The forest beckons...

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Title: The Forest Beckons

Size: 150x200mm

Relaxing after breakfast at a chalet in the Knysna forest, I just had to try and capture the feeling of being drawn into the forest to explore.... sadly there wasn't time, but I'll be back!

Duncan Village 2

Title: Duncan Village 2

Size: 900x700mm

Another view of the Duncan Village informal settlement in East London. Although life is hard and conditions are far from acceptable, there remains a vibrancy and sense of community that speaks volumes about the resiliance of the human spirit.

one I forgot to post!

Oops, here is one that slipped through the cracks! I was looking for it so I could give the link to someone who has a great swan photo on his blog, (in fact lots of brilliant photos, check out Dick's blog...) and realised I had forgotten to post it. So here is swansong, a combination of swans I photographed in Bloemfontein a few years ago, and the predominantly black and white abstracts that make statements... this one alludes to global warming, and the "swansong" of the planet.

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Title: Swansong

Size: 900x600mm

Can't see the wood for the trees?, and sunset at sea

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Title: Can't see the wood for the trees?

Size: 1200 x 1000 mm

A large happy looking abstract. I have a "thing" for rainbow colours and trees, this is a marriage of the two!

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Title: Sunset at sea
Size: 500 x 400 mm

This is an older painting that was tucked away somewhere at an out of town gallery, I just retrieved it last week.

waxing lyrical

I have been experimenting with wax on my canvasses, to add texture to the paintings... I just love the subtle effects that can be achieved when paint is applied and then rubbed off again, as the wax only retains some of the pigment. The 3 paintings in the previous post had some wax on them, and these three do too. After some experimentation, I have settled on a wax called microcrystalline, used by scuptors. It is very flexible, much more so than paraffin wax, and handles well when carved. Great fun!

Title : Red and Blue 2

Size : 1500x1000 mm

sold...commission

This was commissioned for a beach house in Port Alfred. I stained some wax red and dripped it over the grassy areas for extra texture.

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Title: the circle of life
Size: 1000x1000mm

There is subtle writing on this one, running around the spiral. It reads "it takes time and careful listening to unravel the meaning of life.... but most of us are on a hamster wheel whizzing around and times rushes by too fast... so we forget to look around and listen out for clues." The fact that the writing is not obvious or easy to read mirrors the message that we need to work at finding meaning in life.

here are a few details showing the textures created by the wax.

Title: lest we forget #3
Size: 1000x1000mm
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Yet another in the series dealing with the meaninglessness of war, and how pointless all the deaths really are.

I have included a few details below to show some of the textures, and the interplay of silver leaf, paint and wax to create subtle textures.

spring offerings................

With the welcome arrival of our latest grandchild, the painting has been a bit slower than usual, but here are the latest ones.....
another pair in the anti war poppy series...


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Title: Lest we Forget 2a

size: 300x1000mm

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Title: Lest we Forget 2b
size: 300x1000mm


Title: wise men came from the east
size: 1200x1000mm

and another one

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Title: Eclectic Skyline
Size: 400 x 800 mm

Port Elizabeth is such an interesting town, I bet there are not too many places where you could take a narrow sliver of the skyline and find in it a church, a mosque, newspaper printing works, flats, houses, a lighthouse and a pyramid!

latest batch

Title: Social Meltdown

Size: 900 x 600 mm

A protest against what is happening in South Africa, where the rights of the criminals are more important to our legal system than those of honest citizens. While we hide behind bars for safety, they roam free, and 23000 kids were raped last year.

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Title: Hanging Out
Size: 600 x 900 mm

Cormorants drying their wings, on poles at a jetty in Knysna.

Title: Cafe Rouge
Size: 450 x 350 mm

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the next 3 are more in the series on old historic buildings in Richmond Hill, Port Elizabeth.

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Title: Old Firestation, Albany Road
Size: 600 x 300 mm

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Title: St Stephens Terrace
Size: 600 x 300 mm

weird batch

This lot really doesn't look like the same person did them, I must check and see what my other personalities have been up to.....(kidding!)

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Title: Spanish Nights

Size: 600 x 900 mm


I must thank Ian and Cursty for this, they were in Spain recently, wandering through the wonderful narrow alleyways as the sun went down. I was attracted to this as a subject because I love trying to portray the play between cool natural light and warm artificial light.





