mm is received but can grow and even thrive in very dry conditions such as the Karroo region of western South Africa. The requirement here is for deep soils that allow its roots to spread. Everywhere in its range, however, the tree is easily recognised by its distinctive long white paired thorns and coffee coloured bark, both of which are very attractive. In the tropics it shows little variation but at the southern end of its range it becomes more variable in appearance.



Common names in various languages include Karoo Thorn, Doringboom, Cape Gum, Cassie, Piquants Blancs, Cassie Piquants Blancs, Cockspur Thorn, Deo-Babool, Doorn Boom, Kaludai, Kikar, Mormati, Pahari Kikar, and Udai Vel


My Acacia Karroo (Soetdoring) after the Springs rains October 2009

That Tabby again!

"Every dog has his day - but nights are reserved for the cats."

"Ginger Tabby" watercolour in Moleskine watercolour sketch-book

This is the same Tabby that taunts Jacko every night by daring to enter the house and stealing food from his bowl. This time I managed to get a photograph of him sitting on the wall, giving Jacko the disdainful eye and ignoring me completely.

A lazy art Sunday

My art table yesterday

A lazy Sunday - spent the whole day sketching and journaling yesterday - what bliss! - also scanning previous sketches that I hadn't had time to do yet and filing them on my MAC.


My Feint 6-Quire Daily Journal. I mostly use it as my daily thoughts journal, but also do some accompanying sketches. This is yesterday's post.

The above journal entry reads :

"Sunday - 8th November
The Red Bishop is back, dear Journal, and covered in all his breeding finery! On Friday I thought I caught a glimpse of him, but wasn't sure.

"Red Bishop" - 'Euplectus orix nigrifrons Linnaeus'

He was sitting on the Tiger Grass under the Acacia Karroo eyeing the bird bath. Hoped to catch him bathing, but he decided the feeding table was a better option."


Southern Red Bishop - I edited out the writing lines of the Journal

Sketch in Agenda Art Journal

"Exploring space and colour"

I have this old, leather bound, 1997 Agenda Planner that is now filled with watercolour paper cut to size and some of the old note paper, which I use as an art journal. I did the above sketch on one of the note papers to try out a new green I was mixing using Thalo Blue and Burnt Sienna and was quite pleased with how the green turned out. I also experimented with Indigo and Cadmium Yellow on this, which I used on parts of the tree.

I'll use anything I can lay my hands on for sketching and using old diaries and planners is a great, inexpensive way of building up a collection.


Agenda Planner filled with watercolour paper - I used a 6-hole punch to do the holes for the paper.

If you would like to make your own sketch-book in an easy, quick and fun way, go to 'An Artist's Sketchbook to Make'.

What you have

Many of us spend our time wanting and wishing for things we do not have - a new car, a new house, a bigger studio, a holiday home somewhere exotic, new clothes, furniture, etc. And often we do get these things.

Here's the thing - how often have you stopped to be thankful for the things that have come your way? How often have you noticed that you actually received that which you wanted? If it had been on a list, we could have marked it off and seen just how much we do receive and how much we do have to be thankful for.

Whooping Cranes

No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.
- William Blake

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Whooping Crane" in Moleskine Watercolour sketch-book - Maree©

From the first minute I saw the program on National Geographic about teaching fledgling Whooping Cranes to migrate, I'd lost my heart to the plight of these stunning birds. My heart went out to the youngsters, having to take the lead from their human benefactors, taking on the massive job of imprinting the migration route into their memories, and every
set-back or loss in the program had my stomach lurching.

The Whooping Crane was once at the brink of extinction. It is making a steady recovery thanks to intensive management efforts in Canada and the United States, and as of December 2004, 468 Whooping Cranes existed in the wild and in captivity. All birds for the reintroduction come from captive flocks.

Whoopers are the tallest of all birds in North America. An adult male stands 1.5 m tall, weighs as much as 7.5 kg, and has a wingspan up to 2.5 m wide. Despite their size, cranes average a flight speed of about 45 kmh.

A Mushroom on my lawn

“I am... a mushroom;

On whom the dew of heaven drops now and then."

