JUST ME :: and a stack of blank pages

:: Living creatively ::

About me

This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realise it is play. The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment. That’s all there ever is. I’m here to tell you that the path to peace is right there, when you want to get away. When you are present, you can allow the mind to be as it is without getting entangled in it. If you miss the present moment, you miss your appointment with life. That is very serious!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Gloomy picture?

"When it is gloomy outside, I find the sunshine within me. I smile and show others my sunshine. In return, others smile and show me theirs."

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

"Farm Cottage" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm watercolour paper - Maree©

I did this painting yesterday, taking my inspiration from the weather outside - dark, gloomy, and only 13ºC outside! with intermittent rain - quite unusual for Gauteng to have rain in Winter, we're a summer rain-fall area - could the seasons be changing?

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Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Birds from Your Garden

Painting birds from your garden can be extremely rewarding. Not only does watching and photographing them provide hours of pleasure, but it gives us a little insight into their habits and daily living survival techniques.

The Fiscal Shrike below is a resident of my garden and she takes her job of keeping other Shrikes at bay very seriously. She knows when I bring mince and suet to the bird feeder, and immediately starts clearing the area, making sure the Robin doesn't get too close either.

"Fiscal Shrike" water colour - Maree©

I had the pleasure of rearing this Grey Lourie from a baby after she'd been rescued from some dogs in a neighbour's garden. She turned out to be a most loving and intelligent pet and we spent many happy hours together.

Grey Lourie and Fiscal Shrike water colour framed  - Maree©

She fell in love with my male Cockatiel and for weeks the two were inseparable until, one evening, she never returned home to roost on the top of her cage, as usual.

The next morning the reason was clearly apparent - she spent the whole day in the garden with a male that must have heard her calls. I put her food on a special bird table and they stayed for a couple of days and then, one morning, they were gone, never to be seen again.

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Sunday, May 17, 2009

Wood Ducks (Carolinas)

I've got a pair of Carolina ducks (American Wood Ducks) and yesterday morning I found the male dead in the pond. I've no idea what happened. He showed no signs of being sick and he wasn't old, younger than his female. As usual, he's the more colourful of the pair, with the female being beige and brown.

I did this painting of my pair of Carolinas this morning.

"Carolina Ducks" (American Wood Ducks) watercolour - Maree©

Male Carolina drake (Wood duck)

The female Carolina duck in the fore-ground with her drake at the pond...

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Friday, May 15, 2009

Birthday portrait 2009!

The portrait is one of the most curious art forms. It demands special qualities in the artist, and an almost total kinship with the model.
- Henri Matisse

It's my birthday today! Something I saw on Arty Velarde's site, she does a birthday rhyme every year. I've decided to also do this, if Arty doesn't mind, so here goes :


At 63, I am free to be ME!

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Thursday, May 7, 2009

Rock Challenge : SEASCAPE

"Creative people, however, need to be stimulated,
inspired, nudged, cross-pollinated, and occasionally
kicked in the ass. Art both entertains and inspires
at the same time."

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

"Seascape" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm watercolour paper - Maree

Taking your time with a painting can be highly rewarding. As I worked on this seascape, I stepped out of the room frequently and often got up to have a drink of water or make myself a cup of coffee. Returning to the painting gives you a fresh perspective and a new way of looking at it. I did this painting over the weekend, leaving it half finished on Saturday afternoon to visit some friends, finishing it off on Sunday afternoon after lunch.

Jeanette of Illustrated Life has a rock challenge starting up running until the 4th August 2009. This is one of my entries.

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Sunday, May 3, 2009

Falcons

"The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself."

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

"Falcons" in Moleskine Sketch-book - Maree©
Published on 'SkineArt'


As the pages on the right-hand side of my sketch-book started filling up, I've resorted to the left-hand side, and as I was sketching this Falcon last night, I noticed the detail on the right was done exactly a year ago.

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Monday, April 27, 2009

A Sketch-a-Day


"Country Creek" watercolour - Maree©

I've decided to start doing a daily sketch and painting exercise again, which is something I used to do but due to, dare I say it, life that happens! I fell out of the habit. Daily sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!

I did this watercolour on Bockingford acid-free, 72lb (150g/m²) watercolour paper as part of my quest to try and do a painting or sketch-a-day.

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Saturday, November 1, 2008

Along the Oxford Canal 1989


W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm
An old bridge over a stream in Oxfordshire, UK

Way back in 1989 I undertook a trip to England to visit my parents-in-law and on one of our trips to Oxfordshire (the old people dragged me all over the country, proudly showing off all the wonderful sites!), I painted this quiet scene while we had a picnic lunch next to the Oxford Canal.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

A 1989 landscape

Watercolour in a 200gsm sketchbook

After I got married in 1970, not much art was happening in my life. Newly married, a baby to tend to and a house we were building seemed to take up all of my precious time. I did do the odd sketch here and there, but in the late 80's, after my daughter had flown the coop, I sort of got back into painting again, often taking my sketchbook with me on one of my weekly walks and just taking in the scene around me. This one was done at a dam not far from our property.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Welcome to my art blog!

I've taken the plunge and decided to post my art on line. I've been sketching and painting since early childhood and it is something that has been part of my life forever, it seems. So this will be a record of my journey through the art world.


It's only fitting that I start with a sketch I did in 1955 at the age of 11, one of the few that I've managed to keep over the years. During my many moves and travels as a young adult, I managed to lose all my childhood journals, all my silver and gold diplomas I received at art shows and all the rest of my art work. So this one as a bit special to me, and you will excuse me for boring you with such a bland first entry!