I love to get out of the house, spending time in nature as often as possible. My husband and I are fortunate to live in an area that has some very beautiful pockets of natural bush nearby, Krantzkloof Nature Reserve is one such pocket. Situated just 8kms from my home, I try to put aside a couple of hours each week to disconnect from studio-life, and reconnect with nature. The shadowy forest pathways of Krantzkloof are the perfect place to find painting inspiration.
When I wander the paths of Krantzkloof, I’m always on the lookout for birds. I’ve seen some incredible species in there, including; Spotted Ground Thrush, Bush Blackcap, Pygmy Kingfisher, Buff-spotted Flufftail, Emerald Cuckoo, Green Twinspot, African Crowned-eagle, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Grey Waxbill, Lemon Dove, African Olive Pigeon, Olive Woodpecker, Knysna Turaco, Mountain Wagtail (to name a few)! And, of course, many MANY sightings of the holy grail itself, the Narina Trogon.
Although I’m constantly on the lookout for birds, I always keep an eye out for mammals too, dassies in particular. I’ve become familiar with a shady little spot beneath the forest canopy, at the foot of a cliff. It hosts the base of a rocky outcrop. A colony of dassies live there, and they can often be seen if you look closely enough. They tend to dart for cover or freeze when people approach (making them nearly invisible in the dim light). To be quite honest, I don’t think many people ever notice them. I’ve found that if you approach quietly and calmly, they don’t dart away at all. In fact, they even let you get close enough to see their smiley little faces.
Walking through “DassieVille” two weeks back, I was delighted to come across a very relaxed-looking individual. She was stationed calmly on a rock, unperturbed by my presence. As an additional bonus, she was even positioned in a spot that had relatively good light. As per my usual dassie-spotting protocal, I initially stand very still. Once I can see that the dassie is relaxed, I’ll usually chat softly to it and take a few steps closer, establishing a comfortable distance for both parties involved. On this particular occasion, I was even able to explain that I’d dearly love to get a nice photo to use as a painting reference. This particular dassie was most obliging, even adjusting the position of her little feet so I could get them in the photograph too.
Returning home, feeling incredibly inspired by the beautiful morning I’d just spent, fully connected in nature’s company, I started working on that painting that very same afternoon. It’s the most rewarding process, having a personal connection to a piece I’m working on.
A couple of days later, with a slightly stiff hand, feeling absolutely astonished by just how much fur a dassie actually has- the painting was complete! This little character then became the latest member of my new range of acrylic works, available as A4 prints (perfect for framing), greeting cards, and gift tags.
For me, there is nothing better than taking inspiration straight from the things that feed my soul. I like to learn interesting facts about the subjects I paint. Researching the dassie, I was pretty blown away by the complexity of just how interesting and unnusual they actually are. I’ve shared some facts here– please have a read if you’d like to learn more about them yourself- spoiler alert, they can SING!!!
Painting Sir William- Portrait of an old friend
This is an extremely special story, in the most personal sense. I’ve written occasional blogs about this piece throughout the painting process. For the current instalment, I’ve compiled them all together to form one complete story- so yes; it is a rather long and involved tale. However, if you take the time to read it, I feel confident that you will agree that the story behind this portrait is quite significant. A very real illustration of the motivation and inspiration behind the work that I produce. There’s more to it than simply giving you a better understanding of me, and what I deem to be “significant”. I like to think that this story also serves as a reminder that remarkable things can be achieved when the motive behind them is heart-felt and genuine. True, we all have very different ideas as to what classifies as “remarkable”, but this experience for me, as a whole, has been just that. The story of the painting that reconnected me to people and to a land that I feared I’d lost touch with forever.
Beautiful Nitani
Back to the beginning
I first met Rhampo in 2007 when I was afforded the incredible opportunity to get some career/life experience working in an intimate 5 star safari lodge in Botswana’s Tuli block. Having recently matriculated, and having always been passionate about the bush, the opportunity was an absolute dream come true. A chance to experience the “wilder” side of life was of course an exciting prospect in itself. The way in which the journey ultimately widened my perceptions, and shaped my path in life, well that was rather unforeseen. Throughout my time at Nitani, I met incredible people who I grew to really value and look up to . Rampho was one of those people, in a very subtle, almost unintentional way.