- John Ford

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Field mushroom (Agaricus campestris) 3cm diameter and 4cm tall - in Moleskine Watercolour sketch-book - Maree©

This mushroom popped through my lawn yesterday and is white with the most gorgeous pink underside and small indented warts on the cap. At the moment it is 1½" in diameter and about 1½" tall - still a baby I think.

After Googling mushrooms, I found that it is an edible field mushroom, (Agaricus campestris) which is related to the edible button mushrooms often used in cooking and salads. But I wouldn't even think of trying to eat it, just in case! There are many similar mushrooms which are deadly.

The cap is white, may have fine scales, and is 5 to 10 centimetres (2.0 to 3.9 in) in diameter; it is first hemispherical in shape before flattening out with maturity. The gills are initially pink, then red-brown and finally a dark brown, as is the spore print. The 3 to 10cm (1.2 to 3.9 in) tall stipe is predominately white and bears a single thin ring. The taste is mild. The white flesh bruises slightly reddish, as opposed to yellow in the inedible (and somewhat toxic) Agaricus xanthodermus and similar, toxic species. The spores are 7–8 by 4–5 µm (micrometre), and ovate. Cheilocystidia are absent.


Field Mushroom (Agaricus campestris)
This common mushroom is edible.
It is related to the edible button mushrooms often used in cooking and salads.
Do not eat any mushrooms you're not sure of!
This info from Hilton College

At Gardening Eden, a nursery in South Africa, one can even buy mushrooms to plant in your garden!

Mushrooms belong neither to the animal nor plant kingdom, but form a phylum all on their own. This is due to the fact that unlike plants, fungi are unable to produce their own food through photosynthesis, as they lack chlorophyll, but resemble animals in their ability to draw their sustenance from animal and plant matter which is dissolved by enzymes and ingested.

Current estimates put the number of species in the fungal kingdom at approximately 1.5 million, in comparison with, for example, flowering plants at 250,000 species.

The role of fungi in the ecosystem is vital. Fungi are one of the largest contributors of the decomposition of organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil, which in turn is utilised to sustain other species of flora and fauna. The majority of the fungi kingdom cannot be seen with the naked eye, and needs to be viewed with a lens or microscope.

The reproduction unit of all fungi is known as the "spore". When this spore lands on a suitable substrate or base, and growth conditions are ideal, it will germinate by sending out a germ tube which becomes attached to the base or substrate.

This tube develops in to the "hyphae", which in turn will expand and develop into a network of hyphal threads, known as "mycelium". This mycelium, hardly ever seen, is the vegetative body of the fungus responsible for its nutrition and formation.

The mycelium will continue to grow and branch throughout the substrate for as long as it can obtain nutrients from it, and conditions of temperature and moisture remain favourable. This mycelium may continue to grow for a long time without forming any sex organs, but once two sexually differentiated mycelia meet, and plasmas of conjugating cells unite, if external conditions are ideal, a "fruit-body" will appear. A mushroom or toadstool etc. pops out of the ground!

(This info from Eco Travel Africa)


(Photo by Pamela Kaminski)

Bapedi Tribal Dress

"It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover to your surprise that you have rendered something in its true character."
- Camille Pissarro

My sketch for the day...


"Bapedi Tribal Dress" watercolour in Ashrad 200gsm sketch-book - Maree©

Some time in the late 15th to early 16th centuries, a nation settled in the area between the Vaal and Limpopo Rivers, in the modern Provinces of Limpopo, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga. They were an off-shoot of the Sotho-Tswana speaking Kgatla. Little is known about the group during those early years, but as early as 1600, they formed a kingdom known as Bapedi or Pedi. By about 1650 they had settled in an area to the south of the Steelpoort River. Over several generations of interaction, a degree of linguistic and cultural homogeneity developed.

Ever encroaching missionary influence dictated thetho's were worn under cotton smocks. Thetho aprons were made of goat skin, while rear aprons called mosese, were of ox hide. Though related examples were worn by their Ntwane neighbours, only the Pedi decorated their leather with "tooled" abrasions. Over time, Pedi smocks came to be used as "traditional" wedding attire.

