Unobstructed view

“The whole essence of good drawing – and of good thinking, perhaps – is to work a subject down to the simplest form possible and still have it believable for what it is meant to be.” 

— Chuck Jones 

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gms

After the winter veld fires and now that we've had our first summer rains, the landscape is once again turning green and we have an unobstructed view towards the Magaliesberg Mountains in the distance.

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Tread softly

“Cares melt when you kneel in your garden.” 

Watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm watercolour paper 

A sign in my garden – A powerful message that needs no more words.

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No rain yet...

Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams. 

- Ashley Smith 

 Ink sketch and colour wash of a scene in Magaliesburg in my Moleskine Nature sketchbook

It's the first of October, heading for mid-summer here in South Africa and we've had no rain yet. Normally we have the winds in August clearing up old growth and our first spring rains early in September, but the wind has been blowing right through September, seemingly blowing the clouds back to whence they came from.

I'm having to water my garden every day, we've had some very high temperatures, but nothing seems to give life like even just a couple of millimetres of rain...

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Two daisies

Bright flowers, whose home is everywhere

Bold in maternal nature’s care

And all the long year through the heir

Of joy and sorrow,

Methinks that there abides in thee

Some concord with humanity,

Given to no other flower I see

The forest through.

- William Wordsworth

Acrylic on primed canvas panel – 9″ × 12″

Some left-over blue paint from my palette when I did the lighthouse. I couldn't just waste the paint so  I was off on a new adventure again with my acrylics! 

Two daisies from my garden (Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa) in a blue bottle on my kitchen table.

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Light after the storm

There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm. 

- Willa Cather

Acrylic on Giverny 240gsm acrylic paper

One of my few forays into acrylics.

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The duel of the warring clouds

Hath ended with the day

Their scintillant, electric blades

Have ceased their fearful play;

The pent up fury of their hate.

Hath found at last release,

And o’er the tempest-stricken earth

Broods now the hush of peace...

- Unknown

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