Birds on a Wire, at Sunrise

These were hard to send off on exhibit, but as always I trust that the new owner will enjoy them as much as I enjoyed discovering and creating them. I say ‘discovering’ for the multiple layers of process my mixed media works go through before being declared finished. Each layer built up or sanded down reveals more of what could be. The ‘creating’ bit happens when the story starts to take shape; in this case with little clay huts and homes (themselves weathered and almost returned back to the earth); and then the inclusion of an old nail, wire and small birds attached, referencing the connection to the earth’s magnetic force that guides and directs migration; and as well symbolic of the wire taken from the earth to fence our lands, to contain or to protect.

Homes on Distant Hills

Homes on Distant Hills, are what I often saw from horseback on long outrides into the surrounding countryside as a child growing up. Nowadays, I see these little homes when driving by car.

Powerlines continue to find their way into my oil paintings and mixed media work; their significance both in the acknowledgment of our need for electricity, but with some sadness for the continual claim of the earth. I’m so pleased for the sale of this work at the exhibition titled ‘Humanity’ at the lovely Gallery, in Ballito.

The ArtCard included in this collection is ‘obvious to those who know me’ … for the joy remembered of riding out country on horseback, over textures of the earth beneath; amongst and through grassy fields of open plains; with the spirit in the air embracing a steady trot along winding paths.

The little clay homes have been formed from many photographs of unique huts, houses and homes that are seen dotted about the South African landscape.

 
 

Pat’s Handiwork

My consignment of work has been delivered. A small sigh of relief. A little rest yesterday. Today, it all very happily begins again. Work is a privilege.

This quick post to show the box that Pat (quickly) made for me to display my ArtCards from, on exhibit at The Ballito Art Gallery over December and January.   

The cards on the inside of the box tell ‘the origin’ of Picture Postcards from Africa (with the quote that is printed on every card); as well as the details pricing and framing options.

I’ll post images of the new works soon.

#handmade #wooden #box #custommade #art #artcards #mixedmedia #post #postcards #picturepostcards #africa #iloveafrica #letter #writing #gifts #giving #earth

Working with purpose

Working with Purpose

It’s been great to work hard and with extra focus towards a 1 December deadline. The consignment includes a batch of sixty-five new Picture Postcards from Africa, along with a new box that Pat has made for me to display them from.

I never tire of the process of creating each unique work; attaching a card, addressing the recipient and then fixing stamps that are tiny prints of previous artworks.

Working with purpose is a gift.

I’ll share images of new works soon.

#art #making #studio #deadlines #purpose #focus #oil #painting #artcards #mixedmedia #africa #southafrica #postcards

Weathered. Treasured.

I own several palette knives but none have the same ‘feel’ as this one that I have had since 1989. There’s something different about the metal and it simply seems to move well under my hand. I use it almost daily and have had a good few panic attacks when I’ve not been able to immediately find it at the end of a session.

The old sewing needle etches detail well and sometimes used to inscribe text, and the now-very-blunt clay tool works well for scraping the edges from my textured figures.

Old and weathered simple things that I’d feel lost without.

#art #making #studio #tools #essential #treasured #palette #knife

Africa and her dogs

MY LOVE FOR AFRICA, AND OUR DOGS

Perhaps for growing up so closely with dogs, loving and caring for them, feeding, grooming, helping them heal when sick, and in turn being tendered to when I have been ill, or sad; I continue to find deep joy in the use of the image of a dog.

They represent companionship, strength, courage and tenacity and symbolize guidance, protection, loyalty, fidelity, faithfulness and alertness.

Emphasizing their familial significance, in Zulu they are called “Ingwe” or “Idube lethu” which translates to "our dog"  and seen in some regions as bearers of good fortune and prosperity.

Specifically in my ‘Picture Postcards from Africa’, my love for Africa is obvious; where the beautiful shape of her is used alongside, or as backdrops in many of my compositions.

With dogs of all kinds so prevalent in scenes across the African landscape, it is apt to pair up works of Africa, her people and our beloved hounds.

Settle

Moving many times and temporarily negotiating new spaces can be challenging. I’m in my 15th studio; my 9th in 8 years. The spaces have ranged from a small solitary desk to a generously sized dedicated space.

Within a few months, I will settle in a beautiful space at River Goose.

For now, I’m at a simple desk again, with a set of shelving and a small cupboard for materials. It’s ‘contained’ with not the greatest light or ventilation. But. I get to create and work. It is my soul’s sanctuary and place of gratefully being.

I have just recently retrieved long-since seen surfaces from dusty packed away boxes, and find myself back at that process I simultaneously love and am frustrated by: scraping and sanding; peeling away and unearthing new textures; uncovering marks; revealing scars. And then. Applying new layers of paint.

I have also found myself reuniting with familiar images of figures photographed as far back as 2006. All still strangers, but who bring a surprising reassurance for being known so long by me. It’s as if to pay them ‘homage’ that I include them in my current works; acknowledging their stay with me.

