Don't settle

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Winter with a vengeance

Winter has hit us here in South Africa with a vengeance and it's snowing in many parts of the country. Last night we experienced -6℃ and all the bird baths and water bowls had a quarter inch thick ice on top. I'm sure if it snowed here in Tarlton it wouldn't be this cold...

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HOME Décor - throw pillows

 African Indaba

You may be interested in purchasing some of my art printed on throw pillows, the perfect décor accessory for any home, with a wide variety of colours and themes. You can head over to my site at RedBubble and on any artwork, click on the THROW PILLOW option.

Redbubble’s new Throw Pillows are really something to get excited about! As soft and comfortable as an alpaca full of marshmallows but considerably better looking! The super soft 100% spun polyester pillows come in 3 sizes to suit even the most extravagant of couches. And with such a vast range of excellent designs to choose from it’ll be a breeze to personalize any room.

• Selected design printed on both sides
• Three square sizes available: 16”, 18”, 20"
• Concealed zipper for aesthetic wonderment
• Soft yet hard wearing 100% spun Polyester Poplin fabric
• Available with or without 100% recycled polyester fibre insert

Care Instructions: Dry or Spot Clean Only

 

Affirmation for Healing the Earth

 African clay pots - Ethnic series

African Lion - Ethnic series

A word lovingly written

Cosmos beauty

Daisies in Spring

Kingfisher Daisies

Daisies postcard

African Tribal dress

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Looking back at your art

Looking back at my art since early 2009 when I started this blog, I've come to the pleasing conclusion that my art has improved, I have grown and I seem to have developed a "style". Style comes about by our preferences - preferences of the colours we use, preferences of subjects and preferences of how we look at things. I think every artist's fear is stagnating and getting nowhere, doing the same thing year in and year out.

My subjects have stayed the same - landscapes, birds, wildlife - the things in nature that I love. I did branch out into portraits, and there was a slight improvement, but I found that portraits were not really my forté at all, so I don't do many of those. I also now and then try acrylics and oils, but unless I spend a LOT more time practicing in those mediums, it's not going to get very far!

Early paintings

Recent paintings

What do you find when you look back at your art? I hardly ever throw anything away. Even though I cringe at some of the older paintings, it's a reminder of where you were. I love scratching through some old pieces, finding something that might have some potential and adding to it. Often something of value appears, if not, it's then destined for the dustbin. It's amazing what a feeling of freedom arises from the fact that it doesn't matter whether you botch it or not, it gives you a free hand to really go for it!


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Winter is coming

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm

The first signs of winter are already showing amongst the bluegum trees on our smallholding (Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa). Yellow grass, fallen leaves and longer shadows accompany me as I take my (now cold) early morning walks. The lizards and snakes have all but disappeared or only come out much later in the day as it warms up. Even the birds seem to be more quiet, preferring to sit in the top branches of some dead trees, basking in the early morning sun and warming up before taking on the day.

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