Patience, a necessity in painting… and leopard stakeouts too!

“Wow, you must have a great deal of patience “! That’s probably one of the most common remarks I receive from anyone viewing my artwork. I do enjoy producing finely detailed oil paintings. And yes, it does require a huge amount of focus and attention, fervent dedication to the task at hand. That’s how I manage to sit at the easel, for 80- 90 hours, producing pieces that can at times, take up to 6- 9 months to complete. I suppose, in that respect, I am a ridiculously patient person indeed. If I’m truly passionate about a task, it has my full attention. I’ll see it through to completion. No matter how long it takes.

Something else I’m passionate about… leopard spotting.

It’s early morning. My mom and I are driving along our favourite little river loop in the area. We’re still basking in the glory of yesterday’s lion sighting. Two lionesses on an impala carcass, right at the side of the road. We had the sighting all to ourselves for 40 minutes, before being joined by another vehicle. It’s late summer and the Kruger National Park veld is dressed to kill. Draped thick with electric green textures. Heavily splashed with the soft pinks and sunny yellows of wildflowers.

We follow a little two-track pull off which takes us slightly closer to the riverbed below. A prominent Jackalberry tree stands tall on the gentle slope of the river bank. Amidst the dramatic summer foliage, we spot a VERY fresh, only partially eaten carcass. The carcass is of medium size, wedged low down in the fork of the tree trunk. At first glance, in a brief moment of hilarity due to a mixture of excitement from the discovery, and confusion bought about by the weird looking “feet” and light tawny colouration of the victim, we mistakenly think said carcass to be that of an aardvark.

We hastily abandon that theory, deciding the carcass must be that of a young antelope (with hooves that is, not feet). My mom says she saw a female waterbuck looking melancholy and mournful a few meters back. Right, so an unfortunate baby waterbuck must have fallen prey to a cunning leopard.

The carcass is SO fresh, and SO exposed too. There is no way this leopard is not coming back. We are waiting right here!

1 hour passes- We can do this all day, we’ve got tea and rusks.

2 hours pass – “Which angle do you think she’ll come from” ?? A tree squirrel is broadcasting its complaints from the low hanging branches of a combretum tree- classic predator give-away- this sounds promising! A car whizzes past on the main stretch of dust road behind us. A few more minutes leak by. “Tisk tisk tisk”, the squirrel is still complaining- still sounding promising. A couple more cars pass. Slower this time, but without stopping to fully investigate our stakeout. shortly after that, a few more cars whizz by in a blur, ‘Ferrari-safari’ mode fully engaged. Be gone with you. The tree squirrel has now taken his complaints elsewhere- less promising.

3 hours pass – The tea’s now gone through us, emergency loo break required. Relocate to ‘safer’ and more suitable area and get back on loc ASAP.

3.5 hours pass – There is presently a HUGE storm on the way. The temperature has dropped and the bush has fallen eerily silent. We find ourselves momentarily reveling in the realization that we’ve just discovered the elusive antidote to the seemingly eternal tedium that is the call of the Monotonous Lark (bless its efforts). A mighty wind has picked up. We put the car windows up to avoid certain dust asphyxiation. There is a hugely energetic lightning performance in the distance. The thunder is making a point, dramatically blasting its agenda over the summery landscape below.

A small amount of rain begins to fall. We brace ourselves. Then, in an unforeseen turn of events, the weather has succumbed to the sudden realization that it has urgent business to attend to elsewhere. Either that or it’s just realized that the world’s most intense leopard stakeout is underway. Whatever its reasons, it makes a quick apology with one last burp of thunder and before we’ve had time to respond to its regrets, the sun is out and Monotonous Larks the Kruger Park over have reclaimed their perches… to the woeful acceptance of every ear-owning being that isn’t a Monotonous Lark itself.

4hours pass – Temporary loc evacuation due to high-speed elephant invasion !!

4.15 hours pass – What do we do, what do we dooooo?? Maybe this leopard is waiting for us to leave ?? We think we should leave. We make an executive decision to drive to the sight of yesterday’s lion kill (+- 5km’s down the road). Then, we’ll make our way back to see if there’s any spotty business potting in the jackalberry tree.

In our minds, there are a few ways that this could pan out…

Good scenario 1 – We return to loc and the carcass is gone. Thus concluding that the leopard would never have come out if we had remained there.

Good scenario 2 – The carcass remains untouched. Thus we conclude that the leopard would probably only return much later in the evening. We can feel good about our efforts and know in our heart of hearts that it was never meant to be.

Best scenario – We come back and spotty is on the scene.

Worst case scenario – We come back to a ‘manpile’, to be informed by an excited mob, “there’s a leopard in the tree with a kill, but you won’t be able to see anything from where you are “.

It’s a risky gamble, one we have to take.