Moleskine - Snail

“The year's at the spring / And day's at the morn; / Morning's at seven; / The hillside's dew-pearled; / The lark's on the wing; / The snail's on the thorn; / God's in his heaven - / All's right with the world!”
- Robert Browning

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Snail" pencil sketch and watercolour in Moleskine Watercolour sketch-book - Maree©

Oh my! I found some snails in my garden! They're all over the Agapanthus. One consolation is that there is now plenty to eat for the Thrushes and any passing hedgehogs.

The snails are related to the oyster, the clam, the mussel, the squid and the octopus. All of these animals are called molluscs. More than 30,000 kinds of snails have been described, of which about two-thirds still exist -- about half of them in salt water and the other half in fresh water or on land. The remainder are known only as fossils and, in the limestone quarries around Chicago, we find several kinds-- some as big as your fist-- which have lain buried there since this region was on the floor of the ocean, 150 million years ago.

There are even Graffiti snails roaming London!

Shell shock: One snail has shell graffiti

Most people have to shell out to give their homes a makeover – not so for these multi-coloured molluscs.

The flashy snails have had their drab shells given a paint job for nothing – and they didn't even have to move a muscle.

A London artist, known only as Slinkachu, has used the molluscs' shells for a series of designs dubbed 'Inner City Snail – a slow-moving street art project'.

FROM METRO UK

Bapedi Woman

“For tribal man space was the uncontrollable mystery. For technological man it is time that occupies the same role.”
- Marshall McLuhan

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Bapedi Woman" watercolour on Ashrad 200gsm - Maree©

Chrissie, my gardener, above, is from mixed Pedi and Coloured stock.

Pedi, (also known as Bapedi, Bamaroteng, Marota, Basotho, Northern Sotho - in its broadest sense, has been a cultural/linguistic term. It was previously used to describe the entire set of people speaking various dialects of the Sotho language who live in the northern Transvaal of South Africa. More recently, the term "Northern Sotho" has replaced "Pedi" to characterize this loose collectivity of groups.

Estimated at 7 million, these Sotho speakers are the second largest African language group in South Africa. Three million Sotho and other closely related groups live outside of South Africa, the majority of who are in Lesotho.

Although the Pedi originated from the Bakgatla and were of Sotho origin, their inter-marriage with other tribes by defeating them, ended up in the application of many other words in the Pedi language and customs which are not of Sotho origin, but which are akin to the Venda and Lovedu and the Karanga from Zimbabwe.

The Sotho can be subdivided into three groups. The first group is the Northern Sotho also called Pedi and Bapedi.



The Pedi society arose out of a confederation of small chiefdoms that had been established sometime before the 17th century in what later became the Northern Transvaal (Northern Province). Defeated early in the 19th century by the armies of Mzilikazi, they revived under the leadership of Sekwati. Thereafter, they repeatedly clashed with the Voortrekkers during the later half of the 19th century.



It appears that the Sotho people migrated southward from the Great Lakes in Central Africa about 5 centuries ago in successive waves and the last group, namely, the Hurutse, settled in the Western Transvaal towards the beginning of the 16th century.

It is from this group that the Pedi eventually originated through the Bakgatla offshoot that takes its name from the chief Mokgatla. Very little is known of the history of the Bakgatla people for the first few generations after their founder Mokgatla had withdrawn from the originating group, but it is known that, arising from a further split at a later date, a chief by the name of Tabane left with his followers and settled at what is now known as Schilpadfontein in the vicinity of Pretoria.

Now here's the interesting part - It is not known how long they lived there, but Tabane appears to have been succeeded by his son Motsha, whose son and heir Diale (or Liale) had a number of wives, the youngest of whom was his favourite, Mathobele. The other wives were jealous of her favoured position and when she was expecting her first child they would tease and mock her; saying that her child cried whilst still in her womb.

Mathobele gave birth to a healthy boy, and named him 'Lellelateng' meaning 'it cries inside', but the unusual event was attributed to witchcraft and the Kgatla council, wanted to kill the mother and child. Diale interceded for them and they were both saved.

