Amber Stained glass pendant

Who can resist a beautiful piece of stained glass? Buffed into a symmetrical shape, encased in silver solder and adorned with silver wire. Comes with a silver rope chain.

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Autumn - wonderful time of the year!

A small W&N watercolour in Moleskine 200gsm watercolour sketch-book

Autumn (fall) in South Africa (mid-February to April) offers the best weather of the year. Very little rain falls over the whole country, and it is warm but not too hot, getting colder as the season progresses. In Gauteng, autumn is fantastic, with hot sunny days, blue skies and warm, balmy nights.

Winter at the pond

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

I think we have an icy winter ahead of us. We've had a lot of rain and already some of my plants are showing signs of frost-bite.

A farm gate

W&N watercolour and ink sketch on Bockingford 300gsm 

I just cannot drive or walk past a farm gate or fence without stopping to photograph or sketch it! And I'm especially partial to barbed wire fences! This is a farm gate on a friend’s smallholding in Tarlton (Gauteng, South Africa)

Small Aloe ferox painting

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

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Small paintings in a sketch-book

Just taking a break from all the sales talk! 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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The road to a friend

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

The road I take to visit a friend in Hillside (Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa)

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The road West

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

An Autumn scene on the way to Rustenburg.

Winter is looming

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

The season has changed and we are into lovely autumn days, but here in Tarlton (Gauteng, South Africa), some trees are already in winter mode, having shed most of their leaves. I feel it’s a bit early, maybe a severe winter ahead?

Such Geraniums!

Memory sketch – W & N watercolours on Bockingford 300gsm 

Such geraniums! It does not become us poor mortals to be vain—but, really, my geraniums!
- Mary Mitford, ‘Our Village’

Geraniums in a tall Everite pot that I used to have in my previous garden (Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa), from the days before Asbestos was banned in South Africa in 2008. These pots were extremely popular in South Africa and had a perfect surface for painting, either with PVA or enamel paints. Painted with PVA, they would weather into a lovely vintage look, getting more beautiful as time passed. I’m just wondering what the company Everite produces now….?

Asbestos once accounted for three percent of the value of South Africa’s minerals. South Africa was previously the fifth largest supplier of chrysotile, produced 97% of the world’s crocidolite and 100% of all amosite.

En route to Magaliesburg

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

Whenever I go to Magaliesburg (Gauteng, South Africa) just 13km from us, I choose to take a short-cut through Spring Farm and although it is a gravel road, I do away with lots of traffic and getting stuck behind trucks on their way to Rustenburg or Botswana and, to top it all, I see lots of wildlife. It’s a route we used to take with the horses during my horse riding days.

A farm fence

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - 12" x 8" 

Going home

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

At the foothills of the Magaliesberg

 

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

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Bluegum bush at the dam

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

 
Not far from us is this dam with a lovely blue gum bush on one side. I used to sketch here often a few years ago, but now the dam wall is broken and there’s only a stream trickling through when it rains. A great loss to the environment, as it used to offer food and shelter for all sorts of wildlife from Egyptian Geese to a plethora of water birds and lots of small mammals. The price we pay for progress…

Aloe marlothii

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

One of the most stunning plants in Africa is the Aloe marlothii. It is found from sea level to high hills in South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique. The plant usually grows to a height ranging from 5-12 feet, but have been known to reach 6m! (As it grows more tree-like, dead leaves remain on the trunk in habitat as a defense against animal munching.) They put out a flower that is a branched candelabra-shaped with yellow to orange flowers. The mountain aloe is undoubtablty one of Southern Africa ’s most rewarding aloes to grow and adds an interesting slant to aloe culture.

Given to me by a dear RedBubble friend, it has now survived three Tarlton winters and heavy frost and I am absolutely thrilled that it is now established - the flowers are wishful thinking on my part, I’m hoping for some flowers soon!

Common names : mountain aloe (Eng.); bergalwyn (Afr.); inhlaba or umhlaba (Zulu)

Cactus Trichocereus

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm

“The cactus thrives in the desert while the fern thrives in the wetland.

The fool will try to plant them in the same flower box.

The florist will sigh and add a wall divider and proper soil to both sides.

The grandparent will move the flower box halfway out of the sun.

The child will turn it around properly so that the fern is in the shade, and not the cactus.

The moral of the story?

Kids are smart.”
― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

Young Aloe ferox

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

My experience is that this aloe (A. ferox) spreads easily from seed – from my original three plants, I now have over ten. They have sprung up all over the garden, obviously from seeds dispersed by the wind and birds. The only problem is that some of them are in unwanted locations and now I have the job of moving them to more suitable spots. But a chore I’m going to enjoy!

Aloe ferox (also known as the Cape Aloe, Bitter Aloe, Red Aloe and Tap Aloe), is a species of arborescent aloe indigenous to Southern Africa.

Bulbine frutescens

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

Bulbine is effective in preventing skin infection, healing and soothing cuts, rashes, insect bites, burns, cold sores, pimples and other skin problems. Its clear and soothing gel forms an invisible ‘seal’ over the wound, protecting against bacteria and providing ongoing relief and healing throughout the day.

It is a very attractive succulent indigenous to South Africa which needs little attention, and thrives in most soil types and in most weather conditions. The juice from the leaves is used in creams, and can also be applied to eczema, burns, rashes, fever blisters and stings etc. I often use it on cuts and scrapes I might pick up while working in the garden.

This native of South Africa occurs naturally in the Orange Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and parts of all the Cape Provinces.

Afrikaans: balsemkopieva, copaiba, geelkatstert, katstert

Cactus Cereus jamacaru (SOLD)

Ink sketch and watercolour wash on Bockingford 300gsm 

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Cereus jamacaru (Queen of the Night, Nagblom)
Classification: Cactaceae
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Incorrectly referred to as Cereus peruvianus in South Africa.
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The Peruvian Apple Cactus, Cereus repandus, is a large, erect, thorny columnar cactus found in South America as well as the nearby ABC Islands of the Dutch Caribbean. It is also known as Giant Club Cactus, Hedge Cactus, cadushi and kayush. With an often tree-like appearance, the Peruvian Apple Cactus’ cylindrical grey-green to blue stems can reach 10 meters (33 ft) in height and 10-20 cm in diameter. The nocturnal flowers remain open for only one night. Unfortunately this plant has been declared an unwanted “invader” in South Africa due to it’s fast-spreading habit.

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Die Kaktus Cereus peruvianus (of Een-nag blom) is ’n boomagtige kaktus, partymaal tot 10m hoog, wat vir net een nag van die jaar asemrowende wit blomme voort bring. Ongelukkig is hierdie kaktus as ’n ongewensde indringerplant verklaar in Suid Afrika as gevolg van hul gewoonte om uiters vinnig te versprei. Daar is groot verwarring oor die eintlike naam van hierdie kaktus, aangesien Cereus vir heelwat kaktussoorte gebruik word. Die spesienaam, peruvianus, dui aan dat dit endemies is aan Peru, maar dit is ’n botaniese fout. Hierdie plant is eintlik endemies aan Brasilië, Uruguay en Argentinië.
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Hierdie een groei langs Solly se kaia op ons plot (Tarlton, Gauteng, Suid Afrika) en hy was verskriklik ontsteld toe ek voorstel ons moet dit verwyder. Nou is hy die dood voor die oë gesweer as ek sou sien dat dit enigsins versprei!