Sunrise, seagulls and bicycles. Polly awake early for the last day of the GR300 MTB race that came past the studio at the start and finish.

With a couple of the small paintings sold, I need to get disciplined about doing a bunch more.

Met a few interesting characters around town for possible portraits. Anton, the pirate, who caretakers a small school that is run from one of the buildings in the middle of town. A radar technician, he has been in the road for five years when his family moved to Australia. The Preacher, who has Indian and Malay parents, is one of nine children and works his way up and down the coast doing painting contract work after a lifetime in the Navy and as a preacher. Bleze, with his table of herbs and scary looking stuff (Knysna’s finest, I’m sure), whose herbal remedies are as frightening as he is welcoming. Dreads, piled under a knitted cap, in rastafari yellow, red and green colours he is weathered and engaging.

Trying time-lapse photo sequence of my latest portrait on the easel ‘The Pirate’. To capture the technique I use. Particularly, for the eyes of the portrait, as I field a zillion questions about them. Worked out how to do the shutter interval bit, with the effective Yongnuo remote release. Not sure how my shadows, and the studio lighting will impact the photos?

Hair gone for the annual cancer challenge.

‘Lomp’ a small painting, from a picture taken at the elephant sanctuary in Nairobi, Kenya. There is something comical about baby elephants trying to understand how their feet work.

‘At Play’

Oil on canvas 20cmx20cm   
Wine attacked my clean, new, going-out shorts! Fab evening at Freshline. The genius who served us, a tad disappointing. Food, excellent, with bunches of laughter.

New meds to try and make Polly comfortable after her restless nights. Lungs a bit of a worry. Her early days of smoking behind the cowshed on the farm, catching up with her?

Edith and Fredy here from Switzerland. Sunset braai on the patio. T-bone steaks cooked Coreta style, with the bone down towards the fire, turning end over end, to render the fat, with a last quick singe of the meat over the coals. Delicious. We cut the meat from the bones, and put the bones back over the fire to crisp. One sort of caught alight, which isn’t quiet what was intended! The sunset from the patio, perfect.

A new morning jog route up towards the school playing fields. The long uphill a good tester, and I was glad that Craig’s stiff legs kept the pace down. For some reason, I managed to chafe badly, making my cycle ride over the red bridge a tad uncomfortable. 

Payment received for the portrait of Sinni, and he will be heading to his new home. He has been a great attraction in the studio and will be missed.