A purple flush is creeping over Johannesburg... the jacarandas are coming into bloom and our notorious city is transformed into a thing of beauty and a joy for October into November...
Since the demise of my camera (only yesterday - it feels like a week!) I've been toting my bag full of sketching tricks around, and bravely parking around the streets to draw. This nervous one below was the first - on my way to fetch my son from school in Northcliff, a gorgeous hilly foresty old suburb full of resplendently lush gardens. None of which you can tell from this sketch
The Pilot fineliner I used bled far too much into the watercolours, and the distant view melded into the foreground
This morning I parked on a Melville street and drew the (top) view towards the city, with water-soluble pencil, which worked better - then stopped in at our prettiest little church to spend a quiet hour in the garden - well, I would have to look up more superlatives - it is just bursting with colour, light, life and abundance. It was planted and nurtured by my friend, our now-retired pastor's wife, Wendy, and assistant gardener and verger, Joshua - a haven of peace and beauty to all who enter or walk past. This is just a little bit - I'll have to go back to do more.
Since the demise of my camera (only yesterday - it feels like a week!) I've been toting my bag full of sketching tricks around, and bravely parking around the streets to draw. This nervous one below was the first - on my way to fetch my son from school in Northcliff, a gorgeous hilly foresty old suburb full of resplendently lush gardens. None of which you can tell from this sketch
The Pilot fineliner I used bled far too much into the watercolours, and the distant view melded into the foreground
This morning I parked on a Melville street and drew the (top) view towards the city, with water-soluble pencil, which worked better - then stopped in at our prettiest little church to spend a quiet hour in the garden - well, I would have to look up more superlatives - it is just bursting with colour, light, life and abundance. It was planted and nurtured by my friend, our now-retired pastor's wife, Wendy, and assistant gardener and verger, Joshua - a haven of peace and beauty to all who enter or walk past. This is just a little bit - I'll have to go back to do more.
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9 comments:
Ah - I wish wish wish I could be there to see all this!! These are lovely, C. What a gift of Wendy to grow that little sanctuary! Your w/c a gift for her in capturing it so beautifully.
This is the up-side of your camera loss. What exquisite sketches. I remember the Church garden... the prettiest as you say. I'm glad it is being so well kept as Wendy would love it to be.
The purple haze - reminds me of my mother. Her birthday, on 4th Nov, was always heralded by jacarandas. When I was about five I remember telling my father that what she would like best would be a purple birthday cake. Off he went to the "cake lady" and who to my delight produced a cake covered with purple icing and purple flowers. Your w/c captures the magic - the sight and the sound as they "pop" when one drives along a strewn road. Wow Cath - thanks
October 17, 2008
It's a lovely time of year - and we had the first rain today, which was so welcome...the jacarandas glowing luminously in the gloom before the storm. I heard that when they flower it's also the time for schoolkids to start studying for the end of year exams - not such a happy association!
Wow! Maybe I should break my camera! Great sketches--so full of color and movement, so much more telling than a photo!
Hi Laura - yes, I've been pushed into sketching a bit instead of taking endless photos that may or may not become paintings one day - has to be a good thing!
Love the sketches... you are an inspiration
& there i was thinking "oh nice to see sketches in watercolour" (rather tha the constraints of having to make a large finished resolved work)... then i reda your camera is broke or something...blessings in disguise?
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