Movie and burger night at Pezula kept us awake for the movie, and provided interesting burger options. The lamb with mint tatziki, and the chicken with halloumi cheese and avo the stars. The cinema didn't have the intimacy of Franschhoek and the hardware failure midway through the movie had that definite 'home movie' feel. Sun out, wind manageable, meant that I was out paddling.
Oil on Canvas 90cmx60cm A rowing boat on the beach at low-tide. Wet sand, glistening in the sun, with the odd indentation in the sand leading to the boat. An uncomplicated painting that absorbs. The serenity of water.
Feel as though I'm turning into a dragon, with a new skin of scales forming. The Dermatologist assures me that baby shampoo, and Dove soap are the long term solution, with nuclear strength cortisone the immediate help. South Sudan days still impacting my immune system. Grey skies, full of rain, lifted enough for us to walk along the Estuary. The island quiet again with
Oil on Canvas 50cmx40cm Vibrant. Laughter. Looking down on the pattern which identifies Knysna. The waters of the lagoon, waiting lazily, for their chance to race between the Heads. An abstract approach to the skies and the shapes of the lagoon.
I have added a new Album to my On Line Gallery with paintings of my elephants that are still available. With the forest elephants in Knysna, it seemed appropriate to bring out the herds, and the special pace they have in my life. Painted in Botswana and Tanzania, they provided hours of entertainment, observing their antics. At full moon the elephant bulls have moved back into
Oil on Canvas 102cmx78cm The composition of my portrait of Ernest wasn't sitting correctly on the canvas. He felt either overawed by the space around him, or caught in headlight dazzle. I used the 'Fibonacci Sequence' to determine the golden points and cropped the portrait so his eye was centered on one of them. I then tilted the composition by 5 degrees to bring his
Owl greeting the sunset. The sunroom of the house a haven on these chilly days. Morning walks hurried and afternoon walks scrambled between Tour De France. Whole pumpkin cooked on the weber, with chèvre. The pumpkin essentially for Polly's food, but an excuse to try something I haven't done for far too long. Served with grilled lamb chops made for a simple, scrumptious dinner. My
Painting of 'The Sea' has gone to its new home. Always special to hand over one of my works and see it take on a new life as it energizes discussion. Looking forward to seeing it hanging in its new space.
Oil on Canvas 40cmx50cm Outside the burnt remains of Ile de pain, the wooden security board have been decorated by shops that are still operating from the Boat Shed building. Against this orange backdrop, a pop-up coffee shop has opened, bringing life back to a spot where people walked in some trepidation. The inspiration for a painting, of a pavement café a tad stylized by one
Knysna Oyster Festival. Ten days of adventure racing, food and wine. Bubbles, chocolates and oysters at Villa Castollini, with its view over the lagoon. Wild, cultivated, strawberry, smoked cheese and tomato oysters were paired with different bubbles. Some combinations worked better than others with the smoked cheese the most disappointing. While they were generous with the bubbles, and all were bubbles we didn't normally