The majority of staff who worked at Nitani had done so for years. William Thipe Pilane, known to us as “Rampho” (or Rhampo as I’ve incorrectly spelled it for years) certainly knew the land like the back of his hand. Rampho was the grounds caretaker from 1960 until it was bought by Shane and Ade Pinchen in 1985, after which Rampho was employed at the lodge. Rampho was extremely hard working, sweeping the lodge walkways spotless each and every morning. Clearing the guest arrival point of every single Mopani leaf and seed pod that dared gather there in the hours between his attendance. He had very kind eyes. When he wasn’t working, he would sit quietly in the shade, atop an old paint bucket, observing his surroundings, watching over us with a soft smile on his face. I always found his eyes to be reflective of something pleasant, quiet laughter perhaps. He was a patient man, always encouraging my attempts to speak Setswana. He had a wonderful sense of humour too. We would often end up in flutters of laughter when I said something incorrectly in my efforts to converse daily pleasantries in his native tongue.
Just too uh, “paint the full picture” –pardon the pun! Nitani was quite far from everywhere really. It was wild and charming, remote and captivating, completely evocative in its own special way. To me, it was paradise. The lodge grounds were completely un-fenced. Whilst the guests enjoyed the comfort of stilted accommodation, our staff houses stood alone, quietly secluded, existing unobtrusively alongside the dry Majale riverbed. Encounters with elephant and hyena whilst walking to and from work were almost a daily certainly.
My happy little house on the banks of the Majale river bed
Not an uncommon visitor to find outside your door
Painting toenails, watching elephants inspect the fire pit
A fairly common encounter whilst walking back and forth and from home to work
It didn’t take me long to develop strong friendships with the staff who lived and worked in the lodge grounds. I found the Botswana people to be warm, charming, intelligent, interesting, hard-working and friendly. Being just 19 years old and rather far away from familiarity I immediately felt comfortable and at home with my new found friends. I became particularly close to a young lady by the name of Joyce, who was in fact Rampho’s niece. Ultimately, my time spent in Tuli was completely unforgettable, definitely most significant and I always get rather nostalgic when my mind wanders back there.
By the time I returned home from Botswana I had developed a wonderful friendship with the Lodge owners too, Shane and Ade. The friendship made it slightly more bearable to revert back to my life in SA, knowing in the back of my mind that I could return to Tuli, whenever the land beckoned my soul on a level that required serious action to be taken. I last visited Tuli in 2009, by this stage Rampho had retired and was living happily with his wife and family in his home village near Semolale.
Painting sir William
I’ll never forget arriving In Botswana for the first time. The staff members were extremely intrigued by my painting equipment and there were a few requests put forth throughout my stay for personal portraits to be done (full body, life-size of course). Needless to say that with my lack of painting experience, combined with the minimal materials and painting equipment I had managed to haul across the Limpopo River, those requests were never met. I took photographs of them instead, at random moments throughout day to day life. I got the photos developed during a leave stint in SA, bringing them back to my friends to put up on the walls of their homes. A small token that would hopefully serve as mutual reminder of friendship and the time we spent together .Little did I know that one of those photos would be the very thing that would preserve the ties of friendship along down the line.
When I photographed Rhampo, it was a very simple process. As he was attending to his work, clearing the guest arrival point of ALL signs of Mopani tree litter (with the precision and thoroughness that only he could manner). I walked up to him and asked if I could take his photograph, holding out the rickety old camera that I had borrowed from my brother before leaving for Botswana. The camera was not rickety when my brother initially lent it to me. Only did it become that way after a troop of baboons “borrowed” it from my house. Taking a few snaps themselves before “hiding” it in the dry river bed. Allowing me the chance to test my tracking skills under pressure. Baboon shenanigans aside, Rhampo smiled softly and nodded in agreement. I snapped two quick shots, thanked him and we both went back to our respective daily activities. I love the subtlety that was captured the day I took the photograph because Rhampo was in fact an incredibly “subtle person”, in the purest, most discerning and dignified sense of the word. He was the most subtle yet extraordinarily effective human being.
Painting a portrait of someone you know and respect is a privilege. Depending on the role the subject played in your life the experience can also be emotional, profound in the most personal way. There is just something about bringing to life human emotion on canvas (however subtle it may be) that is truly fulfilling. I loved every moment spent working on this portrait. 81 hours spread over +- 7 months – to give you an idea.