Off we venture. We drive +- half an hour to the sight of yesterday’s lion kill (two lionesses on an impala carcass that we believed at the time to have been scavenged from a leopard). We then turn around and drive half an hour back. On the way back we pass 3 cars, heading from the direction of the waterbuck carcass. They have either driven straight past it. Or maybe it’s been moved.

Approaching loc, agonizing over the possibilities, not to mention all the patience, strategy and SHEER dedication behind all of our efforts.

We putt slowly onto the scene. Fully expecting to see carcass in tree. Scene unchanged.

OH MY GOODNESS!! Scene is very much the opposite of ‘unchanged’! The jackalberry tree is decorated, not only with waterbuck carcass but now with the added finery of leopard feeding from the carcass. Right there in front of us!

We take some pics quickly before trying to get back to our initial stakeout spot, not 5m from the jackalberry tree. Lady leopard is GORGEOUS, and she seems relaxed. We reposition. Perfect. Argh, once again (as with our last leopard and lion sightings this trip) the cat is too close to fully fit in the frame of my lens. Once again, the kind of problem I’m not fully upset to have.

We watch the leopard feeding from the carcass for the next half an hour or so. She is completely relaxed in our presence. Glancing back occasionally, as if to acknowledge our efforts (for which many mental high fives and handshakes are going on, silently between my mom and me).

The poor mother waterbuck stayed around the area the entire day. She could still smell her calf. Even when the leopard was feeding, the cow remained a short distance away, staring in the direction of the jackalberry tree with the occasional grunt of disdain. The leopard ate a fair portion of the calf before climbing down the tree trunk. She looked up at me for a poignant moment before ambling down the bank towards a dense thicket near a small pool of water. That’s where she must have concealed herself all morning long. We stayed there for another hour or so, just in case. Looking at the thicket, it had a perfect little entrance point and I feel, for many reasons that she had cubs in there. But we’ll never know for sure.

And all of this, once again all to ourselves. What an INCREDIBLE reward, in exchange for an impressive display of patience and dedication.

Kruger Marula Trees – they conceal interesting things within their branches!

We left camp early, just as the gates opened. It was the middle of summer and the bush was thick with the splendor and sparkle of early morning , bathed in the fiery orange glow of daybreak.

We made our way slowly along, encountering hyena and plenty of general game as we went. Looking forward to getting off the tar road and onto the quiet little dust road a short distance on. We had been bumbling along the little dirt track for about 7kms when we came across a lone elephant bull grazing peacefully within a cluster of foliage. The foliage was quite thick however, so it didn’t take long for my eyes to wander… always scanning, that’s me. There was a tall Marula tree to the back of the ellie. There was something unusual about it and I just had a feeling. I was quite confident in what I thought I saw. That being said, one never drops the “L” bomb without absolute certainty. Reaching for the bino’s , adjusting the focus… YES! A beautiful leopard, right there, perched in the fork of the Marula tree- how exciting!

The leopard was certainly not bothered by our presence. He stared straight at us for a few special moments, then focused his attention on the veld below, checking that all was in order in his territory. At one point I’m pretty sure I recognized a brief hint of surprise on his face, something along the lines of… “aaah yes, there’s an elephant down there, fancy that”. Anyway, the leopard remained in the fork of the tree for a couple of minutes. We positioned the vehicle just so, procuring a lovely view of the handsome fellow, positioned snugly in the fork of the towering Marula. He then began to adjust his position. We were delighted to see him stretch up for the branch above his head, lifting himself with one impressively swift leopard pull-up.

The good old elephant was not up to much, still with his head stuck in the shrubbery on which he was munching. The leopard obviously deemed an obscured view of an elephant bum not very noteworthy and proceeded to make himself comfortable, draping himself over the thick of a Marula branch. We were very lucky to have had the sighting all to ourselves up until then. A second car with two very enthusiastic (but well behave) tourists then arrived. Luckily the leopard didn’t seem to deem them very noteworthy either, continuing to relax on the branch, closing his eyes every now and again in true “cat nap” style.

At this point, the elephant had obviously munched as much as he wanted to munch from his little patch of thicket, and he decided it was time to head forth in pursuit of something new to delight the pallet. I was having trouble with the SD card in my camera at the time. Using a camera I was unfamiliar with I fell prey to classic rookie error, discovering early in the morning that the card was full. Only being able to obtain a new one once back at camp, I was trying to delete the less interesting images to keep as much space as possible available in the meantime. A very frustrating thing to try do whilst in the midst of a fabulous leopard sighting. Anyway, I was trying to use the camera space sparingly instead of clicking away with reckless abandon as I usually would. Knowing you have a very small window to catch a specific shot, having your camera tell you there is no space for new images and subsequently having to try delete images whilst making sure you don’t delete any of your best images by mistake- that’s very frustrating indeed. I didn’t capture the scene as I would have liked to (from a timing aspect), but I’m so pleased I was able to capture both animals in the same frame. I must say, neither creature was perturbed by the other’s presence, not in the slightest. The leopard carried on snoozing and the elephant, well I’m not sure he even noticed there was a leopard above his head in the first place.

