That Look

Eyes are the windows to the soul, so they say. These two drawings were done in the same way as my Misty Mountains - I wanted to achieve a soft unfocused image where the eyes became the focus of the pictures. I think I achieved this.


Have a fabulous Festive Season everyone.

Misty Mountains

As anyone who has been following my blog will know, I love mountains. The fact that I live in the lee of one of the most beautiful mountains in the world, also helps. I have painted many pictures of Table Mountain, but these Misty Mountains called to me and, I believe, rendering them in pastels added to their mystique.

God's Window

Up in the north of the country in Mpumalanga, on the escarpment overlooking the Lowveld, is the area called God's Window. I'm sure most countries have their own 'Windows' overlooking hills and valleys, but our South African one is truly amazing.

In my own way, I have interpreted their majesty! I hope you think I've done them justice.

Bling Bling

I'm afraid I haven't been doing very much in the way of artwork or painting, as I recently had a hip replacement op. It all went well apart from a minor mishap, but I'm getting myself up and ready to start again really soon. I thought I would post a few more of my 'bling' pics - they were such fun to do.

Abstraction

My style of painting is extremely varied and I enjoy the "letting go" of abstract art.

"Bling it on"

I am an eternal experimenter (if there's such a word). I see something and I think, how can I use that in a work of art? What will this or that piece do if I include it on a canvas? As a result I went through a series of what I call, Bling paintings. This included using anything that glittered, plus some other interesting bits and bobs. I have posted 3 of the works here. Hope you like them.

Zulu Dancers

One of the wonderful things about Africa, is the colour. The colour of the land, the sky, the mountains and the people. Colour vibrates in Africa - rich oranges, deep purples, the intense blue of the sky on a Summer's day and the inky black at night. And the people of Africa, both black and white, wear those colours like a badge.

The Kwa-Zulu Natal area is particularly rich in colour. The tropical vegetation and the damp heat bring out the most vibrant colours imaginable. This pastell of two Zulu dancers is typical of that richness.

They Came in Two by Two

From our four legged furry friends to the wilds of Africa, animals can present such wonderful images to paint. The variety of different species can be matched by the variety of different mediums and techniques that can be used. I really enjoy experimenting and find that even an old tin can top can lend itself to being used in creative expression.

Faces

The characters of people are written in their faces - happiness, sorrow, and everything in between love and hate.

The Figure

Both clothed and nude, the human form is wonderful to paint and I have done many over the years. Here are three very different nudes.

Yellow and Red

Flowers again. Because I love gardening, flowers mean so much to me and I love painting them.

Flowers with Bling

Flowers with 'bling'. I use any material that comes to hand that I think will add to the overall effect of a painting. These bling ones are filled with glitter.

Flowers with attitude

Flowers are a great inspiration. I have painted them in many ways and, as you can see, on different 'canvases'

Bushfire, Baobab, Karoo

Part of the African experience is painting scenes from the country. The Karoo is a wonderful place to paint and has been the inspiration for many artists. The wonderful baobab (or upside down tree) is a magnificent site in the veld, but nothing is quite as breathtaking and frightening as a bushfire

Mountain Fires, Cable Car

Living in the lee of Table Mountain gives me great inspiration, and although the raging fires seen in the past few years have been quite deadly, they are awe-inspiring. A different view of the cable car was a must to paint.

Wimbledon 940x620mm

The vibrancy and excitement of the Wimbledon event has always appealed to me

Richmond Park, 300x220mm

One of my earlier paintings, Richmond Park in Winter presents a misty feel which is ideal for painting.