Shortly after deciding to paint this piece I contacted Shane. I wanted to find out if there was any way of getting in touch with Rampho to inform him of my portrait plans. Astonishingly, I was told that he had passed away just three months before, peacefully in his sleep. I felt a sense of peace and comfort knowing the man Rampho was and knowing too the life he lead. I was however, deeply saddened that I would never get the chance to present him with his portrait. I know my old friend would have been exceptionally proud to have had his portrait painted. I like to think that he would have been pleased with the finished product. I feel a sense of accomplishment knowing that I have completed at least one portrait from my time spent in Tuli. I displayed William’s portrait at the 2016 Art in the Park exhibition, putting up a small tribute to William alongside the painting. Portraits always get a lot of attention from exhibition goers but I was almost overwhelmed by the large number of people who came looking for me after having viewed the portrait, wanting to know more about William, or simply just to share their admiration of the finished piece. I was not expecting the portrait to sell and I was more than happy to bring William back home to my studio once the exhibition concluded. I have enjoyed having the portrait hanging on my wall ever since- until my mom asked if she could “borrow it” to grace the walls of her home for a while. As much as I was enjoying out “portrait share”, I still couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to come for the portrait of Sir William.
Going home
It was quite beautiful really, the way in which things somehow fell into place. If I were to focus on all the complexities behind the sale, it would be a rather long, twisty tale, I shall do my very best to simplify!
After sending out my first newsletter towards the end of last year, I received a text message from a friend of mine. Tazz , the daughter of Shane (the founder or Nitani ) had received my newsletter , in which a picture of The Crest article featuring Rampho’s portrait was included. Being reminded of the portrait, Tazz then informed me that she thought she might suggest to Shane (who lives in Kokstad), that the original painting perhaps needed to find its way back to the lodge… Kokstad then sent word out to the Nitani shareholders (living in all corners of the world), and one Shareholder in particular, Michael Dawson from the UK, then decided to purchase the original as a donation to Nitani. It all happened quite quickly but when the enormity of what was happening finally sunk in, I couldn’t quite believe just how special the realisation was. Knowing that Rampho’s portrait was going “home”, reclaiming its rightful place in the heart of Tuli- that’s what true fulfilment feels like.
Rampho’s portrait, displayed proudly at “Sir William’s”- the lodge bar that was named in Rampho’s honour.
As mentioned previously, I have always had it in my heart that I wish to somehow get a print to William’s wife. I wasn’t too sure how I was going to achieve that as I had lost contact with most of the staff at the lodge. I wasn’t even sure of her name or where she lived (bear in mind that Nitani is very remote, with no phone lines etc.). Anyway, upon purchasing the portrait, the request was put forth by the shareholders that I consider doing a “closed-collection” edition of prints, whereby I produce 1 print for each of the shareholders. I happily agreed to the terms, under the condition that 1 extra print be included in the edition- the print that I was still hoping could somehow find its way back to William’s wife. Upon my suggestion, Shane told me that he loved the idea and that he actually knew where to find her, as she still lives at Rampho’s Cattle post, in a small village near Semolale. He then told me that he was going up to Botswana in a day or two’s time, and that ‘IF” I was able to get a print to him before his departure, he would deliver it to her himself!
Needless to say, everything that has happened has made my heart so incredibly happy. Through sending the portrait back to the lodge, I have managed to re-establish contact with many of my old friends. There have been names popping up here and there on my Facebook Art page, text messages coming through, each and every one saying how happy they are to be in touch again. Furthermore, it has been most touching to have receive one or two message from members of William’s family. These are family members that I have not met before but who wanted to get in touch with me to say “job well done”. It was quite emotional, receiving a message earlier today from Rampho’s grandson, Kgomotso Pilane. He told me what a wonderful role model Rampho had been to him and then he simply said , “on behalf of the family I would like to thank you for the picture. That’s very kind of you.We really appreciate it”.
In the end it only took re-establishing a connection with one person to start the ball rolling. The pinnacle of the journey was reached when I received a message from Rampho’s niece, my most precious long lost friend, Joyce … she sent me the photo you see below, to the right. Under the photograph she wrote;
“Anna loves her gift, she wants to meet you“…
Fulfilment is.
A Tribute To Sir William
William Thipe Pilane (known to us as “Rampho”)
born 1929, died 2015 aged 86.
Rampho lived at his cattle post next to the Majali River, and was caretaker of the lodge grounds from 1965 until it was bought by the owners in 1985. Rampho continued to work at the lodge as grounds manager even after his official retirement in 2000. He was extremely hard working, sweeping the lodge walkways spotless each and every morning, clearing the car park of any Mopani leaf or seed pod that dared gather there in the hours between his attendance.