After a bit of a relax the leopard suddenly sat up on the branch. It was evident that something had caught his attention but there was no sign of what that fabled something might be. He wasn’t fixated on any specific location or direction really. It was more as if he’d sensed something, a faint sound or far off scent bringing news of things to come perhaps. Occasionally he would glance back at us, a curious look on his face that seemed to say, “uh… did you hear that too”?? “See anything then”?? A few minutes passed with not much happening. Suddenly, he was intensely alert, spinning around on his branch, eyes fixed on the thickets below.

We caught our breath when we saw a young impala emerge from the bush. There It was, strolling down a little game path, in a very nonchalant manner. I think there were a few moments when we were quite certain we were going to witness a devastatingly dramatic display of aerial surprise attack ballet. Watching the scene with baited breath, we then noticed the leopard’s body relax. His stance morphing from business mode to something slightly more casual, and then finally taking on a form of curiosity as he peered down from around the thick of the Marula trunk. The impala carried on strolling, none the wiser to the formidable set of jaws and claws sitting pretty just a few meters above its head… ignorance truly is bliss.

By this stage the first vehicle that had joined us on the sighting had moved on. It had however been replaced by two more vehicles. I’m not sure if it was the increasing number of vehicles or just the fact that the leopard felt that he’d spent sufficient time up his Marula and there were now other areas of his territory which required his inspection. He leapt forth from his arboreal haven to the land below.

The leopard didn’t seem to be in a hurry to go get anywhere fast. He sat for a few moments and it was then that I recall seeing one spotted body becoming two spotted bodies. There was a brief period of contemplation which lead to the realization that there were in fact TWO leopards . This was quite an exciting revelation. The whole time we’d been on the scene we’d had absolutely no inclination that there was a second leopard resting somewhere in the veld below. The leopards were now on the move. A combination of limited space on the SD card and less than favourable terrain made for a pretty lousy photo of the pair together. I can assure you that in real life, both leopards had heads. Anyway, we positioned the vehicle in attempts to get a clearer view of said spotties. They had decided to rest, flopping down “flat-cat” style in the grass a short distance apart from one another. The visual was not perfect and the vehicles were now beginning to accumulate.

Quite satisfied with what we’d already been lucky enough to witness, and with the call of morning tea ringing loud and clear, we decided to move on. We passed the good old elephant a short distance up the road and thanked him for stopping us , just at the right place at the right time. We reached a nearby picnic sight and were delighted to learn that the little resident scops owl (my favourite) was in visual, snoozing high up in the branches of a Marula tree. On our drive back to camp I spotted a leguaan sunning himself leopard style on the branch of a Marula tree.

I think it’s safe to say that it was a fabulous morning for spotting interesting things concealed in the branches of Marula trees.

Inside my studio- Paints, brushes… and the occasional porcupine quill!

I have been painting full time now for just over 4 years, and I am thankful every day for the unbelievable opportunity to do so. One of the things I appreciate most about painting is that there is ALWAYS room for improvement and growth; there are always new things to learn, new skills to acquire. Developing personal technique is, in my opinion one of the most rewarding aspects of the painting process, for this is where true creativity and individuality is expressed. An integral part of the learning process is of course experimenting with new materials and determining what works best for you.

A few years back, I discovered Belgian linen as a canvas option. I have since found it difficult to want to paint on anything else. The silky smooth finish to the linen is ideal for creating the fine brush strokes characteristic of my personal painting style. I then started experimenting with higher quality paint and was pleased to notice a tangible difference to certain aspects of my work. Inevitably it then came time to look for some quality brushes too… and, going down the road of locating new equipment it got me thinking about the journey my old brushes have endured thus far.

Like most artists, I enjoy getting involved in each step of the painting process, messy stages and all. As someone who aspires to produce an end product that is fairly realistic, works unavoidably require a very steady hand and extremely neat, precise brush strokes at some stage of the process. Unfortunately said area of focus is pretty much the only region inside my studio where neatness and precision prosper. It’s not uncommon for me to involuntarily redecorate my outfit with oil paint. Wearing an apron doesn’t help much -I have accidentally sat on wet pallets in the past. Regrettably, on a few occasions I have actually tasted the paint too… now that’s getting a little bit too involved if you ask me. But such is life!

Still, amidst the organized chaos that is my studio, a level of comfort and a sense of personal belonging prevails. There are certain tubes of paint and a few brushes that have been part of my collection since school days, where I first started experimenting with oils. These items have been by my side through many an adventure, back and forth across the Limpopo river whilst I was living and working in Botswana, up and down from Winston Park to Ladysmith whilst I was living and working in Nambiti Private Game reserve, and of course, back and forth between home and Kruger Park.

