JUST ME :: and a stack of blank pages

:: Living creatively ::

About me

This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realise it is play. The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment. That’s all there ever is. I’m here to tell you that the path to peace is right there, when you want to get away. When you are present, you can allow the mind to be as it is without getting entangled in it. If you miss the present moment, you miss your appointment with life. That is very serious!

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Small sketches and paintings

At one stage I churned out a lot of small sketches and paintings, the urge for the brush was greater than trying to plan something big and wonderful! Smile!

Daisies singing in the rain - small watercolour on note paper 4.5" x 6"



Winter fires - small watercolour on note paper 6" x 4.5"


Hibiscus beauty - Black ink sketch and watercolour on small sketch pad 6" x 4.5"


Arum lilies - small ink sketch and watercolour on sketch pad 6" x 3.5"

 Herbs in pots - small ink sketch on sketch pad 6" x 4.5"

I have plenty more, so don't go away!

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Sunday, June 18, 2023

The little Daisy

 


I want daisies in my hair, peace in my soul, and love in my heart

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

French Marigolds

W&N watercolour on Amedeo 200gsm – Marigolds in a pot in my garden

Marigolds (Tagetes patula) are easy to grow and they help keep the away aphids. The relationship between plants and insects is known as ‘companion planting.’ and it’s by far the safest, natural way to garden organically.

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. 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 antifungal activity, including treatment of candidiasis and treating fungal infections in plants This info from Wikipedia

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Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Sunrise over No. 84

W&N watercolour and ink sketch in Moleskine 200gsm sketch-book

Sunrise over our smallholding in Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa. We lived on this particular smallholding for 13 years, and many mornings, weather permitting, I would exit my garden gate and walk around the tall wall surrounding our house to catch a glimpse of the sunrise. Luckily the sunset was visible from my garden and I would often sit on my patio watching the sun setting and listen to the birds getting ready for the night.

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Small paintings in a sketch-book


I have this small, hand-made little sketch-book with satin-finish linen paper, which is exquisite to paint in. The paint takes on a life all of it's own when it his the paper and the outcome is always unexpected! But it is very unforgiving, doesn't take well to pencil or ink and cannot erase on it at all. So whatever gets put down, that's it! But I just love churning out these small little 7"x5" paintings!















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