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Title: Dawn across Richmond Park.
Size: 300 x 250 mm


The light was great the other day, so I rushed out (yes, I'm afraid the poor neighbours were subjected to the tatty dressing gown again...) and sketched it with pen and watercolour wash to capture the rapidly changing conditions, then I applied a bit of artistic licence and darkened it and emphasised the artificial light when I did the painting.





Title: Bobcat
Size: 750 x 450
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Yes, I know this is freaky and scary, but it is about a freaky and scary subject, the Hitler-like moustache on the fat cat might give you a clue.... and it is a protest about a subject I rage inwardly about, feeling impotent in the face of so much international apathy. If Zimbabwe was rich in oil I bet things would be very different! In the meantime old Bob gets financially fatter and fatter at the expense of his desperate suffering people.

in war-only the arms dealers win

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Title: In war - only the arms dealers win

Size mm: 1100x900

This is another in my ongoing series of predominanly black and white paintings which carry a message about the futility of war. As usual, the poppy speaks of the wasted lives, this one has gold and silver to suggest the vested interests that many big businesses (and Governments!) have in making sure that wars keep happening.

some new work

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Title : Dafur Desolation

Size, mm: 400x800
Price Excluding Postage US$: 240




A subject close to my heart. What hope do these kids have if we who are so comfortable don't intervene in some way?

Title : Across the Park
Size, mm: 150x150
Price Excluding Postage US$: 60

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I was on the patio the other day, and the quality of light across the park was just lovely, sort of hazy but picking up highlights on the city buildings we glimpse at the base of the hill. I was about to grab my sketchbook, then I thought I might as well sketch it with oils straight onto a canvas.




Title : Dollery Street 2
Size, mm: 250x250
Price Excluding Postage US$: 100

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Another view of the little cottage I restored last year, built of stone in about 1882. We have just sold it, I am sad to see it go, painting it has helped!

another mixed bunch

Title: The Lonely Tree 2

Size: 800x450mm

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Based on the Wilfred Gibson poem of the same name....

"Though I love the forests deep and wide, the lonely tree on the bare hillside, the brave wind bitten lonely tree, is rooted in the heart of me."

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Title: Richmond Hill Street
Size: 850x650mm

Title: In war no-one wins

Size: 1200x900mm

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This is a theme I have been exploring for a while, basically on the surface they are black and white abstracts, with red poppies. But if one cares to look deeper, there is a statement there about good versus evil and the chaos and futility of war, leading to such pointless loss of lives, symbolised by the poppies used to commemorate Flanders.

Title: In war no-one wins 2

Size: 600x500mm

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Title: Sailing triptych

Size: 450x1200mm x3

Although in a similar vein to the war series, there are no deeper meanings here, just the fun of disappearing into the wild blue yonder!

on a roll.....

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Title: Campbell Street at sunrise
Size:300x300mm

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Title: Old Grocer
Size: 250x250

Title: Lansdowne Street
Size: 155x155mm
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Title: Corner Store
Size: 250x250mm
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Title: Dollery Street
Size: 300x400mm
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I just love painting the old buildings around where we live.

Coral Tree

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Title: Coral Tree

Size: 900x800mm

Commission

This was commissioned by someone who went to the exhibition earlier this week. It is a huge coral tree in her garden (which overlooks the sea). She wanted it by this weekend, to give to her husband as a Father's Day gift.

childsplay 2 and croick cottage

Title: Childsplay 2

Size:155x205mm

This is the missing childsplay from the group of 4.

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Title: Croick Cottage
Size: 300x400

This is the famous house whose renovations were covered in detail over on my other blog in November/December last year.

the new weekend selection!

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Title: Childsplay 1

Size: 155x205mm

Title: Childsplay 3
Size: 155x205mm
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Title: Childsplay 4
Size: 155x205mm
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The childsplay series were inspired by a visit with our grandson to a petting farm, he was all over the place and I loved the idea of a group of pictures to depict the active day he had! If you are wondering what happened to no 2, I just want to tweak it a bit before posting it!

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Title: Spring Tree

Size: 155x155mm

Another little tree, in rolling green farmlands this time, definitely a "tame tree" rather than the wild African trees I have been into lately!

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Title: Campbell Street
Size: 900x900mm
Commission

Someone at the opening of the exhibition wanted something with a similar feel to the little Richmond Hill Historic buildings, but on a much bigger canvas. Rather than just copy one of the others, I chose a fresh scene to depict. (But Max and his trusty newspaper have re-appeared!!)