However, as the baby grew older it became apparent that he would not be accepted by the tribe, and it seems that he and his family, together with a large following, broke away or were driven away and trekked to the east with their flocks and herds to start the Pedi nation.

Daily Matters... South African Grasses 1

Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the Earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves. This we know - the Earth does not belong to man - man belongs to the Earth. This we know.
- Chief Seattle

My daily sketch...


South African Grasses
"Restio - Thamnochortus sp" - watercolour in Moleskine Watercolour Notebook

One of the Restios or Cape Reeds, Thamnochortus lucens, is very common in the Western Cape mountains. It grows well in dry, gravelly slopes and is often in small populations or locally dominant. The plants grow tufted on a short rhizome, often with tangled sterile clusters of culms at the base. Grows to 50 cm. There is quite a difference between the male and female plants - the sketch above is a male.

The beautiful Thamnochortus genus have 13 species and most of its members grow well in coastal areas at the beach. Some species are very large and are commonly used to thatch houses. T. insignis is commonly used for this purpose because of its very long culms. One species, T. nutans is the exception and is only found 600m above sea level. It is endemic to Table Mountain and the Constantia berg.


Female Thamnochortus lucens.


Restio stems

.

Painting Wildlife in a Game Park

Gathering your own reference materials, sketches and using your own imagination is going to help you grow as an artist far more than stealing someone else's work.
- Bonnie Hamline


"Impala" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©

It was last during 2004, when I visited the Krugersdorp Game Reserve, that I had painted any wild animals plein air, but in January 2009 I re-visited the Game Lodge, taking my paints with me, and managed to find the Impala herd quite close to the road, which allowed me to capture a group that were standing close together. The rest of the herd on the right-hand side of the picture are not included, as my scanner could not take the large sketch.

Also see Painting Wildlife

Gemsbok Antelope (Oryx)

"A sculptor is a person who is interested in the shape of things, a poet in words, a musician by sounds, an artist by sight."

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Gemsbok" watercolour in Ashrad Sketch pad 200gsm - Maree©

The Gemsbok or gemsbuck (Oryx gazella) is a large African antelope, of the Oryx genus. The name is derived from the Dutch name of the male chamois, Gemsbok. Although there are some superficial similarities in appearance (especially in the colour of the face area), the chamois and the Oryx are not closely related.

Gemsbok are light brownish-grey to tan in colour, with lighter patches to the bottom rear of the rump. Their tails are long and black in colour. A dark brown stripe extends from the chin down the bottom edge of the neck through the join of the shoulder and leg along the lower flank of each side to the brown section of the rear leg. They have muscular necks and shoulders and their legs have white 'socks' with a black patch on the front of both the front legs and both genders have long straight horns.



Gemsbok generally live in herds of up to 40 individuals, often in association with other species of antelope or with zebras. The males are often solitary animals, however. Active from dawn through nightfall, it feeds on grass and leaves, and can survive long periods without drinking any water. The horns are effective weapons. When fighting, the head is lowered between the forelegs in order to impale the enemy.

See more, like the Gemsbok's introduction to North America at ORYX on Hedgie's Nature Journal.

They are also to be found in the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, which is located between the borders of Namibia and Botswana. The park covers an area of a little less than 10,000 square kilometers. The Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and the adjacent Gemsbok National Park of Botswana together occupy as much as 36,000 square kilometers. Since there is no barrier separating the two parks, the animals move freely from park to park.

Velvet Spider

If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive.

~American Quaker Saying

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Black Velvet Spider - pencil sketch and watercolour in Moleskine Watercolour Sketch-book

This black Velvet Spider has lived in the bark of an old log in my garden for approximately 2 years now and she lets me coax her out for photographic sessions every now and then. These spiders are robust and deliberate in the way that they walk and she even allows me to gently stroke her abdomen and thorax, which is covered in thick, smooth, velvety hairs.

The velvet spiders (family Eresidae) are a small group (about 100 species in 10 genera) of almost totally Old World spiders (exception: a few species are known from Brazil).

Velvet spiders are found under rocks or bark resting in a sheet of dense white silk and are often confused with baboon spiders. They can live up to 5 years. Free living but rarely leave the safety of their webs.



