5-Minute exercises

“In our lives there is bound to come some pain, surely as there are storms and falling rain; just believe that the one who holds the storms will bring the sun.”

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


"Storm Brewing" - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree© (no sketching)

I decided it was time for some quick 5-minute exercises again with no sketching before-hand and to encourage looseness and I did these two in under 5 minutes each. These quick exercises really irk me - my brush just itches to do more and more!


"The Beach" - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - 12" x 8" - Maree© (no sketching)

Scene at Harties

"If you can express your soul, the rest ceases to matter."

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


Scene at Hartebeespoort Dam - watercolour in Moleskine watercolour sketchbook - Maree©

You might have noticed that Hartebeespoort Dam (also known as Harties) holds a special fascination for me. The scenery possibilities are endless, ranging from location to the time of day and the change of light.

Most of the time, like this one, I stop for a quick sketch on our way there, other times I will work off one of my photographs. I've been meaning to take a trip up the cable car, but every time I've been there, it has been closed for some reason or another. It's next on my wish-list.

Gum Forest 0n 84

Approaching a tree we approach a sacred being who can teach us about love and about endless giving. She is one of millions of beings who provide our air, our homes, our fuel, our books. Working with the spirit of the tree can bring us renewed energy, powerful inspiration, deep communion.
- Druid Tree Lore

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


"Gum Forest on 84" - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - 9" x 12" - Maree©

A suggestion of a Blue gum forest - colour put directly onto the paper without any prior sketching. (The "84" in the title is the number of the smallholding where I live.)

This sketch is bigger than the rest of the Gum Forest Series, which is 5.5" x 7.5", and here I'm exploring the same method of not sketching and just using colour to suggest the image, just going bigger. It's easy putting colour on a smaller painting - the bigger you go, the more colour you have to mix and the quicker you have to paint - I also invested in two new round Winsor & Newton BIG brushes - no's 24 and 28 - I'm sure one gets bigger, but that was the biggest size Pen & Paper in Clearwater Mall had. Now I need a bigger flat - I've got a Nylon Daler ¾" - I probably need a 1"?

Sunshine Award!

I received the SUNSHINE AWARD for "Creativity and Positivity in Blogging" from Artist Marie Theron, who chronicles the West Coast of South Africa with her beautiful paintings and history of the area. Thank you Marie, it's a great honour coming from you!

If one accepts the reward it must be passed on to 12 others. One must also let them know that they are nominated. Everything must be linked to everything.... whew!

Here is my list of creative and positive bloggers who inspire and give joy to others. Please follow their links so you can meet these outstanding artists!

1. Pam Johnson Brickell
2. Cathy Gatland
3. Cathy Johnson
4. Debbie Schiff
5. Vickie Henderson
6. Melissa Fischer
7. All the correspondents at SKETCHING IN NATURE
8. Ronell van Wyk
9. Teri Casper
10. Toni Kelly
11. The Happy Painter
12. Jean Haines

The rules for accepting this award are simply to:

1. Post the Sunshine Award logo on your blog, on your post or both.
2. Pass this onto 12 bloggers who you admire.
3. Inform them of the award.
4. Link the person who awarded you in the first place.

Spring Farm landscape

“The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.”
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American Poet in the 19th century, 1807-1882)

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

"Spring Farm landscape" watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree©

Passing by Spring Farm on our way to Magaliesburg, I once again took the chance to do a quick sketch of the dam from a different angle, finishing it off once we got home. We've had plenty of rain and the dam has crept over its banks, forming vleis on both sides.

(In geography of South Africa a vlei is a shallow seasonal or intermittent lake. The word is of Dutch/Afrikaans origin meaning 'pond', 'marsh', and is pronounced as "flay". Vleis vary in their extent according to the fall of rain or dryness of the season.)

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