Rampho was a kind and patient man. When the grounds were purchased in 1985 he enthusiastically taught the new owners all the Setswana names of the rivers on the grounds as well as the local history of the area. As an example, the river that runs into the Majali River on the eastern side of the lodge is called the Mataphamahaka, which means ‘the place where the vultures bath’. To this day, at the confluence of the Majali and the Mataphamahaka, the vultures perform their daily bathing ritual.
Rhampo was a true gentleman. He was exceptionally dignified, softly spoken, wise and well respected by those who worked with him, myself included. In fact, when the lodge was built, it was decided to name the bar after him, as a sign of respect. The bar was christened “Sir Williams”.
Rampho served on the local Kgotla council as well as the Zionist council as a respected Elder, from 2000 to his passing in 2015.
William Thipe Pilane will be remembered for his regal bearing, consideration and kindness to every human he came into contact with… an example of how we should live our brief time on earth.
What a privilege it has been to paint this portrait, it is, after all, the perfect reminder of the most special journey, and the most wonderful old man who showed me what it truly meant to take pride in the work that you do.
What’s on my easel…
It’s time to start seeing spots again!
I started working on this piece a few weeks back. I’ve been scouting around for a new leopard image to work off of for quite some time now, eager to track down something rather dissimilar to the last Leopard piece I produced. I eventually came across this beautiful image by http://www.africaimagery.com/gallery/index.php, reference photos by Roger and Pat De la harpe.
I doubt it will come as a surprise to learn that it was the incredibly arresting eyes of the fabulous feline that first caught my attention. But, more than that , her facial expression itself, soft and unassuming , found me itching to pick up a paint brush.
Personally, I just think that this leopard has the most beautiful face. This might sound like a rather obvious observation, especially when it comes to describing the face of a leopard… but this particular creature has such delicate features, she’s down right ‘pretty’- a look that I instantaneously reckoned would translate well on to canvas. In addition to the pretty kitty, it was the bark of the tree in which she is resting that yelled out – “paint me, paint me now”… It looks to me as though the bark belongs to a Marula tree (could be wrong).. but regardless of tree species, it has fabulous patterns and textures and I cannot wait to get stuck in!
To kick-off the painting process, first came the painstaking task of painting in the spot pattern- not the most enjoyable part of the process but, highly necessary (for me anyway). Next, I applied the base layer of paint, trying to pay careful attention to facial shape, shadows and highlights that I want to create/ preserve, while at the same time trying to build up basic fur texture.
This is as far as I got on day 1.
Day 2 saw the completion of the leopard as a whole (base coat that is). I’ll add a second (maybe even a third) layer to the fur before putting down the basic background base coat. In case it’s not obvious, the leopard is resting in the fork of a tree, so the immediate space surrounding her will contain some focused bark detail. I want the leopard’s face to be the main focal point here so, I’m going to attempt try and fade out the detail of the bark towards the edges of the canvas . I absolutely love recreating the texture of wood so I’m really looking forward to getting going with that.
Thank you for viewing, and, as always- I’ll keep you posted 🙂
Sentiment
I was so touched to receive these photos recently… I painted this little owl as commission, ordered by her mother for Margaret, as a gift for her 65th birthday. I blogged recently about the painting process behind this piece, so I thought it would be nice to share the end result.
I received the photos below, taken by Margaret’s children as she opened her gift from her mom. A great deal of thought and effort went into painting this little barred owlet for her, and I am beyond touched that she was actually moved to tears when she first saw the painting… I was assured that they were “good tears” – just to clarify!!! 😉
Nothing makes me happier than knowing that my paintings are in homes where they are loved and appreciated, and it’s at times such as this that I’m most thankful to be able to bring joy to people, through the gift that I’ve been given.
Painting Tsendze Owls
One of my favourite spots in Kruger has to be Tsendze rustic camp. I’m not sure if it’s the peace and tranquility that lingers beneath the canopy of Mopani and Apple leaf trees, or if it’s the beautiful little owls that are concealed within the branches. That being said, a huge part of any stay at Tsendze is getting to know the “owl spotters” , AKA camp managers Rodger and Elina. They are wonderful people and their company most certainly adds greatly to the Tsendze experience. Rodger and Elina frequent the grounds daily, regaling campers with all sorts of outrageous tales of bush life in between pointing out impossibly well camouflaged Scops Owls and African Barred owlets. Yes, it’s a culmination of all of the fore mentioned that makes Tsendze feel like home.
Rodger and Elina can be tracked down in two different ways… If you’re a guest at Tsendze, Rodger always sticks to his promise of telling you three good stories a day- two a day if you’re staying for an unusually long period of time as he reckons that any good repertoire has its limitations when it comes to quantity . Let me assure you, Rodger has a gift when it comes to adding a comedic element to the tales he tells, so if you follow the sound of eruptive fits of laughter around the camp grounds you’re bound to find Rodger, Elina standing quietly by his side shaking her head in affectionate acceptance of her friend’s boisterous story telling antics.The other option of tracking the owl spotters down is to just sit quietly in your camp site, soon enough they’ll make there way over to you for an unobtrusive friendly chat.
It may be the owls that are the focus of this story, but knowing Tsendze as a whole is vital to understanding why painting them is so special to me.
I’ve painted one of the little barred owlets before, I worked off of a photograph my fiance took whilst we were camping at Tsendze. Rodger had taken great pride in pointing out the owls to us and knowing how passionate he was about them, upon my next visit to Kruger I gifted Rodger with a print of his beloved owlet. It was a very special experience, he promptly told me it was one of the nicest gifts he’d ever been given. I love that I was able to do that for him.
Rodger enjoys photographing the owls himself and he sends me pics from time to time so when I was recently asked to do a commission of an African barred owlet I knew exactly where to look for reference material! I started working on the piece a few weeks back and it’s coming along nicely. I’m so enjoying it because as I paint my mind wanders peacefully along the pathways beneath the Mopani trees and I picture Rodger, scanning the trees for his owl friends, and Elina with her big beautiful smile… that being said Elina and her big beautiful smile are another story all together… let’s just say that I cannot wait for my next visit to Tsendze when I’ll be bringing with me another very special gift.
But back to the owls… Here’s a look at my progress so far
Looking forward to sharing the finished product with you!
A Tribute To Sir William
William Thipe Pilane (known to us as “Rhampo”) was born 1929, died 2015 aged 86.
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I met Rhampo in 2007 when I went to Botswana to work at a remote little bush lodge in northern Tuli Block.
Rhampo lived at his cattle post next to the Majale River, and was caretaker of the lodge grounds from 1965 until it was bought by the owners in 1985. Rhampo continued to work at the lodge as grounds manager even after his official retirement in 2000. He was extremely hard working, sweeping the lodge walkways spotless each and every morning, clearing the car park of any Mopani leaf or seed pod that dared gather there in the hours between his attendances.
Rhampo was a kind and patient man. When the grounds were purchased in 1985 he enthusiastically taught the new owners all the Setswana names of the rivers on the grounds as well as the local history of the area. As an example, the river that runs into the Majale River on the eastern side of the lodge is called the Mataphamahaka, which means ‘the place where the vultures bath’. To this day, at the confluence of the Majale and the Mataphamahaka, the vultures perform their daily bathing ritual.
Rhampo was a true gentleman. He was exceptionally dignified, softly spoken, wise and well respected by those who worked with him, myself included. In fact, when the lodge was built, it was decided to name the bar after him, as a sign of respect. The bar was christened “Sir Williams”.
Rhampo served on the local Kgotla council as well as the Zionist council as a respected Elder, from 2000 to his passing in 2015.
What a privilege it has been to paint his portrait.
William Thipe Pilane will be remembered for his regal bearing, consideration and kindness to every human he came into contact with… an example of how we should live our brief time on earth.
Painting Sir William
I absolutely love portrait work!
Painting a portrait of someone you know and respect is a privilege. Depending on the role the subject played in your life the experience can also be emotional, profound in the most personal way.
There is just something about bringing to life human emotion on canvas (however subtle it may be) that is truly fulfilling. This work is extremely special to me and I have loved every moment spent working on it… 81 hours spread over +- 7 months to give you an idea.
As explained in a previous blog (https://www.robynansellart.com/portrait-of-an-old-friend/) I first met Rhampo when I worked in the Tuli Block back in 2007.This particular spot in Tuli was quite far from everywhere. Not everyone’s ‘cup of tea’ it was wild and charming, remote and captivating, quite evocative in its own special way. To me, it was paradise.