Description: 12mm to 15mm in length. These robust spiders colouration may be from black, grey or a rich red. Body covered with hairs which give them a velvety appearance, hence their name. The abdomen is often lighter in colour than the rest of the spider. Abdomen may have 4 dimples on the top. The eyes are close together and the mouthparts are very robust looking for a spider that size. Legs are short and strong and they are widespread throughout Southern Africa.

Web: These spiders build their webs under rocks, under loose bark. Their retreats consist of flat candy floss like dry sheets of silk. The silk is tough and has interwoven prey remains. Their nest-like webs are attached to the ground using silken anchor lines. Silken lines radiate from the entrance to their shelters. These lines are used to detect prey.

Venom: Even though these spiders can be large in size they very rarely bite. Not much is known about the affects of their venom. It is highly unlikely that this spider’s venom is of importance to humans.

Notes: Females seldom leave their webs in order to hunt. Instead, they prefer to wait for prey to wander into their webs and radiating silken lines. They prey upon tough skinned insects and other large prey items.

Journal entry - Duckling

Death--- the last sleep? No the final awakening.
- Walter Scott

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Carolina Duckling" pencil sketch in Daily Nature Journal - Maree©

This little Carolina duckling (Wood Duck) was very weak when it hatched and it also had a cripple leg. Despite all my efforts, it didn't survive and died 3 days later. This is from a sketch I did in an old Nature Journal.

Moleskine - Magalies River

"Magalies River at Wicker" pencil sketch and watercolour in Moleskine Watercolour Notebook

One of our favourite Sunday outings is to go to Wicker Tea Garden on the banks of the Magalies River in Magaliesburg (Gauteng, South Africa). We normally choose a table right on the riverbank from where we watch the Malachite Kingfisher diving for fish. Afterward he preens and suns himself on one of the branches overhanging the Stream.

On the other side of the river is an open-air wedding chapel which one can also access by crossing the rapids via some stepping stones when the river is not in flood.

Daily Matters... Riverbank Abstract

“I've been doing a lot of abstract painting lately, extremely abstract. No brush, no paint, no canvas, I just think about it.”
- Stephen Wright, American Actor and Writer

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"On the banks of the River" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©

Free Xmas Card!

Xmas Card - "7 Little Birds" - Maree

I've started on my Christmas Card collection for 2009 and this year's theme will be Nature. All images are original sketches by myself and will be printed on a 200gsm Bockingford Watercolour paper. They will be available in Packs of 6 for R30.00 and half the proceeds I will be donating to the S.P.C.A. (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). So be a darling and support a good cause! If you would like to order and see images of what's available, you can contact me by e-mail on HEDGIE.

Here's one of my first designs FOR 2009. Feel free to print it out and send to family and friends!

Insructions :
Save this image to your hard-drive and then print out on A4 size watercolour paper. Most printers will easily take up to 200gsm thickness and the card will then be able to stand. Fold in half and then fold in half again, making sure your front and back show when the card is folded. Enjoy!

(TIP: You can also print on normal A4 printing paper, but the finish is better on an art paper.)

P.S :
The SPCA is the only Animal Welfare Organisation in South Africa which is governed by an Act of Parliament, namely the SPCA Act, 169 of 1993.

• Every Society has to be registered with the Department of Social Development and Welfare (NPO). We receive NO government support and rely on the Public to continue in our quest for a cruelty free South Africa.

• The SPCA plays a major role in promoting and setting up of Codes of Conduct, doing research and compiling of information – using the three ‘R’s – Reduce, Refine and Replace animals in research and wildlife capacities;

• Enforcing these codes as well as serving on numerous Committees and Welfare Groups;

• The only animal welfare organisation to be registered with the Department of Labour for qualifying inspectors;

• The only Animal Welfare Organisation with a National Controlling body – being directed democratically by the separate Societies;

• An Animal Welfare Organisation with an executive director who is a full member of WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals);

• The SPCA is the biggest / strongest local Animal Welfare Organisation in South Africa to deal with National Issues like import & export of wildlife – Tuli Elephant Case, etc.;

• An Animal Welfare Organisation which is not influenced by financial gain, but rather ensuring that principles and policies are upheld – to PREVENT CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Hartebeespoort Dam

Being in nature and allowing ourselves to absorb both its gentle beauty and fierce power is a healing act. We do not have to travel far to open ourselves to this gift.

