In nature, there is a myriad of green, warm yellow-greens like those found in sunlit leaves, cooler blueish greens like the shadows upon the grass, and then on from those shades, there are greys and reddish browns and purplish reds and a good deal of yellowish and orange hues too.
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Paintings in a kitchen?
Though not as common, Art belongs in kitchens just as much as it does in living rooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms.
Read MoreHow to paint glass realistically in oil paint
Painting realistic looking glass in oils so that your subject looks like actual glass may seem complicated, but with practice its not as difficult as you may think. With the right amount of practice glass can be a beautiful and fairly easy element to add to your still life collection.
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Gardenroute Dam
Not too far from my home lie the tranquil banks and forested hills surrounding the Garden Route Dam.
Whether you are looking for somewhere to cycle, run, hike or just relax, this beautiful area in George has something for everyone.
Read MoreHow to help an artist for free
Artists in South Africa produce some of the world's most unique works, often depicting the abundance of surrounding nature. Historically our art was often abstract interpretations of animals, plant life, or natural designs and shapes.
More recently as outside influence has grown, we have been lucky to see the unique touches of our African heritage survive and shine through in our country's creativity, from the street artist peddling his wares along the beachfront, to the famous painters with art hanging in world-famous galleries!
But selling art isn't easy, and being in the position to have met so many artists over the past couple of decades, one thing has always stood out, Art in Africa is severely UNDERVALUED.
So how can you help a South African Artist?
Quite simply by LIKING, SHARING, COMMENTING, TAGGING and most importantly leaving a REVIEW on Social Media platforms such as Facebook & Instagram as well as on their Google pages will go a long way.
& don't forget to visit their websites, and have a look at what your favourite artist is up to, you might just find the piece of your dreams and make a local artist do a happy dance
Please visit my social media by clicking the button below.
My favourite paint colours
When I sit down to paint, I set up my colour palette with my favourite colours & whilst I own a wide range of different colours, I have my favourites, that I like to work with often:
Read MoreThe owls in my Garden
Owls seem to have always been the bird that sparks my creative imagination, as a bird that symbolizes different emotions, such as victory, wisdom or solitude, I find painting them,as seen in the below picture or capturing their essence in a woodcut print both eery and exhilarating.
Read MoreA change of season →
I believe it is inherently in our spirit to help those around us and now, it is the most vulnerable in our society that require our help more than ever. When art and life is seen from this perspective, I believe that we can overcome any crisis and hopefully, it may contribute to us even growing closer and stronger as a nation.
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“At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun. “
Sandi Gingras
Summer Impressions
“I believe in the ocean curing all bad moods. I believe in the waves wiping away worries. I believe in seashells bringing good luck. I believe in toes in the sand grounding my soul.”
Read MoreThe reason I paint
“The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.”
— Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
You've heard the old saying ''a picture's worth a thousand words''? That's because art can get ideas across using a different kind of vocabulary. Some people respond more to visual images than words. Like most artists I try to communicate through my art with the viewer .
Read MoreMy basic palette
Today I like to share the colors that I recommend to all my new students and the palette of colors I am working with. My colour palette works on using two of each primary colors, with the addition of Titanium white and Burnt Siena. Working with a limited palette will create a unity throughout your painting . It is not to difficult to paint with only three or four colors ,but requires some practice in colour mixing .The benefit of using less colors is a more harmonious painting. By limiting your palette, you are forced to discover the full possibilities of each colour as you work.
Read MoreGrape season
My husband loves grapes. They are actually his favorite fruit. While I enjoy them as well (specially fermented), I just love how beautiful they look. My art is always a reflection of my life and it is not surprising that I have painted many grapes. I hope I can show through my work how beautiful simple everyday things like grapes are.
For this blog I went a bit deeper and found some interesting facts :
My love for succulents
Succulents are very special plants . They are the tough survivors of the harsh conditions in the Karoo.
Africa is a harsh country for its inhabitants and like the plants , also the people of this continent have to adapt to often harsh conditions. Like they say “Africa is not for sissies” .
Read MoreTHE PAINTING PROCESS
So how do you start a painting and what are the steps from the beginning to the end of an art piece? This is a question that I have been often asked by my students, as well as many people that are interested in the process of making art .
The painting process is difficult to explain in words, so I thought I share some pictures that I have taken while I was painting a small still life of strawberries. The images will show the different steps from the beginning to the finished work. usually start blocking in the dark colour first and works towards my lighter values. It is also better to block in the larger shapes and I leave the highlights and detail to the end . work After the paint dries for a few days I give the painting a spray retouch varnish before I sent it off or sell it in my studio.
Strawberries in old enamel plate
We picked the lovely strawberries on the Redberry Farm in George, which is a beautiful outing for young and old in the Garden Route .th Before the sweet strawberries were all eaten I decided to make a small 20 x 20 cm still life painting from them. I used oil pains and started to block the main shapes and darks in by using burnt sienna and a little french ultramarine. Thereafter I continued using alizarin crimson, cadmium red, and a cadmium yellow, as well as little viridian green. To adjust the values I used Titanium white.
Exploring new mediums to kick start a creative and exciting New Year
As an artist I realise that routine is the death of any creative process and in order to grow in your art, any artists need to try new things. While oil painting is my favorite medium I look forward to break away from the canvas for a change.
Read MoreSECOND HAND FOR A NEW YEAR
Happy New Year to all my friends and followers. I spent the first week of 2019 sorting through our cupboards, to clean the house for our soon arriving holiday guests. I went through our bathroom, bedroom and our kitchen cupboards. You wont believe the junk that one collects over the years and we had to throw a lot away to make extra space.
Whilst I went through all the odds and ends I relised how many normal household things would work great in my studio, and I thought I share some of these ideas.
Read MoreMy new adventure into textiles
A few weeks ago I was chatting to one of my artist friends and he asked me why I don’t start selling a few selected cushions . At first I wasn’t sure about this , but after a little market research I realized that I should give it a try. This could be a ideal sideline for me as an artist , who normally only sells her original oil paintings.
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