William Thipe Pilane, known to us as “Rhampo” or “Sir William” affectionately had been the grounds caretaker from 1960 until the land was bought by the owners in 1985, with the intention of building an intimate 5 star safari lodge. Rhampo was then employed as a member of staff .He was a true gentleman, kind, softly spoken, exceptionally wise and well respected as an elder by all who worked with him, myself included. He was extremely hard working, sweeping the lodge walkways spotless each and every morning, clearing the car park of any Mopani leaf or seed pod that dared gather there in the hours between his attendance. Rhampo had very kind eyes. When he wasn’t working he would sit quietly in the shade, atop an old paint bucket, observing his surroundings, watching over us with a soft smile on his face. I always found his eyes to be reflective of something pleasant, quiet laughter perhaps. He was a patient man, always encouraging my attempts to speak Setswana. He had a wonderful sense of humor too. We would often end up in fits of laughter when I said something incorrectly in my efforts to converse daily pleasantries in his native tongue.
I last visited Tuli in 2009, by this stage Rhampo had retired and was living happily with his family in his home village near Semolale.
Each time I go through my Tuli photographs, I feel an immediate connection to them, something resonates within me when I look at them. I am transported directly back to the time, to the place, to the people, each of the components that played such an integral part in a time of my life that I loved so much. Spending so many hours working on Rhampo’s portrait, knowing the man behind the picture; I’m not sure I can find adequate words to convey what it has meant to me. My time in Tuli was extremely personal and I can only think to reason that the painting experience is perhaps an emulation of the bigger picture. I feel humbled by the complexity of it all.
I’ll never forget arriving In Botswana for the first time. The staff members were extremely intrigued by my painting equipment and there were a few requests throughout my stay for personal portraits to be done (life-size of course). Needless to say my lack of painting experience combined with the minimal materials and painting equipment I had managed to haul across the Limpopo River , those requests were never met. I took photographs of them instead which I developed during a leave stint in SA, bringing them back to my friends to put up on the walls of their homes.
I feel a sense of accomplishment knowing that I have completed at least one portrait from my time spent in Tuli.
Shortly after deciding to paint this piece I contacted the lodge owner to see if there was any way of getting in touch with Rhampo to inform him of my plans. Astonishingly, I was told that he had passed away just three months before, peacefully in his sleep. I feel a sense of peace and comfort knowing the man Rhampo was and knowing too the life he lead, however, I am deeply saddened that I will never get the chance to present him with his portrait.
I know my old friend would have been exceptionally proud to have had his portrait painted and I like to think that he would have been pleased with the finished product. I feel quite satisfied with my efforts. I love the subtlety that was captured the day I took the photograph because Rhampo was in fact an incredibly “subtle person”, in the purest, most discerning and dignified sense of the word. He was the most subtle yet extraordinarily effective human being.
I love this piece.
It is the perfect reminder of the most special journey, and the most wonderful old man who showed me what it truly meant to take pride in the work that you do.
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Lion Painting In Progress (1200mm x 700mm)
I think the phrase “go big or go home” is highly appropriate here…
I have wanted to do a painting of a lion for the longest time and it has taken me quite a while to locate my ideal reference image. It goes without saying that lions are incredibly tough, rugged creatures, I’ve been looking for a photograph that sufficiently captures that. I am so very pleased to have finally found the right image.
The individual in the reference photograph really is just the guy I’ve been looking for, his posture, the penetrating focus of his gaze, his scarred face and scruffy mane -he has all the ingredients that go into creating an enjoyable and fulfilling painting process, hopefully producing an end product that is both captivating and effective. I’m thoroughly looking forward to creating the rough texture of that gorgeous mane… there are after all, no beauty salons in the wilds and I don’t want to paint a lion that looks as though he’s just been for a fancy blow wave!
I’ve actually worked on paintings of lions twice before, back in high school, little 24 cm x 24 cm pieces. The first piece was done as my “term project”, intended to be gifted to my Gran once the term was complete. The second piece was a replica of the first, done for a teacher who had requested to purchase the first one (which is still hanging proudly on a wall in my grandparents home today). So in actual fact, the first painting I ever sold was that of a lion! Fun fact!
It was a fantastic feeling applying the base layers to the canvas on Monday. Under layers usually take me an hour or two to complete but, with the sheer size of this work, the process took me the entire day!!! It may be hard to believe that an entire day’s work has gone into the product you see below , it looks very messy and weirdly coloured now but I can assure you that there is definite method behind the madness of it all and after the next layer has been applied the piece should start to look a little bit more realistic.