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Hartebeespoort Dam" watercolour in Daler-Rowney 200gsm sketch pad

Nature can be found close-by to even the biggest cities and spending some time away from the concrete jungle replenishes our reserves and sets a mood for a peaceful week ahead of us.

I did this sketch from a photograph yesterday morning and then hubby and I decided to take a drive out to Hartebeespoort Dam (North-West Province, South Africa) for my favourite steak at Squires. The dam's water was exceptionally clean and with the beautiful weather, there were plenty of boats making use of the good sailing conditions.

I am going to be living here some time in the future!

Daily Matters... Bonsai

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a flying:
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying."

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


My 1982 Natal Fig Bonsai (Ficus Natalensis) watercolour in Daler-Rowney 190gsm Sketchbook - Maree©

I acquired by Natal fig bonsai in 1985 when he was 3 years old and about 6" tall - through the years he's been transplanted into various bigger containers, but this year I'll just be freshening him up and adding some new soil and do some feeding.

Now summer is here! and it's time for spring-cleaning - the garden, the house (curtains - I've only got 3!), and everything else in sight, including my Bonsai.

The Japanese word "bonsai" is translated to "tree in a bowl" and is an art form symbolising many things. To some it is considered the link between heaven and earth, to others it symbolises the balance between man and nature. Attending to Bonsai creates peace and tranquility and is a great stress reducer.

Moleskine - Road to Harties

"Creativity begins in wonder."

- Maree

Daily Moleskine sketching...


"Road to Hartebeespoort Dam" in Moleskine Watercolour Notebook
(Click on images to enlarge)


Notes for 'Road to Hartebeespoort Dam' in Moleskine Watercolour Notebook

We often take a drive out to Hartebeespoort Dam in the North-West Province (South Africa), which borders Gauteng, just under an hour's drive from us. We prefer to take the scenic route, staying away from the main roads and all the traffic, using a gravel road crossing over a mountain, reveling in all the wild life we spot on the way.

The once sleepy village of Schoemansville, which has always been one of the major tourist attractions in the area, is now buzzing with activity and new developments, but has still managed to maintain most of it's original charm. Harties is Lynda Smith's choice place of residence.

I had to scan the notebook in two sections as it is too long for the scanner when opened up.

Daily Matters... Lighthouse Storm

The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out. Every mind is a building filled with archaic furniture. Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it.
Dee Hock

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Lighthouse - Storm" mixed media of watercolour and acrylics on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©

Nguni Cattle 1

“It’s amazing how loose some people become in their sketchbook drawing simply because they have a carefree approach and don’t become locked down in trying to make finished works.”

- Robert Wade

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Nguni" watercolour in Ashrad 200gsm Sketch pad - Maree©

I am SUCH a lover of Nguni cattle - if there's a book to be found I buy it! A Black and white Nguni skin adorns my lounge floor and I avidly read any articles or history about them I can find.

Equine Series IX

Horses give us the wings we lack.

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Foal sketch - "Going Somewhere" - graphite sketch on Bockingford 150gsm - Maree©

Daily Matters... Karoo Storm

stunning heat:
even the birds
are silent

A small poem from WATERMARKS

My daily sketch ...


"Karoo Storm" abstract watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©

Equine Series VIII

Care, and not fine stables, makes a good horse.
- Danish Proverb

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Appaloosa" - watercolour on Bockingford 150gsm - Maree©

How We Spend our Days

"Life is a joy filled with delightful surprises .

My life is a joy filled with love, fun and friendship.

I choose love, joy and freedom, open my heart and allow

wonderful things to flow into my life."

