TACTILE TEXTURES

Did I mention that I liked textures?? I do indeed!!

I had SUCH fun making these collages of currogated cardboard, plastering them, pouring on sand, painting and embellishing them with embossed patterns, and finally adding a bit of glitz by rubbing on some gold.  

"Shack I"

Collage & Mixed Media on board

450 x 310mm

"Shack II"

Collage & Mixed Media on board

450 x 310mm

The initial inspiration for these collages was this photo of rusted little currogated iron storerooms (I think?)  that I took last year while taking a walk with my sister along the beach in Walvisbaai, Namibia:

NGUNI HERD - finished at last!

This is a large painting and took me rather long to complete - mostly because I worked on it intermittantly over about three years. I must say I do prefer projects that can be completed in a week or a few days, but I did want to do a large Nguni painting, and I even have a plan for another one!

I first painted the Nguni cattle in with acrylic, after drawing them on the canvas, using a grid.

Then I did the background in oils, as oil is so much easier to work with when blending.

I wasn't happy with the background, so it got changed, and I added some stones:

I did some more work on the background, until I was happy with it.Now the leading Nguni needed some alterartions on it's horns, ears and face, and patterns on its skin. After that I repainted all the other Nguni in oils, and also added finishing to the horns and hooves. Oh, yes, and the stones needed some more finishing, too!

Nguni Herd Coming Home

Acrylics and Oil on Canvas

1500 x 900mm

BLINK DETECTED

I had to laugh when I was photographing one of these two portraits and my camera kept saying: "blink detected". Well, at least my camera recognised it as a face!! Those of you living in Eshowe might recognise her...

"If I Close My Eyes, They Can't See My Soul"

Acrylic and Oil on Canvas

500 x 400 mm

SOLD 

When I was photographing the lady for the reference, all I kept getting was closed eyes. When I asked her to open her eyes, I got this:

I decided to paint her as she preferred to be: with closed eyes. Maybe that is to shut the world out? 

The painting was sold on the recent Annual Eshowe Exhibition.

The other portrait is of a lady that lived next to the property where we had a bushcamp, near Pondweni in Maputaland, Northern KZN. She struck me as someone with dignity and a wealth of life experiences. Here she is:

"Kokho" (Grandma)

Acrylic and Oil on Canvas

500 x 400 mm

IT'S A GIRL!!

No, not mine. :-)) My husband's niece is having a baby girl and this is what I made for a baby-shower present: a photo-collage-painting!

"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made"

Collage and Mixed Media

500x400mm 

It contains some of the sonar pictures of the unborn baby, eg middle left, and a picture of the parents.

The textures were built up with lace, tulle and cheesecloth, symbolising the "weaving together". The two corner embellishments were made out of pewter.  

The text that I incorporated into the collage, is Ps 139: 13-17

13 For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;

all the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!

How vast is the sum of them!

The baby shower was a lovely picnic in Mitchell Park, Durban. 

 Isn't this a nifty nappy cake??

I really had fun doing the collage and would be very happy to do some more, if anybody would like to order something similar! :-)

COMPLETING A PORTRAIT

I was asked to complete a portrait that another artist started before she passed away earlier this year. The portrait was of her nephew. She had good proportions and the groundwork had been done, so I adjusted the shading and fine-tuned the features. It was a pleasant challenge and I counted it a priviledge to complete the portrait for her mother.

Here is the portrait, as I received it.

The finished product:

Portrait in Oil on Artboard

350 x 450 mm: