Another long absence from this space, but I've been having a wonderful break in the most beautiful Cape in all the world - a fairly impulsive trip to help celebrate a birthday, as it's a long way to drive - but well worthwhile on all fronts. A happy family gathering, a party, spring seeping into all the mountains and valleys, sea and veld, wonderful stays in towns and villages that we have whizzed through before and longed to spend a little longer Sometime... well the Sometime arrived and all we wanted to do was spend a lot longer, so next Sometime... 
This pen and watercolour sketch was done from a kitchen window on a farm in Elgin, a valley rippling with apple and pear orchards, vineyards and olive groves - on an afternoon where a gale was whipping the trees and vines and threatening to sabotage the birthday party - but at 4 o'clock it dropped as if exhausted and all was calm for the celebrations, to everyone's relief.
If any of our friends and family see these holiday posts and wonder why they didn't see us... I'm sorry! It was a whistle-stop week long tour, and we were being mostly tourists this time. Hope to be back soon for a more sociable visit! Other sketches I did were so rushed and scribbly, I need to work on them a bit to make them presentable, but hope to be sharing a bit more of our lovely week away with you soon.
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9 comments:
What a stunningly beautiful place and time! You've made these signs of spring look and feel especially treasured with your description of the remains of winter adding to the suspense.
We were told it was Sir Francis Drake who described this as the 'fairest cape in all the world' and he'd seen them all!
Charlene, yes, I think it was Francis Drake - I've used his phrase before in a blog post and thought I'd be very original and say 'most beautiful' this time ;o) I could never do the place and season justice but you have to try!
Beautiful painting, Cathy. You always capture the distinct feel of a place--you are a wonderful observer as well as a fine painter!
Stunning Cathy.
Fabulous
Nice work Cathy!
Bel endroit, belle aquarelle... belle invitation à la découverte...
Thanks Laura, Sue, SKIZO, Terry and Martine!
It is so, so beautiful! I love the texture of the tree bark, I love the feeling of space, I love the gathering of clouds, the colour of the spring vineyards, it's a fantastic work!!!
I know what you mean by wanting to have more time to wander around and see things in that part of South Africa. That's exactly how I feel each time I go there! And we, too, keep saying we will come back some other time
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