Technology and Country living

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm

A track leading up to a friend's farm - dodging the rocks and ditches in the road is quite a feat. The Roads Dept. has long since stopped grading most of our farm roads and it's up to the individuals living along that stretch to maintain the road. And the telephone poles don't actually have any wires, that's artistic license - those have been stolen long ago and not been replaced by Telkom. So, the general mode of transportation around here is 4 × 4 and the general method of communication is the iPhone as technology meets up with Country Living.

Location : Hillside, Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa

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Marigold (Tagetes patula)

My Marigolds (I have the French Marigold (Tagetes patula) have grown in utter profusion this season. Some I planted in one corner, the rest sprung up from last year's seeds.

Annual Marigolds can be used anywhere to deter beetles and many harmful insects. They are also known to repel harmful root knot nematodes (soil dwelling microscopic white worms) that attack tomatoes, potatoes, roses, and strawberries. The root of the Marigold produces a chemical that kills nematodes as they enter the soil. If a whole area is infested, at the end of the season, turn the Marigolds under so the roots will decay in the soil. You can safely plant there again the following spring. The flowers are hermaphrodite (having both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects. They are noted for attracting wildlife and the wild hares visiting my garden often eat them. And for some reason, the rats like biting off the flower heads and spreading the petals and seeds all over the ground! The leaves of the marigold are coated with oily glands that produce a pungent scent.

Did You Know? Marigolds, which are from the Aster family and the Calendula genus, were first discovered by the Portuguese in Central America in the 16th century.

Some interesting info :
"In addition to colouring foods, yellow dye from the flowers is also used to colour textiles. The whole plant is harvested when in flower and distilled for its essential oil. The oil is used in perfumery; it is blended with sandalwood oil to produce 'attar genda' perfume. About 35 kilograms of oil can be extracted from 1 hectare of the plant (yielding 2,500 kg of flowers and 25,000 kg of herbage). The oil is also being investigated for anti-fungal activity, including treatment of candidiasis and treating fungal infections in plants."
This info from Wikipedia

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After the rain

All was silent as before -
All silent save the dripping rain.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

W&N watercolour on X-pressit 300gsm

We've had some beautiful rain to end the season - for the past couple of weeks we've had heavy afternoon showers virtually every day and the ground is so saturated that puddles collect next to all the farm roads. We've had this before, with rains carrying on well into May and even June, which is peculiar for us, as Gauteng (South Africa) is a summer rainfall area.

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Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)

W&N watercolours on Amedeo 200gsm watercolour paper

The Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) is a woodland antelope found throughout Eastern and Southern Africa. Despite occupying such widespread territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas, due to a declining habitat, deforestation and hunting.

This animal’s true home is thorn-bush, rocky outcrops and dry desert ridges - It forms the perfect background to display the beauty of this elusive, ghostlike and magnificent antelope of Africa. Bulls are very secretive when they are alone and will stand motionless in bushes and under trees to avoid detection. Then only the most experienced human eye will see them. Man is often outwitted by the alertness and fantastic sense of hearing of the greater Kudu.

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February delight

W&N watercolour on X-pressit 300gsm

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Although we can have some of our hottest temperatures in February, it is also the time when our landscape is at its most vibrant, with all the colours of spring, summer and approaching autumn to delight the eye. Nature seems to be intent on cramming all four seasons into February, reminding us of things to come and that that has passed already...

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Not the last post afterall! - Wisteria

"In pale moonlight / the wisteria's scent / comes from far away."
— Buson

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Wisteria - W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm

Well, it seems my "last post" (previous post) is not the last post after all! I've had several requests to please keep on posting my art here as some people are not interested in looking for art in between photographs and all sorts of other posts! Hee hee! I completely understand that, so here I'm back, keeping this blog alive and my artwork separate from my other passions!

This painting is of a friend's Wisteria which is in full bloom and the scent is absolutely intoxicating! Just about the complete one side of her house is covered (there's a pergola next to the wall) and it's absolutely beautiful. The only problem is, the pergola is leaning dangerously close to a window from the weight of the plant and she says unfortunately she's going to have to take it down. That would be a real pity, but hopefully she can just trim it back a lot and retain some of the original plant. It his taken years to get to that size and planting a new one would take forever to produce this wonderful show.

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The last post

Don't you think daisies are just the friendliest flowers? I caught these two smiling at a butterfly in my garden!

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This will be the last post on this blog - but I'm not leaving! I have decided to move my art over to one of my other blogs, 'BLISSFUL THINGS', as it is getting very difficult and time-consuming keeping up with all my blogs. As I set myself the intention to slow down in 2012, to sit for a few moments longer enjoying my early morning coffee, stopping at each plant in the garden just a bit longer in stead of just rushing through, making notes of what has to be done and to listen more intently to the sound of the birds, the sound of life happening outside my studio, it seems fitting for me to combine the two blogs because, after all, my art is one of the most blissful things in my life!

I also have a Nature Journal at 'HEDGIE'S NATURE JOURNAL' and sometimes post some of my art there as well and am also a contributor at 'SKETCHING IN NATURE'. I also have a profile page at 'RedBubble' where I offer my art for sale in the form of cards, framed prints, posters, T-shirts etc. and that takes up a lot of my on-line time.

I would VERY much love it if you would visit me at BLISSFUL THINGS and I really look forward to seeing you there!

You are more than welcome to still leave comments here, I will still be receiving e-mail notifications as I am not closing the blog down, so I do look forward to hearing from you.

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"If you don't have time to do it right,
when will you have time to do it over?
If anything is worth doing at all,
It is worth doing well."
- Unknown

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Shade trees and a summer breeze

Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it!
~Russel Baker

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W&N watercolour on DalerRowney 220gsm sketching paper - from my imagination, no preliminary sketching

As the Northern Hemisphere are shivering in their boots (lol!) we here in South Africa are experiencing extremely hot temperatures.

When it comes to summer heat, there is such a thing as having too much of a good thing. Temperatures can rise beyond comfortable levels for days, and sometimes weeks. The once glorious summer season soon becomes unbearable, making every outdoor activity a chore. Shade trees and a summer breeze become welcome treasures.

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What lies ahead?

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!

W&N watercolour on Amedeo 200gsm

As we enter this new year, there's always the thought, "What lies ahead?" Many of us may be stepping out in a new direction, starting a new job, moving house or just trying something new with our art. But that's a good thing, it's time to go, to leave this place and embrace the unknown, and step into the new year with confidence and faith.

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It's time to go, to leave this place
The unknown awaits, as it does
For a foolish few who dare.

I leave behind what I comprehend
And even with all communication
I know for now without doubt
I drift, en route a new location

But who's to say what shall pass
And what still lies ahead

Am I running from that I can not?
Unknown

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Impala in the Game Reserve

There will be no justice as long as man will stand with a knife or with a gun and destroy those who are weaker than he is.
~Isaac Bashevis Singer

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!

Ink sketch with Pilot Black Fineliner and W&N colour wash in my Moleskine 200gsm (A4) 'Nature Journal'

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Another sketch of one of the Impala grazing close to the road in the Krugersdorp Game Reserve. A drive through this Game Reserve reveals all sorts of treasures. We also spotted a huge Mountain tortoise in the distance behind the Impala herd and it seemed to be heading straight for the water-hole, where there was also a flock of South African Shelduck (Tadorna cana), making quite a noise over something in the water, probably a Hippo, although we didn't see it.