Barren and bare

W&N watercolour in hand-crafted sketchbook with linen satin-finish paper

Here in South Africa most of the landscape is still barren and bare after winter's onslaught, but Spring is making a concerted effort to show herself - her reign is normally short-lived, quickly being ousted by Summer's determination to make the most of the months ahead until Autumn has her turn again.

*The garden like a lady fair was cut

That lay as if she slumbered in delight,

And to the open skies her eyes did shut;

The azure fields of heaven were 'sembled right

In a large round set with flow'rs of light:

The flowers de luce and the round sparks of dew

That hung upon their azure leaves, did show

Like twinkling stars that sparkle in the ev'ning blue.*

~ Giles Fletcher

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Listen to the Guinea Fowl

Be grateful for nature. Pay the thunder no mind – listen to the Guinea fowl. And don’t hate anybody. 

W&N watercolour on DalerRowney 220gsm heavy-duty sketching paper. 

The Helmeted Guinea Fowl is an African family of insect and seed-eating, ground-nesting birds resembling partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage. They are the ultimate low-cost, chemical-free pest control and if your garden is already established and can withstand the scratching, you’ll have a healthy and pest-free garden. 

And be rewarded with some wonderful antics from these lovely birds. It is interesting to note that they are monogamous, mating for life. The hens have a habit of hiding their nests, and sharing it with other hens until large numbers of eggs have accumulated. Females lay 25-30 tough-skinned, smallish, creamy eggs in a deep, tapering nest and undergo an incubation period of 26-28 days. The chicks are called “keets” and are highly susceptible to damp. In fact, they can die from following the mother through dewy grass. 

After their first two to six weeks of growth, they can be some of the hardiest domestic land fowl.

They are highly social birds, and hate to be alone. When you see a lone guinea fowl, it usually means trouble, like that the family has been scattered by a predator. Guineas spend most of their days foraging. They work as a team, marching chest to chest and devouring anything they startle as they move through the grass. 

When they discover a special treat — a rodent, for example, or a small snake — they close ranks, circle their prey, and move in for the feast. All the while, they keep up a steady stream of whistles, chirps, and clicks, a sort of running commentary on the day’s hunt. 

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The clothesline said so much...

W&N watercolour on Amedeo 200gsm – 

A clothesline was a news forecast 

To neighbours passing by. 

There were no secrets you could keep 

When clothes were hung to dry. 

† 

It also was a friendly link 

For neighbours always knew 

If company had stopped on by 

To spend a night or two. 

† 

For then you’d see the fancy sheets 

And towels on the line; 

You’d see the company table clothes 

With intricate design. 

† 

The line announced a baby’s birth 

To folks who lived inside 

As brand new infant clothes were hung 

So carefully with pride. 

† 

The ages of the children 

could so readily be known 

By watching how the sizes changed 

You’d know how much they’d grown. 

† 

It also told when illness struck, 

As extra sheets were hung; 

Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too, 

Haphazardly were strung. 

† 

It said, “Gone on vacation now” 

When lines hung limp and bare. 

It told, “We’re back!” when full lines sagged 

With not an inch to spare. 

† 

New folks in town were scorned upon 

If wash was dingy grey, 

As neighbours raised their brows, 

And looked disgustedly away. 

† 

But clotheslines now are of the past 

For dryers make work less. 

Now what goes on inside a home 

Is anybody’s guess. 

† 

I really miss that way of life. 

It was a friendly sign 

When neighbours knew each other best 

By what hung on the line! 

† 

- Author unknown

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Beach at Mvoti

W&N watercolour on DalerRowney 190gsm 

One of my favourite haunts when I visit Ballito is Mvoti Beach at Blythedale (North Coast, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa). It is one of the few beaches on the North Coast that still has lots of vegetation and is also very popular with fishermen as this is where the Mvoti River flows into the Indian Ocean. The estuary is a haven for winged creatures and a must for bird lovers, worth a visit to spot the African spoonbill, chestnut-branded plover, lesser sand plover, white-eared barbet, scaly-throated honeyguide and blue-mantled crested flycatcher. 

 I can sit for hours watching common ghost crabs as they scurry around on the intertidal beach – the time between low and high tide – during which time they move from their high-shore burrows to feed.

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Enjoying the scenery

“Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” 

- Eddie Cantor 

W&N watercolour on DalerRowney 200gsm - no preliminary sketching 

The dam at Spring Farm (Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa) is always full and I've often wondered where the water comes from. Today I was told there's a natural spring further up on the property that has been slowly running at the same, unchanged speed for years. This is also the place where I often sit and watch the cattle and do some quick sketches - there's always something new to discover.

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If I was a Wind...

… I would steal your secrets … 

A cold, windy, wintry morning in Tarlton (Gauteng, South Africa). 

Ink sketch and watercolour on DalerRowney 200gsm sketching paper 

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In life...

 

we 

all 

need 

an open heart . crisp paper 

a breeze ... be it cool or warm 

a friend who says call if you need to talk 

white linen . weekends . joy of music . a rest 

sun on our back . a chair for the garden . wings to fly 

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

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Trying to fence in freedom

“Fences are made for those who cannot fly.” 

- Elbert Hubbard

  

W&N watercolour on DalerRowney 220gsm heavy-duty sketching paper 

The Tarlton and Magaliesburg area (Gauteng, South Africa) is full of abandoned and broken down fences - maybe a reminder of the futility of trying to fence in freedom... 

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Watch what we believe

 

W&N watercolour on Amedeo 200gsm 

This was Coco's (my Crow and companion for 20 years) typical stance when she was relaxing, and to me seemed wistful, pensive and deep in thought. I'm sure crows can be deep in thought - she certainly had enough to ponder - whether she should go into the kitchen and beg a tit-bit, where next to dig up my seedlings in the garden, which of the dogs to harass by pulling their tails or stealing their food or even wandering into the bedroom or bathroom to collect some items to stash up her tree. 

Crows often appear in groups and I've often wondered if she missed the company of other crows. Though there seems to be no variation in their caw-ing to each other, each caw actually has a different meaning. I would immediately know when she's hungry by the caw she uttered and their complex vocabulary is one sign of their intelligence, and is also a sign of their significance as power animals. When a crow explores something new, others watch closely to see what happens and then learn from it. They often make great noise when hunters are around, warning the animals and other birds. Crows recognise potential danger and hence always post lookouts when feeding. This is their most vulnerable time. This helps us understand that we must watch what we believe, to test our habitual ideas about reality against a more universal standard. 

Coco passed away at the age of 27 after a stroke and I can honestly say no other animal enriched my life like she did. 

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No cold can touch me

When you know who you are; when your mission is clear and you burn with the inner fire of unbreakable will; no cold can touch your heart; no deluge can dampen your purpose. You know that you are alive. 

- Chief Seattle

W&N watercolour on DalerRowney 300gsm 

The hills of Magaliesburg (Gauteng, South Africa) are dressed in their winter finery, cold shadows falling across the landscape as the sun tries to warm the valleys below. We've had some REALLY freezing weather, but today it's warming up again. 

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