Higher Ground

Higher Ground I and II

From my studio in the Midlands, I’m often enfolded in blankets of white mist. It’s comforting.

These works titled Higher Ground have been inspired by Lauren Daigle’s song ‘Rescue’.  

We all want to be seen, heard and to feel safe. These works are about that; being raised to Higher Ground where we are seen, found, safe, and if needed, rescued.

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I was recently asked by Jane Digby-Blacklaw to submit two works for an exhibition at The Gallery, at The Lifestyle Center in Ballito.  The theme was ‘Vibrations’ where we were asked to respond with a visual work to a music album, song title, or lyrics.

Despite not having worked on this large a piece for a long time, and that my current temporary living space is tiny … and without a dedicated studio, I felt deeply inspired to accept the invitation, as much in admiration of Jane and her work, as for her support many years back in both our everyONEcounts initiatives*see below.

I had a clear vision of the work from the onset and began, perhaps not strictly to the brief; but I found myself listening to Lauren Daigle and to the song ‘Rescue’ that resounded with what the work meant for me.

I have been interested in the concept of ‘Transcendence” for many years.

Transcendence comes from the Latin prefix trans-, meaning "beyond," and the word scandare, meaning "to climb." 

When we achieve transcendence, we have gone beyond ordinary limitations.

Perhaps for many of us post-Covid, post-loss, post-trauma; we have had to extend past our usual limitations to reach a Higher Ground of sorts, and of Transcendence.

Many of us have had to stand (still) to regain our footing, before being able to move forward again; hopefully with ‘deer feet’ as referred to in the book of Habakkuk 3:19 “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”

As in many previous works I have again included the roman numerals of ‘X, V, I, II and III’ that reference multiple meanings: magic, mystery, x-marks to spot, the treasure, Christ.  V for victory, for peace. The letter ‘I’ signifying the individual; with a second i.e. ‘II’ acknowledging ‘you’, the other … another. And then in triplicate the ‘III’ signifying the trinity, that third dimension, the ‘relationship’ that comes when two (or more) are gathered, that supernatural ‘space’ between us.

The figure representing the universal pilgrim; always seeking and Finding Things and who sometimes stands resolute in strength and in knowing, is robed (cocooned even) in white cloth; transfigured (or transfiguring) to something new and refined.

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*everyONEcounts was an NGO established in response to the abandonment of newborn babies (2010 – headed by me) and to the sex trafficking trade (2014 – headed by Angela McCall). The initiatives showcased artworks from local and international artists across the globe, coming together to take a stand against these atrocities. All works were donated, and all funds from artworks sold were donated to reputable, verifiable fully-audited and accredited organizations. The NGO was frozen in 2018 where the members (all volunteers and otherwise employed) were unable to meet the demands of a growing organization.  

You can click on the images below to enlarge the format to see more detail of the texture

My new home was once the site of a Concentration Camp

“Maggie. My life in the camp” is an honest, simple and intimate account of a young girl’s story in a South African concentration camp in Howick, remarkably shared without any pro-Boer or anti-British sentiment.

The book was loaned to me by a beautiful South African-Polish lady whom I’ve just met at our new parish of St Joseph’s Cedara. Returning the book to Zofia (which means ‘wisdom’) I instinctively reached for one of my thank-you cards printed of a painting of a rural church, also here in the Midlands.

Binding it all together with twine, I included twigs of wild grasses and flowers that I had picked from our plot of land in the River Goose Estate …. which I’m told is the very land upon which stood the concentration camp.

#courage #hope #howick #midlands #kwazulunatal #southafrica #africa #wildgrass #wildflowers #meadows #brave #gratitude #prisioner #freedom #captive #story #book #truth #newbeginnings #community #friendship

Winter's Cloak

I've used the image of the (a)lone 'shepherd' or 'warrior' a great deal, especially of late. I'm deeply drawn to all it represents. Perhaps too it is symbolic of a time of waiting for a 'Spring' that brings new and hope-filled things.

It now hangs in a beautiful space in Hout Bay where I'm grateful for it being appreciated by a magnificent woman, herself both a Shepherd and Warrior.

Some works are special for me for different reasons: this, one of the last works to be made in my studio with my beloved Hugo who soon after it was completed, found his wings.

I am now (a)lone artist in my studio. But then. To stand firm.

#alone #lone #isolated #brave #courage #hope #standfirm #stability #wind #warrior #shepherd #comfort #art #artpractice #mixedmedia

Finding More

In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. — John Muir

With all our ‘migrating’, I had overlooked to share this at the time.  I was so pleased to have part of an image of one of my works used on the cover of a book titled ‘Anaximander’s Garden’ by Pam Sherriffs.

I had not heard of Anaximander before so looked him up, and was interested to read that Anaximander was the author of the first surviving lines of Western philosophy.  ‘Anaximander was an early proponent of science and tried to observe and explain different aspects of the universe, with a particular interest in its origins, claiming that nature is ruled by laws, just like human societies, and anything that disturbs the balance of nature does not last long”

I was intrigued to notice the synchronicity between Pam’s choice from a work of mine titled ‘Autumn’s Wait’ from a series called Seasons.

