A new family!

"The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg - not by smashing it."

- Arnold Glasow

"Pippie the Hen" - watercolour on Visual 140gsm - 12" x 8" - Maree©

This is Pippie, one of Kingston's hens, getting quite fluffed up having me so close and personal in her space! The other hen took off as soon as I approached, but I think Pippie's brood is about to hatch and she's not being intimidated by a lunatic with a sketch-book!

She was in Kingston's harem when I bought them, just in time, as he was destined for the pot. I haven't brought them over to my yard yet as some of the hens are still sitting on eggs, so I'll be getting a few extra for my money spent!

The learning curve - Watercolour Workshop 1

Doing work points the way to new and better work to be done.
- Julia Cameron


Original "Field in Oaktree" watercolour 12" x 8"
(Click on images to enlarge)

During my watercolour workshop, my teacher took my above painting to demonstrate to the class how a good painting can become exceptional - she showed me where to add some colour and soften some lines, and to add some softness in the distance to draw the eye to the focal point. Little changes, but with amazing results! We could play, "Spot the difference" here!


"Field in Oaktree" corrected

I know what I think, you be the judge! - this is such a learning curve for me and I'm so excited, and impatient! and ready, to go to the next level of my growth.

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"?