Make a change - sketch in old books

Red Bishop (Euplectes orix) using W&N watercolour, no sketching beforehand, just got a quick glimpse of him on the fence post

Sometimes the urge to paint is too much to still go in search of paper, so painting and sketching in old books (in stead of throwing them away) has always made sense to me.

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Soaring fire

Just a quick hello and to let you know I'll  be back (soon!) Moving house from one end of the world to the other (OK, from one Province to another, but it seems like the other side of the world to me!) is very disruptive and a year later I'm only just starting to find my feet. Not all just because of the move, other factors have also played a part, but suffice it to say that my muse seems to be popping around more and more often these days and my paint brushes are getting more alluring by the day.

And here's a little piece of wisdom for today...

A quick little practice to get a feel for the paints again... Soaring Fire That Sweeps And Sings - a scene often seen on our smallholding in Gauteng

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Herbs in pots - Coriander

Ink and watercolour sketch in watercolour sketch pad.

Having herbs in terracotta pots on your kitchen windowsill is an excellent way of always having fresh herbs handy for your cooking.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is an extremely popular herb that is used extensively and liberally in Indian, Thai, South African and Middle Eastern cuisine.

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• Use in all types of curries, pickles, chutneys and sauces.
• Sprinkle over fresh salads.
• Use to flavour soups, carrot and coriander is quite popular.
• Use to flavour home-made bread, waffles and scones.
• Coriander is used as an ingredient for some cakes and biscuits including gingerbread.
• Use to add flavour to creamed cheese or mayonnaise.
• Use to garnish meat, fish or vegetable dishes.
• Use in meatballs, meat or vegetable burgers and other home-made dishes.
• Add to stocks and gravies.
• Use in marinades, particularly for meat and fish.
• Coriander goes very well with mushrooms.
• Use to spice up stir-fries and bland vegetables such as spinach.

Herbs in pots - Parsley

Ink and watercolour sketch in watercolour sketch pad.

Having herbs in terracotta pots on your kitchen windowsill is an excellent way of always having fresh herbs handy for your cooking.
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It’s easy to write parsley off. Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is just the requisite garnish that decorates plates at fancy restaurants. Right? Wrong! Parsley is a popular culinary and medicinal herb recognized as one of the functional food for its unique antioxidants, and disease preventing properties.

Sunshine in the rain

W&N watercolour on Arches 300gsm

On cold and rainy days I sometimes feel I just HAVE to brighten up the day with something smiling! Not that I don’t smile during rainy weather, I love it! and sunflowers are the perfect flower to brighten any dark day.

"Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men and animals. Some seem to smile; some have a sad expression; some are pensive and diffident; others again are plain, honest and upright, like the broad-faced sunflower and the hollyhock."
- Henry Ward Beecher