You can find Pam’s book on Amazon.

You can see more images of the texture from this work below:

Seeing ahead

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”– Desmond Tutu.

In my youth, long wonderful outrides on my horse always filled me with a deep sense of reassurance and peace. It had a lot to do with ‘seeing ahead’ and with the constant rhythm of ‘moving forward’. Nowadays , I get to experience this sense with long drives in our ol’ X-Trail … sometimes going nowhere slowly, but just seeing ahead and breathing deeply and in trusting the light despite the darkness.

Seeing Ahead - 15x10cm - mixed media on board

Community

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.   MAHATMA GANDHI

One of the many things I love about traveling along rural roads, is the sense of community amongst villagers: children playing in groups; women walking together; dogs accompanying shepherds and pilgrims, and buildings like churches for the gathering of people perhaps coming together in hope and expectation. No one is alone in a village.

Stand with me - 21x10cm and,

Church on the Hill - oil on canvas - 35x25cm

Swaying Grasslands

“When the wind blows, the grass bends.” - Confucius

Amongst some of my most favorite of things …. gentle wind-swept-swaying grass in open fields, with perhaps a home on a hill, but solitary, quiet, still spaces that allow for whispers to be heard.

Home amidst Grassy Fields - oil on canvas - 25x20cm

Simplicity

I wonder if others see as much beauty and dignity in many of the rural homes as I do. There is a deep wealth in the simplicity, authenticity and uniqueness of them;  easy-to-build, often made of recycled found materials; and readily-returning to the earth after perhaps being home to a generation or two, or three. I see the strength of the humility; the ingenuity and creativity from necessity; and the freedom from ‘compliance’.

Across the Field

I have exquisite childhood memories of riding out on horseback for extended, peaceful outrides to walk, and think, and dream. With the companionship of my trusted, beloved horse, we’d travel across vast open fields; beside crops of mielies; along or through nearby dams and rivers; and in-between and under trees. Usually reluctant to be returning, silhouetted images of trees and homes in the distance would quite suddenly appear, seeming to shimmer and sway in the fading light, all the while whispering reminders of my mother’s request to “return home before dark”. I have a deep longing for the freedom and safety of then.

Under the Shade of Trees

For most of my adult life I have said that I would love to live in a small home (a hut even) under a tree, next to a river, at the end of a long sand road, amidst wild uncut grass. Perhaps the image of this work references this personal ‘ideal’ for me: of the still and quite life, peaceful and unencumbered by the demands of a modern society; and of one that is truly in harmony with nature; respectful and grateful for all she provides.

I am increasingly aware of the magnificence of trees and of all they represent: life and growth; wisdom, power, and prosperity; that they be observers witnessing the evolution of humans and the planet around them. And then too I am as aware of, the loss of them. Cut down. Removed. Creating some sick sense of order and control by dumbed out humans. Perhaps we no longer want them as ‘observers’ for the ‘witnessing of our regression’ and no longer value the blessing of their shade for ourselves, and least of all for our children.

And so … “Blessed is he who plants trees under whose shade he will never sit.”

Please save our trees, and plant, plant and plant more trees.


Loyalty, Waiting

This work had such deep meaning for me; that I found myself ‘catching my breath’ a bit when it sold. As happens often, it formed from a surface that I have been reworking over many months. The figure finally and unexpectedly resolved after several layers of constructing and deconstructing; where quite magically a ‘halo’ of sorts framed the head and then that of a ‘wing’ seemed to emerge from the space behind the figure. The dog image in the foreground also ‘worked’ once I embraced her in shimmering gold.

#loyalty #companionship #figure #angel #wing #halo #patience #strength #gold #turquoise #sapgreen #art #artworks #mixed-media #texture #nature #earth #africa #southafrica #kunst #findingthings #smallthingswithgreatjoy #friendship #resilience

The Ache for Home ….. Dec 2021

“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are, and not be questioned.” - Maya Angelou

I was posting this as Pat and I travelled to join our extended families for Christmas in our childhood home-towns in Gauteng, from our current home in Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal ….. all the while thinking, speaking, hoping, planning and dreaming of our new home in Ireland soon. Home is about being sheltered from storms, all sorts of storms …. of feeling loved, and known and cared for. Home can be in many places ….. 🤍

Unfenced Freedom - Dec 2021

Seeing homes on the horizons in rural settings of open fields and long stretching valleys, I can’t help but to be in awe of these places ‘unfenced’ in stark comparison to our own dwellings protected with high walls, barbed wire, electric fencing and with exorbitant security company’fees’. I long for this kind of freedom ….

 

#unfenced #simpleliving #homes #shelters #freedom #horizons #valleys #Africa #SouthAfrica #earth #land #smallthingswithgreatjoy #findingthings #searching #finding #art #artworks #mixedmedia