Brushes as you buy them off the shelf are not always the ideal shape to produce the results you desire. I have spent a fair amount of time sculpting my brushes with scissors and razor blades, perfecting shapes and angles that work for me, or at least that’s always the intention… Sometimes the consequences are disastrous! There have definitely been some casualties along the way, but the survivors work fantastically well and you eventually become quite attached to them, feeling as though you’ve played a hand in their development.

When building up your collection of painting equipment it sometimes helps to think outside the box. Being a messy painter, my paints are often separated from their caps. This causes a thin film of hardened paint to form across the tube opening- now despite considerable effort on my part to keep caps on tubes it still happens from time to time… on a regular basis. Sometimes you can squeeze the tube gently and the paint breaks through the film but on occasion the film is unnecessarily stubborn and therefore requires more serious measures. Whilst living in Botswana I found the perfect tool for the job… enter the porcupine quill. The porcupine quill is resilient and has, depending on which part of the porcupine the quill is from, two sharp ends of different thickness proportions, which can be used selectively according to the level of paint blockage. The thin end is also very useful for combing through old brushes to remove paint build up (which occurs over time despite wholehearted cleaning efforts). When you’re living in the bush they’re also pretty easy to come by… the porcupine quill has been part of my painting equipment ever since.

In my attempts to grow and develop my skills as a painter I ordered some new brushes from “Rosemary & Co” in the UK. They arrived a short while later and I have been most impressed with the quality .These brushes have been skilfully crafted by someone else’s hand (using tools a little more fancy than scissors and a razor blade I would imagine) and are specifically crafted to achieve unique effects when painting. I have been enjoying learning to work with them, finding the techniques that are most complimentary to the intended purpose of each brush.

My fancy brushes are luxurious, I have since, and shall certainly continue to place future orders with Rosemary & Co, but this does not mean my old faithful brushes are replaceable. They may be aesthetically unappealing, appearing completely different in shape to the day they were purchased but that’s the charm of them. I know them so well, they work in perfect unison with my hand, they are familiar and reliable, they’re old friends really! Paint brushes, like artists themselves are uniquely individual. Porcupine quills on the other hand tend to be pretty standard for the job at hand, you just need to keep an eye on them! I accidentally stepped on a porcupine quill as a small child; it went right through my foot and out the other side! This is definitely not an experience I wish to repeat but at least for now it looks as though porcupine quills and I are able to co-exist peacefully in a prime example of mutualism whereby I get a handy tool to assist me in creating my livelihood and they get a second chance to do something fancy.

No matter your preference and the history behind it, at the end of the day it comes down to which tools work best for you. It’s important to enjoy creating your artwork and it’s equally as important to trust the quality and longevity of the finished product (especially if you intend to sell it to others).

One of my favourite brushes is the last survivor of an extremely budget pack I managed to locate at Musina Spar in 2007. When working in Bots there wasn’t much of anything available to us in the isolated land of Tuli and shopping was not an easy affair. We would have to journey three hours through the bush, cross the Limpopo river at the border post between Botswana and SA (using a cable car during the rainy season) and then travel a further hour to reach the tiny town of Musina in an attempt to locate essentials which may or may not have even been in stock on that particular day. I was actually rather surprised to find art brushes at all. As expected most of the brushes in the pack were pretty hopeless and so it puzzles me to think why there should be one lonesome gem packed in there alongside its mediocre counterparts. 7 years later the handle of the brush has lost its varnish completely and the tip has that lovely ‘finger in the socket’ type hairstyle appearance, but I’ve yet to find another brush that matches it when it comes to building up depth, texture and detail.

My old faithful brushes… complete with porcupine quill!

I don’t know how this dear brush has survived all these years but it certainly has a great deal of character to show for it and each time I use it I’m reminded of extremely special times. I think that’s the key really, if you’re aiming to produce an end product that reflects character and heart , using tools that hold a bit of sentiment is a very good place to start !

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.

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.

Hello 2017

“There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living”

It was Nelson Mandela who spoke those words and I hear them loud and clear as I plot out my goals for the year ahead. What a beautiful, inspiring and accurate thing to say . To TRULY live your life to the fullest, to actually achieve to your highest potential, to experience entirely the full extent of your own capability- that’s the secret of life right there if you ask me. 2017 is well and truly upon us, and I can feel in my soul that it’s going to be an incredible year. It’s only natural to start the year off on a positivity overload, but, truth be told I ended off the last 6 months of 2016 feeling the very same way, and I can’t seem to shake the feeling that lovely and exciting things are going to happen this year, in abundance!

In the spirit of looking forward to the months ahead, and making the most of the opportunities that come my way in 2017, I think it is fitting to revisit the year past, to celebrate the triumphs and successes and learn from the challenges. I’ve always been thankful for any difficulty that’s come my way, for it is the difficulties that help us learn, help us grow and help us conquer- 2016, thanks for the lessons learnt, triumphs secured, goals accomplished and higher goals set to motivate and enthuse.

