Monday, April 27, 2015

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)

Monday, April 20, 2015

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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Friday, April 17, 2015

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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Wednesday, April 15, 2015

The road West

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

An Autumn scene on the way to Rustenburg.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

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?

Sunday, April 5, 2015

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.

Friday, April 3, 2015

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.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

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)

Saturday, January 31, 2015

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

Friday, January 30, 2015

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.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

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

Monday, January 26, 2015

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!

Friday, January 23, 2015

Bunny Ears Cactus (Opuntia microdasys)

For the Cactus-lover - W&N watercolour on Aqua 300gsm watercolour paper 

I'm an avid succulent and cactus collector and buy anything I can lay my hands on that's not in my collection yet and I was absolutely thrilled when I came upon this Bunny Ears cactus!

These cacti originated in the wild (North and Central Mexico) and are popular garden and house plants here in South Africa. I bought my Bunny Ears last summer and after a nice rest this past winter, is now showing lots of new ‘ears’. I’m just wondering if I will have any flowers while it is in a pot…
Opuntia microdasys forms a dense shrub 40–60 cm tall, occasionally more, composed of pad-like stems 6–15 cm long and 4–12 cm broad.

Opuntia microdasys has no spines, but instead has numerous white or yellow glochids 2–3 mm long in dense clusters; these detach very easily on being touched, and can cause considerable skin irritation, so the plants must be treated with caution. Despite this, it is a very popular cactus in cultivation.

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Trees are the Earth's Endless Effort


W&N watercolour on DalerRowney 220gsm (135lb) Smooth heavy-weight sketching paper, no preliminary sketching 

Trees are the Earth’s Endless Effort
To Speak with the Listening Heaven.

- Rabindranath Tagore, ‘FireFlies’

Trees are living, breathing creatures. The fact that trees are, in many ways, like intelligent beings may come as somewhat of a surprise to you. This can be explained as follows:
  1. 1. A tree eats. Its tiny hair like roots beneath the earth’s surface are always on the hunt for such elements in the soil as nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium.
  1. 2. A tree drinks. A generous supply of water is required for carrying nutrients from the soil through the “digestive system” of the tree.
  1. 3. A tree digests its food. A tree has a digestive tract. Like a plumbing system, it functions as elements from the soil flow through microscopic ducts in the sapwood from the tiniest of root hairs to the most distant of leaves where tree food is formed on contact with sunlight and C02. The food is then carried through the tree to build up layers of cells in the cambium (the inner skin or growing tissue). Tree growth and root development result.
  1. 4. A tree breathes. Like all living matter, a tree requires air. A hard, packed soil at the base of the tree will cut off the tree’s breathing. Supplies of oxygen and carbon dioxide vital to the manufacture of food are absorbed through the soil by the roots, as well as from the atmosphere by the leaves.
  1. 5. A tree reproduces. The tree is capable of rearing its own family. Many seeds have wings that, with an assist by winds, carry them to points away from the parent tree. There, soil and sunlight sufficiently permit new, fast growth.
  1. 6. A tree “talks.” Listen to trees the next time the leaves rustle in the wind. Thomas Hardy confirmed this when he wrote, “At the passing of a breeze the fir trees sob and moan, the ash hisses the beech rustles.”
  1. 7. A tree sleeps. In the winter months, when deciduous trees lose their leaves and the growing processes of evergreens slow down, a tree is getting its rest.
  1. 8. A tree has healing powers. A scar, if properly treated, will always heal as long as the tree is alive and growing.
Interesting, right?

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Sunrise over a winter landscape


 
W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

Winter here in Tarlton (Gauteng, South Africa) means a late sunrise, often accompanied by clouds, which usually clear up as the day progresses.

“Nature is painting for us,
day after day,
pictures of infinite beauty
if only we have the eyes to see them.”
— John Ruskin

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