Dominion

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” 

- Unknown 

 Pencil, Ink and wash sketch on Bockingford 300gsm 

Renowned for its majesty and nicknamed "the king of the jungle," the lion possesses both beauty and strength. For me their eyes are their most striking feature and can speak volumes. Looking straight into the eyes of a lion is a deeply moving experience and when that happened to me during my one-and-only, EVER, visit to a zoo, I saw disdain, don't-actually-care, boredom and a deep sorrow that will stay with me for life. To me, zoo's are akin to pet shops. Some people might argue they serve a purpose, but that's a discussion I'd rather not enter into. 

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I am the Earth

W&N watercolour on smooth cardboard - no preliminary sketching 

A rocky outcrop on the way to Magaliesburg (Gauteng, South Africa) - I have walked to the top of this little hillock just to have a look at all the rocks, makes one wonder what forces of Mother Nature were at work to have scattered them here....

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I smile...

Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment. 

- Thich Nhat Hanh 

W&N watercolour on Amedeo 200gsm 

I bought a No. 26 (3cm - 1¼") Hog's hair flat brush and, of course, I just had to try it out! My No. 12 round brush is my favourite, and next in line is my No. 10 Round. I very rarely use a flat brush unless it's a big painting and then I use a large flat brush to fill the back-ground. Painting this entirely with a flat brush was totally strange to me, also resulting in a different style and outcome for me. So I smile! 

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Bamboo Flower arrangement

One sure way to lose another woman's friendship is to try to improve her flower arrangements. 

- Marcelene Cox 

W&N watercolour on X-pressit 300gsm 

A wonderful artist and friend of mine needed an idea for a flower arrangement she had to do for one of her flower arranging classes and this is what I came up with. She did indeed use Bamboo in her arrangement, but with a flat bowl filled with water and pebbles and it turned out beautifully! 

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Nature's Peace

Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” 

- John Muir 

W&N watercolour on X-pressit 300gsm 

I bought a No. 26 (3cm - 1¼") Hog's hair flat brush and, of course, I just had to try it out! My No. 12 round brush is my favourite, and next in line is my No. 10 Round. I very rarely use a flat brush unless it's a big painting and then I use a large flat brush to fill the back-ground. Painting this entirely with a flat brush was totally strange to me, also resulting in a different outcome to what I expected. With Autumn just around the corner, my palette naturally leaned towards browns and yellows. My two favourite colours. 

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