A Daily Affirmation

"Seagulls" watercolour on Visual 140gsm - Maree©

How DO we spend our days? Most of us are so busy working, watching TV, doing the laundry, playing taxi, shopping, visiting and whatever else it is that takes up our day, that we don't realise that, each day that has passed, each month and each year that has passed, designates the way we spend our whole life. And then we wonder where's the happiness? Where's the thrill? Where's the satisfaction?

It's up to us to create the happiness, the thrill, the satisfaction - if we spend our days creating these things, that is how we will spend the rest of our lives.

Daily Matters... Three Seasons

“I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.”
- Pablo Picasso

My daily sketch for today...


"Three Seasons" Abstract Watercolour - Maree©

Winter, Spring, Summer - Autumn deserves a space of its own...

.

Equine Series VII

Give me food and drink; and care for me. And when the day's work is done, shelter me. Give me a clean bed and leave me not too small a place in the stable. Talk to me, for your voice often takes the place of reins. Be good to me and I shall serve you more gladly and love you.

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Where did it go?" - graphite sketch on Bockingford 150gsm - Maree©

Another foal sketch - their gangliness is utterly captivating and when my mare foaled in 1987, we used to spend hours watching the foal frolicking about on uncertain legs, picking itself up after each ungainly fall and gaining strength and confidence with each leap and bound. They actually are very playful and will spend hours chasing butterflies or fleeing imaginary enemies, often heading straight for mother, seeking shelter at her strong and comforting shoulder.

Daily Matters... Yesterday and Tomorrow

Yesterday the twig was brown and bare;
To-day the glint of green is there;
Tomorrow will be leaflets spare;
I know no thing so wondrous fair,
No miracle so strangely rare.
I wonder what will next be there!
~L.H. Bailey

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Yesterday and Tomorrow" watercolour on Ashrad sketch pad 200gsm - Maree©

An old barn on the road to Hartebeespoort Dam, North West Province, South Africa.

Spring in South Africa has now fully blossomed into summer. We've had our first rains and everything is green, green, green! Yesterday the twig was bare, tomorrow there will be leaves to spare.

Equine Series VI

I have often been asked why do I like horses so much. Look into one's eyes. There you will see generations of horses who have served the humans for thousands of years faithfully for nothing in return. Beaten horses, starved hoses, horses who no longer possess a spirit. They deserve to be loved and respected as much as humanly possible. Let them run free again. Let them no longer be a faithful beasts, but embrace them as you would a dear friend, for that is what they are.

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Horse - "Eye Study" watercolour on Bockingford 150gsm - Maree©

Daily Matters... Snow for you

thin snow falling | weaving a veil | yet another veil | between me | and the world

A Twitter poem from WATERMARK

My daily sketch for today...


"Winter Farmhouse" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©

For all my friends in the Northern Hemisphere, here's a taste of what's looming for you! I did this sketch a couple of years ago and is actually much bigger - couldn't all fit into the scanner.

Equine Series V

I have seen things so beautiful, that they have brought tears to my eyes. Yet, none of them can match the gracefulness and beauty of a horse running free.

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!

"Show Horse" graphite sketch on Bockingford 150gsm - Maree©

Another graphite sketch in the Equine Series before I attempt colour - I would like to make this one black, but I first have to study and practice a lot of blacks before I take the plunge. This was done from a photograph of a horse called 'Baskghazi' and he's actually a Bay. What a wonderful specimen!

Off for a week (not to Venice!)

Well, I'm off to Ballito on the North Coast of KwaZulu Natal tomorrow for a week - I am taking my laptop with me, but might or might not be posting here. Am going to try and fit some painting in, but that remains to be seen, as I have a lot of catching up to do with the family.

“If you read a lot, nothing is as great as you've imagined. Venice is -- Venice is better.”
Fran Lebowitz

My daily sketch for today...


"Venice" watercolour on Bockingford - Maree©

This is actually an old painting I did in the 80's, but revamped it with some bolder colour and a couple of architectural changes.

Equine Series IV

A horse is like a best friend. They`re always there to nuzzle you and make your life a better place.

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"You want me to put WHAT in my mouth?!" - watercolour on Bockingford 150gsm - Maree©

There is nothing more satisfying than a warm nuzzle and a grunt from a contented horse. Spending quiet time with your horse, perhaps a brush-down with a soft brush and tending to his tail and mane, was what I found most relaxing during my horsy years.