This painting is the largest I have ever taken on, when deciding on the canvas dimensions the old cliche’ “if you’re going to do something, you may as well do it PROPERLY” came to mind. A piece like this should not be small!! The canvas measures 1200 mm x 700 mm which is in fact just about the average height of a male lion, so whilst the lion itself is a little bit smaller than it would be in real life, you still get a very clear size perspective, believe me.
After applying the base coat I placed the canvas at the front door in the hopes that the through-draught would speed up the drying process… my husband had to think twice before entering our home upon his return from work, walking to my studio he greeted me by simply saying, “There’s a lion at the front door???” – Oh the joys of living with an artist!
I never know how long a piece is going to take me to complete, I don’t stop working until I am wholly satisfied with the end result, this one is certainly going to be a challenge and I know I’ll learn a lot along the way, once complete it should be a piece to be proud of (if everything goes according to plan).
I shall definitely keep you posted on the progress.
On My Easel – African Wild dogs
The alternative name of “African Painted dogs” has never been more appropriate!
During a recent Kruger trip we were delighted to come across a large pack wild dogs (+- 18 members). It was early evening, the first suggestions of dusk just beginning to bleed softly through the foliage, a typically serene, almost haunting time of the day. The pack however, had newly bought down an unfortunate Impala Ram and the atmosphere was one of chaos and excitement. We did not witness the initial hunt, and the kill sight itself although not far off the road was veiled in a cloud of bush debris kicked up by frenzied paws and desperate hooves. We sat silently, unobtrusively, watching leaves and dust dance about nonchalantly before us in the late afternoon light, a blatant contradiction to the scene concealed beneath their cover.
I’m constantly on the lookout for new reference photos and wild dogs have always been high up on my list of subjects I’d like to include in my painting portfolio.
I did actually attempt a wild dog painting in High school art classes. I’m quite certain that I only ever completed 4 paintings in total (possibly even three) during my entire high school career, this being an ever so slightly horrendous tally considering that students were required to submit one completed piece per term! With four terms per school year over a duration of three years… well, I wasn’t good at Maths either but even I know that’s a really bad summation- YIKES! However did I graduate?? It’s still a mystery to me!
ANYWAY, as over complicated and messy as it was, the wild dog painting was one of my favourites. Come to think of it, this particular piece was most likely the work that made me fall in love with oils as a medium. Needless to say I’ve always had a yearning to paint dogs again.
It is an absolute treat to encounter wild dogs in their natural environment, over the years I’ve been extremely lucky with the sightings I’ve had. On a childhood family trip to Kruger we once witnessed a wild dog pup being taken by a croc- quite an awful thing to see in certain respects but also an incredible event to experience and, heart breaking as it was we were very appreciative of the significance, a chilling reminder that Bushveld life is harsh… I can remember sobbing softly in the back of the car!
In those days, we didn’t have a camera and so all of the incredible things we’ve witnessed exist now only in our memories, and that’s perfectly okay.
When visiting wilderness areas nowadays I (like everybody else) try to focus far more attention where my photographic efforts are concerned. My current equipment leaves MUCH to be desired (understatement of note) but I show willing and I have copious amounts of enthusiasm and I think that’s a reasonable place from which to start.
Coming across this particular sighting I did not have high hopes for capturing any photographic magic, the light was extremely poor and the dogs were rushing about like mad things, darting in and out of the shrubbery. I snapped a few shots but soon decided to retire the camera, appreciating the sighting for what it was, letting my photographic memory do the work once again. The few shots I did take were (as expected) rather unimpressive with poor detail and not much else that could be worked into anything too exciting. On closer inspection however, I came to appreciate the way in which the movement and posture of the dogs had been captured in the shots, my photographs, by no personal talent execution, appeared to reflect an accurate representative of the whole scene, in an interesting and unexpected way. I played around with a one of the images, cropping it and such to come up with a frame that I thought would translate well onto canvas.
It is a work in progress…
I am so enjoying getting back into my work once again, it’s fun to shift gears sometimes, experimenting with techniques different to my usual style, focusing more on movement rather than detail. It’s wonderful to get in touch with the creative side of my work from a different perspective too by taking an image and then building up my own representation of it on canvas.
It certainly has been an interesting experience and I look forward to continuing my work with this piece over the next few weeks. I have a great deal to learn about this style of painting and that really excited me; that is after all the thing I love most about painting- when there are new things to be learnt and there’s plenty of room for growth and improvement, life is never boring!
