THE WIND WHISTLES

The Mindelheim Art Society ,of which I am a member, is holding an exhibition. It will be in a  lovely old Castle, in the small town of Turkheim not far from where I live.  The theme is 'movement' which covers lots of options.  I will be presenting two of my works.  This one is called 'The Wind Whistles' or in German 'Der wind Pfeift'.   As usual an animal is nearly always a part of my painting.  My style has changed from very realistic and paintstaking to one which is more impressionistic.  I am enjoying working with a painting knife which gives lots of lovely textures.  I use a brush for the finer details. Here it is.  Hope you like it. Your comments would be very much appreciated. Click on the photo for a larger image.      I am busy on the second work which I will upload when it is finished. 

 

CACTUS IN WATERCOLOUR

During my painting holiday in Spain, I could not resist painting this lovely Prickly Pear plant.  As a child in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, I was lucky to spend holidays on the farm of my grandparents.  Rolling hills, cattle, sheep and horses were my delight.  The food was always scrumptious and not always that healthy!!!  Fried potatoes and lamb chops were my favourite.  From early morning (watching the cows being milked and feeding the calves) to collecting eggs with Grandmother, to late in the afternoon, I was enjoying the freedom with my cousins. One of the joys was to eat a juicy prickly pear.  The flesh was yummy but the procedure was NOT!!  Covered in tiny fine hairs that stuck into the skin in a very insidious way, peeling one of these was no fun.  One had to wear gloves.  

 

URBAN SKETCHING IN SPAIN

I have just returned from a wonderful week in Spain.  My friends Loli and Harold run art holidays.  Their home which houses the visiting artists is a beautiful villa high on a hill above the town of Beniginam.  The views from the terrace across the valley to the distant mountains are just crying out to be painted.  The tutor was a really good artist called Paul Weaver.  He and his charming wife were very much part of the group.  There was much laughter, terrific food all made by Loli and generous pouring of wine by Harold.  Loli makes the best Paella in Spain!!!!
It is worth taking a look and hopefully you will find a tutor who suits you and join us next year.  This is my third visit which says it all.  Here is a link to their website www.dalvaro.co.uk

I love urban sketching and these are some of the sketches done during my week in Spain.

 

SKETCHING THE LOVELY OLD CITY OF AUGSBURG

Pete and I had a great day with our Kunstverein Mindelheim, a group of art-loving folk as we learned more about the lovely old city of Augsburg.
When one shops in the city,  the only thing that one really notices, is the very high cathedral dome.  However, with a good guide who really knew the architecture and the history, it was a different story.  I could not resist sketching this scene in line and wash.

MIXED MEDIA JOURNAL - JOYS OF SPRING

I decided that I was going to have a fun journal filled with mixed media experiments. Spring is my favourite time of the year in Bavaria, Germany. The world around me is exploding with colour. Spring flowers of every hue are popping out of the quiet winter soil.  The trees are wearing their Spring underwear before the greens of summer foliage hide their lovely forms.
This is an experiment in mixed media. I so enjoyed the process. I was happy with the result. Hope you too, enjoy it and let me know what you think.

Today, there are two magpies stripping twigs from a fir tree and I can see their black and white outfits as they jump around the branches looking like two very busy waiters in a Victorian restaurant. Their rather unmelodious voices are mingling with the pure lilting sounds of the blackbirds. Charming little blue tits are chattering to each other and the sun is shining.

FISHING VILLAGE ARNISTON SOUTH AFRICA

Sometimes you find a place that touches your soul.  This is an old fishing village where the original houses still stand.  There is one dear old lady who is the last surviving member of the community before these cottages were renovated and declared a national monument.  Folk still live in them and continue their hazardous life on the unpredictable ocean catching fish for a livelihood.  It't a tough job and many have lost their lives .  As a child, I remember so well these cottages dotted on an outcrop of land, unspoiled and reflecting the strength and dedication of the simple fisherfolk who lived there. .  The wind filled with the scent of the ocean whipped at my hair as I sketched this scene. It was a joy to be there.

                             Please click on the picture for a larger image.

SOUTH AFRICA LAND OF CONTRASTS

At present I am in the lovely seaside town of Hermanus towards the Southern-most point of South Africa.  Unlike Cape Town it is not bombarded with the aggressive South Easterly wind which blows not only your roof off but also tends to blow my mind.  It starts at about 9.30 am and ends at 4 am the next day causing a lot of destruction of plants and roof tiles. For all its scenic beauty and the back-drop of the lovely Table Mountain, Cape Town is inundated with huge informal settlements of very poor folk desperately looking for work and its infrastructure cannot cope with the volume of traffic. Commuting to the city is a nightmare.  

Here in Hermanus, there is a sense of calm.  Life is slower and more enjoyable. There is a very large artists community in the town and there are 15 studios dotted amongst the charming alleys and streets.  On Friday evening all the studios and galleries will be open to the public as they are on each first Friday of the month.  Wine and snacks are offered .  I could imagine after visiting fifteen studios and partaking of the delicious wine which is produced in the nearby valley, one might be a little worse for wear.  

Here are some of my sketches of various areas visited.  

This is the lovely lighthouse at a place called Kommetjie.  Unfortunately , it is a little wobbly.  I tripped on the board walk on the way to sketching it, injuring my ribs and arm and was still a little shaky.

    

                                     
The rocks fascinated me here in Hermanus.
I enjoyed sketching them.
                                     

My husband Pete and I lived in Hout
Bay for several years. It still has its lovely fishing boats.  The Sentinel Mountain looks down on the harbour.