Just a few special memories from 2016…

A GREAT START TO THE YEAR!!

I entered two of my works into the “Light Space &Time” online art competition towards the end of 2015. The 1st of January 2016 delivered the results; Out of 890 entries from 33 different countries around the world I was absolutely thrilled that both of my pieces managed to place! 🙂

NONJABULO- 3rd in painting category, 6th overall

(“Nonjabulo” – a favourite of mine painted in 2012)

AFRICAN FISH EAGLE- honorable mention

(“African Fish Eagle” – a commission done in 2014, my version of original reference image by Chris Martin Wildlife Photography.)

Encouraged by the results of the LST “All women” art competition I decided to take the plunge and enter the Light Space and Time “solo artist” competition. I was absolutely elated to be selected as one of four artists to be given a solo art exhibition on the Light Space and Time online art gallery! The Solo Series took place within a competitive atmosphere and winning artists were to be juried into a series of one month, online solo art exhibitions. Each solo artist was promoted on a worldwide basis through the LST website, in email distributions, with 70+ individual international press releases and extensive social media marketing.The competitive process considered not only the quality and depth of the artist’s work but also an evaluation of the overall entry presentation, including the artist’s biography and artist’s statement so I was incredibly pleased to be selected. My exhibition ran from 15 March 2016 to the 15 April 2016! Exciting stuff!!

https://www.lightspacetime.com/robyn-ansell-solo-art-series-7-artist/

CHILLING WITH THE LEGENDARY LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO

I am exceptionally passionate about music and so this experience was definitely a personal highlight for me. One of my very good friend’s is currently doing her masters in Music research , the main focus of her thesis being on Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Throughout the process the group has been extremely welcoming and accommodating to her and so, when I got the opportunity to tag along to one of their rehearsals, I jumped at the chance- although not in the literal sense of the word as I was unfortunately on crutches at the time!! Anyway , spending the morning in the company of such talented, humble, salt of the earth kind of gentlemen was one of those experiences in life where I found myslef thinking “how on earth did I get this right”?? . Unfortunately for me , fortunate for everyone else in the room (and beyond), the crutches inhibited my ability to partake in the invitation to get up and do some traditional dancing with the group. However, sitting there in the circle, as if with old friends, listening to the assemblage of rich voices, unified in soul-stirring harmonies, singing secret words of significance in the mother tongue of our home province – it was true goose-bump stuff, and an experience I shall never forget, one that I’ll be forever thankful to have had the privilege of experiencing… I will just add, as a side note, during rehearsal break we had a chance to chat a little bit more in depth with the group, discussing music, art etc and I’m beyond pleased to say that LBM approve of my artwork- score… which in turn sparked an idea in my brain- watch this space…

It does make me laugh to see how pleased I’m looking with myself here in this UNFORTUNATELY close shot.

WOMAN OF WORTH

This was another of those unexpected moments that had me asking “who? me”?? I’m truly honoured to have been featured as a “woman of worth”. see link below to view my feature and to learn more about this lovely campaign.

http://womenofworth.co.za/robyn-ansell/

Women of Worth

Inspired by South African Women…

their strength, their courage,
their beauty…
their unique originality,

their creativity and imagination…
their humble enduring spirit!

Celebrating South African Women…

by sharing their stories,
supporting their achievements,
applauding their success,
showcasing their talents…

embracing their differences,
by remembering,
and honouring their heritage.

ART IN THE PARK

2016 was my second “Art in the Park” experience. Despite the weather, and a few other organizational challenges , it’s always a good personal challenge, preparing for and seeing through an exhibition. For me, the best part of exhibiting is meeting other artists, and seeing works that inspire and encourage you. 5 days spent exhibiting outdoors is a rather sturdy challenge in itself, and when the weather decides it’s not going to play nicely, well that can be down right life choice questioning stuff (not to be overly dramatic). I was very pleased that a few of my pieces managed to find happy new homes… but new strategies have definitely been put in place about how and where I should like to exhibit in the future.

I definitely wasn’t expecting to see myself on the front page of ‘The Witness’ , but there I am, posing with the Msunduzi tourism director

A GIANT Accomplishment

I loved painting this piece, it definitely came with its own set of challenges but I had so much fun putting it all together. I came across this photo the other day and it really made me smile! It’s the perfect example of the “enormity of it all”. I may not be the tallest person, but this was definitely not the smallest painting. Completing the piece was an accomplishment in itself, selling it and sending it of to a beautiful happy home in Botswana was a wonderful bonus.

