For the next few posts I am taking you to !Khwa Ttu, a 15 minute drive from home. You may pronounce it Qwatoo, as few of us could master the clicking sound preceding the word. Here the San has dwelt many centuries ago. While people in Europe built palaces and kingdoms, ships and new world colonies, the San survived through their miraculous talents of hunting and finding food in drought-struck savannas and deserts of the Southern regions of Africa.
The approach goes though fields with a desolate feel to it, only familiar to us who were born and bred in Africa. I have tried to portray this sense of Africa in my oil painting. Even hardy fynbos was trampled by these early people and the wild animals they hunted. I am gripped by a feeling of longing as we drive towards the entrance. What stories of survival are hidden here? To be continued........
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Nog net gehoor van die plek was self nog nie daar nie.
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful painting! Looking forward to seeing more.
Thank you for taking us there, and for recording it in this absolutely terrific landscape! You have produced such rhythm & harmony in the cloud and tree patterns. The eye, like a bird, just wants to keep flying back and forth, over and under those warm tree-tops. Very Impressive, Marie!
ReplyDeleteFinished!!!! You have really depicted the desolate landscape beautifully Marie. The earthy tones give a feel of arid dry heat found in these parts. Nice to see a change in your subject matter.... not that I disapproved of your French Belles at all..... In fact I love them, it's just refreshing to see you paint something you are really good at!!! You have enormous talent Marie and I'm in awe!
ReplyDeleteYour painting is so wonderful! I love the mosaic of negative spaces between the tree branches. Thank you for taking the time to write and post photos of your travels. I love how I am seeing your beautiful country as you would have others to see it if we knocked on your door and asked for a tour.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely landscape Marie. The colors are soft and soothing and the rusty rose color in the foreground really adds a lot to the painting.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ilse! Do you want me to take you there?
ReplyDeleteJill, what a lovely comment you have left me, and I appreciated your e-mail. We are both fortunate in having the sea, the boats and living history on our doorsteps!
Debbie, yes it is almost un-WestCoast in its starkness! Difficult to spot but a little blue line in the distance is the sea! I just thought that will give even more meaning to the scene if one knows that those trees stand against the ocean haze!
Sheila, I am always so happy when you see these design elements that just happened by chance.Thank you for walking this walk with me,it feels as if you're here!
ReplyDeleteThank you Barbara! I was left with so much space, then I noticed the rust-coloured bushes, ideal to anchor the composition!
The place seems to have an aura of mystery around it.. so says this painting! Lovely one and nice to know the details Marie!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful landscape, Marie! I love traveling with you, by the way. I get to see a place I might never otherwise see. Truly a stunning place you live!
ReplyDeleteAmazing landscape, Marie along with your amazing story telling abilities, makes for a top knotch post. Cannot wait to hear more on this story!
ReplyDeletepadmaja, I am glad you feel it too, I was concerned about the right feeling!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sherry, Thanks for reading what I write!People often see this as a drab area as there are no malls and very little entertainment laid on. I want to prove otherwise!
Thank you Carol, get better soon!
I always love it when there are photos included!
ReplyDeleteOh Marie, this is fantastic. I've driven past so many times and never visited - now it's a must.
ReplyDeleteSuch wonderful images, and story . . . thank you for sharing them!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful painting Marie! One has a real sense of the starkness of the landscape, but you have also given it color and life. I always find it amazing how humans and animals adapt to their surroundings. Looking forward to seeing more!
ReplyDeleteA great painting with accompanying photos! Fascinating historical story, Marie! You have me captivated!
ReplyDeleteHi Pam, now that I am leaning towards oil landscapes, I'll be following your work too!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Liz. I notice that you are very busy with all sorts of admin nowadays! Glad to see some paintings too!
Thank you, Linda. Are you an artist too or a member of the public?
Thank you, Catherine! The landscape is so bare around those few trees, there are great empty stretches, so I am glad that it comes through. The colors happened with the under painting being too bright to cover it all!
Thank you Dean. These people deserve a good ambassador in the form of an artist! I will leave the post on zebra and antelope for last and wish you were here to give me courage when I try to paint the animals as you do them so well!
Beautiful MArie!
ReplyDeleteRonelle
Lovely, evocative painting, fascinating story - you are so lucky to have such wondrous and mysterious areas so close by...
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ronelle!
ReplyDeleteKelley, that was the atmosphere that I tried to create, now you have given me the word that I needed: "evocative"! Thank you! I will use it in my next post which should have been tonight, but I just found that my photo came out blurred.
AmazingWork
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing