New Proteas

Since the last proteas I have done 2 more. They are just so much fun to paint. I think these 2 are much more "relaxed" than the previous ones. Just goes to show, the more you paint the better it gets. I always try to paint in sets of 2. Because my paintings are smallish clients love buying 2. One seems just to lonely...

Protea 4
Original oil on board 30x30cm

Protea 5
Original oil on board 30x30cm

Thursday Group

Last Thursday of the month - again! I can't believe it's only 3 months to Christmas. As it is the last Thursday of the month each artist worked on their own painting.

Marlene - she finished her painting from last week. Very pretty!

Stella - she has been working on this painting for quite some time and finished it today. A real storybook painting.

Ronel - being Ronel she did 2 paintings this morning! Lovely paintings.

My painting - I felt like doing some shoes. I haven't done shoes in a while and started getting whitdrawal symptoms hehe!

Different Strokes weekly painting

This is the first painting I did on a new site started by Karin Jurick, an American artist. Every week se posts a new photo and invites artists to paint their version of that weeks particular photo. This is a great idea and gives me the chance to paint themes that I would not otherwise do or even think of.

Go to http://differentstrokesfromdifferentfolks.blogspot.com/ to see al the amazing paintings.

Man Reading Newspaper
Original oil on board 20x20cm
SOLD

Thursday Group

We had a great time on Thursday doing another palette knife painting. This one was very challenging with all the different colours and detail. In the end everyone made lovely paintings. Well done friends and thanks Charles for doing the class the past few weeks.

Hantie's painting

Jenny's painting

Nick's painting

My painting

Anso's painting

Proteas

The protea is an amazing flower. They come in all different sizes and have magnificent colours. Some are the lightest of pink and others are deep red and purple and they al have a velvety feel and look. The King Protea is the national flower of South Africa. Definately my favourite flower.

Protea 2
Original oil on board 30x30cm

Protea 1
Original oil on board

Blue Sandals

I haven't done shoes in a while and with summer arriving here in sunny South Africa I couldn't resist painting these strappy sandals. I love the bright colours, it makes me long for the long December beach holiday that's just around the corner.

Blue Sandals 1
Original oil on board 30x30cm

Blue Sandals 2
Original oil on board

Poppies

I recently started painting flowers. I never thought about painting flowers until my paintgroup did a few and I was forced to paint them. I find it quite challenging to play around with the different shapes and colour contrasts but also very enjoyable.

Pink Poppy 1
Original oil on board

Pink Poppy 2
Original oil on board 30x30cm

White Magnolias

I loved painting these magnolias. First I painted the background using an old chinese stencil. I then sanded parts and gave it a burnt sienna wash to achieve and "old" look.

White Magnolia 1
Original oil on board 30x30cm

White Magnolia 2
Original oil on board 30x30cm

Portchie Gallery

August has been a good month. I sold most of my paintings at Duncan Yard and a friend who showed furniture and paintings at her house also sold some of my paintings.

I took some paintings to Portchie's Gallery in Pretoria on Wednesday. This is selection week for their annual "New Signatures" exhibition at the end of October. The curator of the gallery liked my work and put it up for sale the same day! Thanks Surona.

Portchie's Gallery is a great place to visit. The one side of the gallery is devoted to the colourfull paintings of Portchie and the other half to various South African artists. There is also a little teagarden with jummy cakes. If you don't know who Portchie is, go to www.portchie.com .

He is a well known and very successfull South African artist. His work is colourful, charming and sure to cheer up any room.

Thursday Group

Yesterday we had another palette knife class. This time we did a simple landscape and created some charming paintings. Another class enjoyed by all.

The underpainting was done in sap green and raw umber washes.

Working from the top to the bottom I did the blue from the sky, the clouds and the little house.

My painting

The field was done in lime greens and bright red and yellow for the flowers.

Alet's painting

Anso's painting

Hantie's painting

Nick's painting