BUSH TIME

Of course no year in the life of me would be complete (or deemed personally successful) if It didn’t include wilderness adventures. I was fortunate enough to spend many wonderful hours in Kruger throughout the duration of 2016, sometimes with loved ones, sometimes alone, all individually special and enjoyable.Looking back at 2016’s collection of photographs, I am actually pretty blown away by all the incredible things I’ve been fortunate enough to experience in the short space of a year- and once again I find myself in awe of Africa, and the incredible and truly unique wilderness areas it boasts- our natural heritage…and now I’m itching to get back into the bush, of course!!!

THE CREST

A More recent highlight this, once again to say a heart-felt thank you to Andrea Abbot and the entire crest team for the beautiful feature on my work, sincerely appreciated and thankful for a fabulous end to a wonderful year, and great momentum to propel forth into 2017

THE ‘GIFT’ OF ART

On of the biggest privileges that comes with being able to live my passion, Is the ability to bring joy to others, and the significance that comes with the opportunity to share a very personal part of myself through my work. This is especially true when it comes to those I’m closest to. My Gran has one of the very first oil paintings I ever “produced” back in 2005. Interesting fact alert*- In painting a picture of a lion as a gift for my Gran, doubling up as my term project in high school, I was actually led to making my first sale… A teacher, noticing the painting as I carried it back and forth from the art room, took a liking to the piece and asked if she could purchase it. Of course I declined her offer to buy the original piece, as it has been painted for my Gran, but I offered to paint her another, similar piece… little did I know that I would be doing that for a living at a later stage in my life.

Never the less, selling artwork is of course a pleasure and there is a wonderful sense of accomplishment that comes with it, but, gifting people with artwork, well that’s an entirely different kind of experience, a pleasure and a privilege really. My grandparent’s immigrated to Canada almost 15 years ago now but my Gran comes out to visit us twice a year , and we absolutely cherish the time we get to spend with her. We were thrilled to have her with us for this Christmas this year and I decided to give her a small piece of artwork to take back home, to join the lion painting and all the rest that reside alongside it. I came across this picture and it made me smile… I just love to paint, and I’m indescribably grateful that I get to do it on a daily basis, sharing my passion with those I love.

Yes, 2016 was a good year, for many different reasons, I don’ t think there is any reason why every single one of us shouldn’t be planning big and exciting things for 2017. As always, I look forward to sharing my art with you in the months ahead, as well as everything else that comes along with it.

Here’s to the year ahead- what a privilege it is to be able to live it.

“Create the highest, grandest vision

possible for your life

because you become

what you believe”

Oprah Winfrey

Kruger adventure Oct/Nov 2016

What a wonderful bush adventure this was, two weeks spent travelling from the south of Kruger, to the northern most tip, and then back down south again. My husband travels quite a bit with his work at this time of the year and so, knowing that he was due to spend a couple of weeks away working in Indonesia I decided to make the most out of a potentially lonesome situation and I started putting an idea in motion, planning a trip to the bush. Arming myself with a few “bush essentials” including a pretty mediocre camera (in the hopes of trying to capture some painting references) I set off from home, ridiculously eager to reach the sweet solitude of the wilderness. It should be noted that I did actually take some artwork up with me too, an order due to be delivered to Rhino Post safari lodge – a private concession in the south of Kruger- thus making the trip all the more functional for business purposes, as well as recreational – of course !

Every trip to the bush is an adventure, and this one in particular was no exception. I have so many wonderful stories to relate , a HUGE amount can happen in two weeks after all! That being said, I’ve decided to share a few extracts from an email sent to friends and family, describing my bush travels. I’ve selected only a few highlights from my journey but do be warned that this is probably still going to be a very long post- Take a read if you like, or simply take a look at the photos… or you could do neither of the above and simply go straight ahead to start planning a bush adventure of your own… Although I suppose, in theory, you could do all three…

“One of the things that I absolutely loved about this trip was being able to do just about everything in my own time, without demand or expectation. If I wanted to spend two hours sitting, staring at an empty waterhole then I could… and I did. On my first day, doing just that, I was treated to a lovely sighting of a leopard, slinking across the road and off into the bush. No one else around, just me. What a treat. The weather was also wonderfully cool on those first two days. Travelling up from KZN, it actually rained the entire way, and even continued as I drove through the park. Seeing how terribly dry the surrounding bush was I knew that I was extremely lucky to be experiencing even the lightest of rainfall, and I definitely didn’t take it for granted ”

” After spending two days travelling slowly up north, I spent 5 days up at Shingwedzi. How I love northern Kruger, and the Shingwedzi area in particular. The quiet, meandering dusty tracks, the beautiful Mopani woodlands, the stillness, the serenity, the wildness and expectation that exudes as you drive along those narrow little rivenine loops. The north is particularly charming, but on this occasion, it was also relentlessly hot and dry. Pretty much every day went up to 43 degrees. Luckily for me my fan was very enthusiastic about its purpose in life, and the combination of sleeping beneath wet towels at night (a trick I learnt in Botswana), and the energetic performance of the dear old fan proved a good recipe for a just bearable night’s sleep.”

“Despite the heat, and the horrifically dry surrounds, my sightings up at Shingwedzi were absolutely outstanding. I have never before seen so many lions. Multiple sightings were pretty much a guarantee on morning drives, the odd solitary cat here, a couple of cats there… and then there was the “super pride”!!! Thirty members had reportedly been seen , the most of which I counted in one sighting was twenty two… But I can believe that there were thirty of them in total because lions kept appearing and disappearing, emerging from bushes and gullies, everywhere you looked. Big lions, little lions, medium sized lions. Whether or not there were actually thirty members, the number I counted was still a very impressive tally, and a most phenomenal sighting.”

“With large numbers like that, kills were being made pretty much every night. My second day in the area saw the remains of a very fresh kill, a poor old buffalo who had been brought down in the early hours of the morning , lying dead with only part of its stomach eaten, just on the side of the road. When I arrived on the scene the carcass was free from spectators, with a small bunch of cars crowded around a bush a short distance up, where a lioness was partially visible. I decided to hang back from the crowd, positioning my vehicle adjacent the poor old buff. I soon became aware of presence, a nervous jackal closing in on the carcass. As quickly and silently as was possible, the jackal nipped off small chunks of meat, keeping an extremely nervous eye fixed in the direction of the gigantic feline. As the little scavenger adjusted its feeding position, from tough old rump to easier to tear stomach area, the lioness suddenly became aware of the intrusion. She was upon the carcass in seconds, with furious offence, sending the jackal dashing for cover in a cloud of dust. Not satisfied with the jackal’s evacuation efforts the lioness sprang into action, in a display that delivered a CLEAR “get far away from here” message. The furiously panting giant returned to the carcass, heaving from exertion she fixed me with a very stern glare that quite clearly communicated her message to me too. Eventually, she came to rest beside a small Mopani shrub, not far from the carcass. By this stage, the other vehicles in the vicinity had of course madly readjusted their positions, trying to get a better view of the scene. It was by chance that I had ended up in the “prime location”.”

“I really did have incredible sightings up north. On my afternoon drive that same day, on one of the quiet little river loops, I came across a mother Cheetah with her cub, lying peacefully beside a Mopani thicket. There was just one other car on the scene initially- I think we were actually the only two vehicles driving that stretch of road on that particular afternoon. We had bumped into each other periodically on the journey, but had allowed each other space to enjoy the bush. Knowing I was travelling a reasonable distance behind them they actually stopped and waited for me to catch up, pointing out the cheetah (in case I missed them), and then leaving me to enjoy the feline company by myself. I was able to get very close to them before they decided to get up and stroll slowly off into the bush in perfect afternoon light- what a treat.”

“The cats were exciting but, far superior to that (for me anyway) was a bucket list sighting of a python. I have wanted to see one for as long as I can remember (and I know that people do see them , often- just not me up until that point).Driving along a quiet little river loop and stopping to chat to some Nyala, I picked up the unmistakable sound of unhappy squirrel. I turned off the engine to get a better audio and could then clearly hear an unhappy barbet in the mix too. I knew that there was DEFINITELY a snake or a predator around, and, from the volume of protest I was certain that it must be very nearby- hopefully close enough to see. I soon spied the mob, a squirrel and a crested barbet hopping back and forth with evident distress in a little shrub growing alongside a pull off track. From their behaviour I knew the offender had to be a snake and I was very excited by the prospect. As I drove closer to the scene I saw what appeared to be the head of a colourful little snake, swaying back and forth in agitation. As I got closer I was ECSTATIC to discover that little colourful snake head was in fact tip of big python tail. What a rush- sheer elation. The snake was not huge (as far as pythons go), but not small (as far as snakes go), maybe 2 m or so. It was curled up in the middle of the sparse little shrub, so it was hard for me to estimate its exact size.

The barbet soon lost interest in the mobbing activities and moved off in search of less “snakey” pastures , but the squirrel… oh my word, the squirrel… relentlessly tutting… “TUT TUT TUT”, “TUT TUT TUT” , on and on and on, jumping back and forth from branch to branch, sneaking closer and closer to tut in the poor pythons face, and then leaping backwards for no apparent reason, because there was absolutely no retaliation from the python, apart from an agitated swish of the tip of his tail.

I was able to pull up right alongside the scene and I was absolutely fascinated. I eventually decided to pour a cup of coffee and I spent the next hour and a half watching a reptilian tail swish back and forth and listening to a squirrel complain. Eventually, the squirrel (probably having tutted himself hoarse), swiftly abandoned his mission, flitting off through the bush with purpose, leaving the python (and me) in peace. I decided to stick around for a bit, to see if the python might make a move now that the pesky squirrel had moved off. I stayed with him for another 20 minutes or so, but he did not budge, and , reasoning that he might in fact be waiting for me to flit off into the bush, with squirrel-like purpose, I decided to leave him be.”

