Painting "en plein air" in Wellington

"View at Welgegund Farm, Wellington" by Landscape International Artist Marie Theron
405mm x 305mm (12 x 16) oil on canvas board
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This was the first plein air event of the season, winters here being much too harsh and stormy to venture out. Melissa Sutherland of Vindigo organised the day-long event! With 20 artists at the first event, I can see this concept growing in future! The venue was Welgegund wine farm in the Wellington District where Melissas parents live and farm with grapes. Top on the list for most artists was the lovely old farmhouse in the Cape Dutch style. I searched for a vista of the vineyards as seen through the farm buildings.

Around the lunch table each artist was given a chance to tell everyone about their journey through life and art. The shy ones were prompted with questions and there was lots of laughter and fun. We had a chicken dish followed by tart and mousse made from the fruits on the farm, and everyone had a chance to drink the farm's Welgegund wines. I do not drink wine and broke the heart of the winemakers as I believe this boutique wine has won some of the most coveted awards! 

We finished our works, then had a crit session in the open air. There was coffee and cakes served before we took the road home.

View of the vineyards at Welgegund

Watching the artists arriving.

Annelise Kolbe-Van Wyk in the most admired art overcoat,
me, and Melissa Sutherland, tour organiser

Melissa and her mom, Sheila Camerer served an early cuppa before we started.
Shirley in the background was tutor ready to help beginners.
The lovely old homestead is in the background.

I put the last touches to my scene.

Some Armchair Travelling

The wind is blowing! (Notice that fed-up Mitzy!) This is the wind that was the terror of ships along the West Coast. The ocean is covered in those white foamy choppy waves we used to call "horses". On Facebook my Cape Town daughter and her friends are debating the wisdom of wearing skirts in the Cape during this season! I think this is the ideal time for some armchair travelling! Or cyber-travelling!

So if you want to read and read and read about our wonderful country, I can recommend some websites (whether they mention early summer windstorms is another question!)

These are the blogs who won the public voting part of the South African Blog Awards. They are big Tourism giants and they know how to promote the country! I have no regrets about entering the Blog Awards as I received many visitors during the week of voting. So without further ado, here are the Best of the Best: Congratulations to them!

http://africageographic.com/safari/blog

http://blog.getaway.co.za

http://travelblog.portfoliocollection.com

Sun and Shadow

I always find the best spots to paint at noon with the sun glaring down. The downside is that the contrasts are sharp. The advantage of this is that it provides me with an opportunity to study the features we need in our South African homes to provide shelter from the heat.

Driving along the highway to Malmesbury this cottage suddenly appearred 'in the middle of nowhere' near the main road. That it seems so solitary is an indication of the abundance of space we are used to in the West Coast region. The house was built in what we call Victorian style in our country, but whereas Victorians had to consider heating, architects here had to incorparate into their design our lenghthy summers and providing natural cooling. The most important feature these little homes had was the deep shady verandas. It kept the dining- and sitting room, which were always near the front, very cool and provided a lovely sheltered outside area to sit during the day. It provided symmetry and order to the design, and here the two large trees were used to provide a neat frame.

I noticed that the building now had a religious use, but my memories were stirred and I thought back to a time when a man would read his newspaper outside on the veranda while his wife sat there preparing vegetables. Besides a comfortable bench there would be an upright table which could be laid so that the family could enjoy their supper outside on hot summer nights. Yes, sitting down to dinner wherever you were, was a great South African tradition! How things have changed with the advent of television!