Euphorbia cooperi

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm

Euphorbia cooperi (or Lesser Candelabra Tree, Transvaal Candelabra Tree or Bushveld candelabra euphorbia), is indigenous to South Africa. Found in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Swaziland up to Messina in the Limpopo Province, it prefers well-drained soils and is mostly found in rockier places, often on granite outcrops and in rock cracks or in wooded grassland and thorny scrubland, in planes and in steep hillsides on north-facing slopes. This spiny succulent grows 4-7 m tall and produces small yellowish-green flowers in spring and summer.

I had this one in a pot in my garden, but unfortunately it succumbed to frost one severe winter. But imagine my delight when I spotted an actual live 7m tall specimen right here in Ballito! It actually amazes me that succulents grow so well in this very wet and humid climate - but as I've said before, most succulents prefer more water than drought. Smile!

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Plant and care for trees

It's the end of another year and even after living here at the coast (KwaZulu Natal, South Africa) for the past 3 years, I'm still longing for my Highveld trees. Blue gums, Black Wattles, Cussonia, Celtis, Karee, Jacaranda and even the Syringa -- none of which can be seen along the coast. But they are etched deep into my memory and I will be digging deep every now and then when the longing gets very strong.

"Plant and care for Trees" - W&N watercolour in Moleskine 200gsm watercolour sketch-book

Trees combat climate change. Trees clean the air. Trees provide oxygen. Trees help prevent water pollution. Trees provide a canopy and habitat for wildlife. Trees help prevent soil erosion.

How many more reasons do you need?

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The beauties of Nature

Acrylic on canvas

Tasmanian bluegum (Eucalyptus globulus)

This large, straight-trunked tree grows to about 70m tall in open forests in south-eastern Tasmania, on Bass Strait islands and in parts of southern Victoria. Its common name comes from the waxy blue-green colour of its juvenile leaves. These juvenile leaves are hightly sought after for flower arrangements.

The plant’s cream-coloured flowers are a good source of nectar for bees and the resultant honey is dense and strongly flavoured. Here in South Africa, this bluegum is widely planted as forage for our honey bee populations and this amber coloured honey is mild in taste and a safe bet for any new honey enthusiast. Bluegum Honey is also known as Eucalyptus Honey. Yummy!

A coastal scene?

 

With the cooler weather comes outdoor activities again. For me at least; summers at the coast are just beyond bearable. So I took my easel outside (overlooking cane fields!) and tried my hand at a coastal scene. But as I said before, my Muse stayed behind in Gauteng, hence the mountains. Give me strength! 

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Humble beginnings

 

Going way back to 1999, this was one of my first sketches of flowers and of course I chose Cosmos as they were in full flower in fields and all along the road-side — March, Cosmos time, and then again in November.

Purely sketching

 

Working on getting my confidence back. Just a few pencil lines will be my practice for today — maybe I’ll add some colour at a later stage.

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Trying again

It’s amazing how insecure about my colours I’ve become since not touching a brush for almost four years. And as I might have mentioned before, my colour palette is still stuck on Highveld (Gauteng, South Africa) colours, quite apparent in this tree sketch I did yesterday afternoon. (But as soon as my Muse returns from her hiatus, her and I will go on a coastal adventure!)

Going small

 A collection of sketches in a hand-made sketch-book with hand-crafted satin-finish linen paper. 💚

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Going back in time

 

Seeing as I haven’t particularly been painting for a while (my Muse let me know that she’s on her way), I am looking back in time — memories of my gardener, Chrissie, and sunshine days gardening and painting in, what feels like, a previous life-time.

Chrissie doing her Autumn chores

Chrissie and Tappeltjie off to do some shopping

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Whats on my easel today?

 

I have not been painting as much as I should. Fullstop. I don't actually have an excuse except to say that life happens. And boy, did it happen over the past four years! We retired from Gauteng to the Dolphin Coast, KwaZulu Natal in December 2017 and it took a while for us to find our next forever home and to get settled in. So that's my one excuse for not painting, feeling unsettled and trying to get my groove back. 

Then, in December 2019, my husband was diagnosed with a Meningioma, a benign brain tumour that had to be surgically removed. After 6 weeks in hospital and 4 weeks in rehab, hubby was finally ready to come home. But all was not sunshine and roses -- the pressure of the tumour on the frontal lobe of the brain had taken its toll, causing loss of memory, several strokes and a certain amount of loss of movement. Adjusting to this new challenge in our lives took up all of my time and energy, and even during some quiet moments that I had to myself, I was unable to find my muse and my brushes and paints stayed in the cupboard, patiently awaiting my return. That's my second excuse.

My third excuse goes like this ~ the colours here at the coast are all wrong! Everything is either blue or either green. And there's no grass here. I kid you not. Only sugar cane fields. Lots and lots of sugar cane! and there are no Blue gum trees here, or very few, and they are the wrong species. Long empty branches with tufts of leaves at the end of each branch. Now I'm no stranger to painting with blues or greens, I have even done many beach scapes during my visits to the coast in earlier years.

And now my muse seems to be stuck in Transvaal and bushveld colours ~ browns and yellows, oranges and reds, browns and greens, even black, and my eye keeps looking for waving fields of grasses, green in summer, yellow in winter, but lots and lots of waving fields of grasses! And the Highveld trees ~ oh my! Acacias and Karees, Blue gums and Stinkwoods, Cussonias and Combretums. Even the Aloes here are different!

But I am slowly and surely learning about all the coastal trees and one thing the Coast has in common with the rest of the country, is that succulents thrive here. I can already feel that the Highveld is relinquishing her hold on my muse and soon we will be at it again full throttle!

For practice, an old painting given a fresh new look.

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