Barney & Bella

I tried to do some watercolour sketches of Bella and Barney, who we cat-sat while on holiday at Kidds Beach, as a little thank you to their beloved pet human for opening her home to us while she was travelling. Of course they didn't stay still for a single minute, even while sleeping, and my birds-eye view (I wouldn't like to be a bird near these two highly athletic and alert siblings!) of them moving around on the deck resulted in a page of rather contorted looking kitties.

Posting here is likely to be even more erratic than usual with a wedding on the cards, my eldest daughter and her fiancé happily having booked the day. My usual reaction to a mountain of things to do and having to think and plan is to freeze in a tizz until adrenalin takes over and I start to get things done. Sketching and painting seem like an unnecessary distraction from my state of catatonia, but I'll try now and then!

The Tearoom

Two other sketches from my week at the coast, the top one is of what used to be the Kidds Beach Tearoom, now a restaurant and pub. When we used to come here as children it was about the most thrilling aspect of the trip. Walking up those curved steps into the smell of suntan lotion, sweets, fresh bread, sand and sea is still a strong memory, though now replaced with fish and chips and beer. We were allowed to choose one or two sweets - usually it was a big pink stick of 'Kidds Beach Rock', with the name running right through from end to end, to last for the whole holiday.

The second is the ancient little changeroom/wind shelter next to the tidal pool, daubed with seaside graffiti -and with a passing beach cleaner superimposed. The sea around here really does teem with dolphins sometimes - a day or two before this I'd watched hundreds slowly rolling past as we sat having sundowners on the patio - what a privilege!

Rocks, Pools, Waves

I'm back from a wonderful, relaxed ten days down in the Eastern Cape - in the little hamlet of Kidds Beach where my family have been spending holidays for generations and which holds many happy memories.

It was quiet after all the holiday-makers had returned to work - we are rejoicing in no longer having to stick to school holidays to take our breaks!

As you can see, I had time to sketch, as well as walk, read, swim, sleep... I found a great watercolour book at our extended family's home, 'Mastering Color & Design in Watercolor' by Christopher Schink, which I studied and took copious notes from, and tried to use some of his exercises in these sketches (using mostly watercolour, with some Inktense crayons). The colours in that rock pool are exaggerated, but when you stare at them for ages, they seem so brilliant! There were beautiful long white beaches too, where we walked and swam, but my husband and son fished from the rocks so that is where I sat too. Trying to paint the sea and rocks is completely absorbing, time flies and I felt I'd just begun when it was time to leave. I can see why some artists spend a lifetime trying to capture it.