“I had quite an adventure on my third day (I think it was) up at Shingwedzi. Having been woken up at 1:30 am by an incredibly intense dust storm (and a few drops of rain that did very little to offer any kind of respite to the devastatingly parched environment), I had done a little bit of thinking and decided to take the opportunity , making the most of the suggestion of a slightly cooler day, heading up to see if I could find some owls at Pafuri. About 10 kms out of camp, as was seemingly becoming the custom, I came across 5 lions, resting in the early morning cool. They were scattered around a little pan and there were already a few other vehicles on the scene. I parked my car a short distance away from the sighting so as not to overcrowd the animals. In no time at all, the cats (who obviously were feeling overcrowded) got up, one by one and took a turn to stroll right past my car door. By that stage the other vehicles were madly trying to readjust their positions. I just sat back and enjoyed the encounter. The first cat to vacate the crowd was a big female. She came strolling down the road, towards my vehicle, pausing for a few seconds to “admire” my car… “admiration” soon turned to “investigation” as she disappeared behind my vehicle. I could see her furry rear end in my side mirror and I knew that she must be investigating my spare tyre. No problem, she could investigate all she liked, just as long as investigation didn’t blossom into a taste test. My attention was taken off her when I noticed one of the young males approaching to my left. He too, followed much the same pattern as the female, walking past my passenger window and then disappearing behind my car. By this stage I could see two lions, one reflected in each side mirror. Then I felt a little thud and I’m pretty sure I heard a faint cry for help from the spare tyre, pleading that enough was enough and that I had better intervene. I know from experience how to handle situations such as this, and the solution is nothing dramatic or fancy. With a little manoeuvre of the wrist I switched on the ignition and the fascinated felines leaped backwards, puzzled by the sudden mechanical scolding they were receiving and then, far too puzzled to continue their toothy assault, they strolled off into the veldt… to look for something more obliging to munch upon I’m sure.”

Those were just a few of the ENDLESS highlights I experienced on this wonderful trip to Kruger… the inserts above mention a lot about big cats and the occasional big snake and although each and every one of those encounters was a definite highlight, there was so much more to my trip than that. Any one who loves the bush (and Kruger in particular), with TRUE burning passion , knows well the old cliche’ of how “it’s not only the big things” that make a the time spent there so special; . Personally , I believe that everything that exists in nature was placed there to fascinate- from the shapes of trees, and the textures of their branches- to the sound made by hooves or softly padded paws as they make their way through the tangle of beautiful leaves and grasses that lie beneath their canopies. On this particular trip , it was for me too, all the the truly interesting and lovely people I met along the way. On two separate occasions I had neighbours who, seeing a young lady (if I do say so myself) traveling alone, invited me to join them for the evening, sharing their food and drink, offering their friendship and hospitality without thinking twice.

Yes, it was moments like that which made this trip truly special and completely unforgettable- but that’s just Kruger for you… and the power that unites one and all, when we share in the commonality of our soul’s delight.

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!

Kruger inspiration

The best creative inspiration comes from spending time indulging in the things that you’re most passionate about. The drive behind my work is undoubtedly my astute passion for the African wilderness. I’m at my best when I’m in the bush, I feel calm, happy, stimulated and above all fully inspired to pick up a paintbrush!

Any one who loves the bush , and I mean LOVES the bush PROPERLY (with the raw, all-consuming sincerity of a true bush-nut) will know that it’s not any one thing in particular that makes us love-drunk when it comes to the wilderness. It’s hard to explain really because it involves so many different aspects, and it’s the feeling that comes along with actually being immersed in it, it’s emotional, it’s spiritual.

It is, in a sense, everything as an entirely. It’s the shapes of the twisted, tangles trees that dot the landscape. The sound of the breeze as it tickles and tugs at the tufts of delicate grasses that sweep the endless savanna, bathing it in a pallet of ever changing colours which melt and transform as the sun slowly stretches from east to west. It’s the songs that are sweetly sung by the creatures of the veld , sometimes obvious and obnoxious, sometimes soft and secretive. It’s the vast array of aromas that churn across the terrain , colliding with your senses to create true and deep enlightenment… that “ah -ha” moment when everything makes sense and the world seems uncomplicated and tranquil.

That may sound somewhat idiotically romantic but I firmly believe that one should be allowed to sound like an idiot when one describes true love ! There’s so much more to it than that really, it’s hard to stop once I get going but I know I had better cut myself off before I make myself uncontrollably bush sick!!

Anyway, having recently returned from an incredible two weeks in the low veld I’m feeling incredibly inspired and ready to go. I just wanted to share with you a few highlights from our trip… just the kind of experiences that have me itching to get back into the studio… in between planning the next bush-break of course! 😉