Painting the South African Veld

The abstract trees were one of my most enjoyable projects ever. But as I have been a landscape painter for most of my life, rendering one west coast scene after another, I decided to return to landscape. Plain air painting would be wonderful, but being past the stage where I can freely wander, I decided to work from all the images I have taken in bush veld. I also decided that although I would use my favourite purple liberally, I would try to copy the real colours of the South African veld.

Have you ever driven along hardly accessible little inroads? Have heard felt the dry saplings of many trees scratching your vehicle? I hope these paintings will recreate that particular sensation.

Greet the Morning

A Bright New Morning

Take me There

The Wild Yellow Orchids

A Sunny Winter's Afternoon at Kloof
(with Charlotte, the Cream Donkey)

Rocky Road at Tala

Wildemalva (Pelargonium cucullatum)

The West Coast had its first winter rains, and 9000 species of flowering plants are gearing up for spring which is almost four months away. Even before Nature breaths the word 'spring', the wild geraniums burst into flower. I made this very fast and impressionistic painting to show the abundant foliage and the loose clusters of flowers bearing toward the light.

We love our little SASOL field guide to fynbos of Southern Africa, and I am going to use their descriptions to add to my own. This flowering plant is one of the parents of the Regal pelargonium hybrids. The leaves contain essential oils that are extracted and used in traditional medicines to treat coughs and chest complaints. About 250 different Pelargonium species are known from Africa, Madagascar, the Middle East and Australia, but mostly from here where we are at the moment. The florist geraniums that are a favourite in many window boxes worldwide are popularly thought to be of European origin, but are actually Pelargonium hybrids.