Botanical - Butterflies, Double Feature

“Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you”

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


Botanical Butterflies - "Double Feature"

Equine Series III

Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Foal - On the Move" - watercolour on Daler-Rowney 150gsm - Maree©

My next sketch in the equine series, with a bit of colour. Foals will always hold a special fascination for people - beautiful, gangly, oh so cocky! and frolicking on uncertain legs - they represent the next generation of horses who have served us humans for thousands of years faithfully for nothing in return. They deserve to be loved and respected as much as humanly possible.

Equine Series II

Give me food and drink; and care for me. And when the day's work is done, shelter me. Give me a clean bed and leave me not too small a place in the stable. Talk to me, for your voice often takes the place of reins. Be good to me and I shall serve you more gladly and love you.

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Horse" graphite sketch on Bockingford 150gsm - Maree©

After my first attempt at sketching and painting horses, I've decided to do some more graphite sketching as practice first before attempting any more paintings with colour. I'm working off photographs, some my own, some from friends as well as the internet. I'm also studying the horse's anatomy and skeletal system again and getting au fait with all the terms again, like croup, ara, cannon, etc., that I've forgotten.


Horse parts (click on image to enlarge)


Skeletal system of the horse Equus E. ferus caballus

Once one has an understanding of the bone structure of a horse, sketching becomes easier as you learn where and how the bones all fit together.

Equine Series I

Give a horse what he needs and he will give you his heart in return.

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Trotting" watercolour on Bockingford 1150gsm - Maree©

I haven't sketched or painted horses since I was a teenager, when I was besotted with them, and would spend hours drawing them. The head, the hooves, the nostrils, the tail, the legs, the eyes, and in different stances - running, standing, rearing, jumping.

When we moved to a smallholding in 1975, my life-long dream of owning a horse was realised, and when I acquired my first horse, a Chestnut mare, Starlight, it started a love affair with these wonderful creatures which lasted many years.

Right now I'm totally out of practice and decided to try and get back into sketching the equine scene. This sketch was done from a photograph and as I was sketching, I could feel Yattendon's silky mane, the softness around his nostrils and the bristle on his chin when I used to cup his face in my hands. He was my second horse, a fiery C-grade Chestnut jumper, with white socks and a white blaze on his forehead, who taught me about trust, friendship and companionship.

Daily Matters... Psychedelic Me

No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist.
Oscar Wilde

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Psychedelic Me" watercolour on Daler-Rowney 190gsm - Maree©

For this one I printed out a photograph of myself on Daler-Rowney 190gsm paper in very light grey-scale (all colour removed and contrast and enhancement set to very low in the picture manager) and then added some watercolour. I think I've flattered myself - doesn't show the double chin or the wrinkles...!

Moleskine Journal entry

A daily journal entry and sketch ...




.

Moleskine Journal entry and watercolour sketch - Maree©

(Click to enlarge)


.

"Yesterday the twig was brown and bare;

Today the glint of green is there;

Tomorrow will be leaflets spare;

I know nothing so wondrous fair,

No miracles so strongly rare.

I wonder what will next be there!"

- L.H. Bailey

Daily Matters... Hillside

The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.
Carl Jung (1875 - 1961)

My daily sketch for today...


"Hillside" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©

Garden Journal entry

An entry and sketch in my Daily Garden Journal
(Click to enlarge and read the entry)

To me, the garden is a doorway to other worlds; one of them, of course, is the world of birds. The garden is their dinner table, bursting with bugs and worms and succulent berries.

Daily Matters... Lighthouse Santa Cruz

Without planning, your painting will probably be indecisive and fragmented, and you'll try to say too much in one picture.
- Ron Ranson

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Lighthouse - Santa Cruz, California" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©

Daily Matters... Lighthouse Sunset

“Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart”
- Confucius

My daily sketch for today...


"Lighthouse - Stormy Sunset" watercolour on Visual 140gsm - Maree©

Daily Matters... Frog Shell

too tired | to write | a poem

A Twitter poem from WATERMARK

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!