Spoon and berry jam #148

Daily painting #148. Pen, ink and watercolor on A5 watercolor card

Four days of hotels, restaurant food, Johannesburg traffic and sitting around the cricket field....it's time to head on home! YIPPEE!!!! There is just no place like home .....

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Acorn #147

Daily painting #147. Pen, ink and watercolor on A5 watercolor card SOLD

Today I was reminded of one of my childhood stories I remember listening to (I am sure I still have the book somewhere) about Henny Penny and Chicken Licken and how they are off to tell the world that the sky was falling down on them! What they believed to be the sky falling down was actually an acorn landing on their heads! A silly little story ....however I was reminded of it today because of all the acorns that were falling on heads while we watched cricket today under the shade of some giant oak trees! It certainly felt like the sky was falling down ....

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Change of season #146

Daily painting #146. Pen, ink and watercolor on A5 watercolor card SOLD

Our boys are playing their cricket tournament (which is the reason I am in Johannesburg) at one of Johannesburg's top schools, St Johns College. The school's campus is so incredibly beautiful....you would never know it's in the middle of a city! Our boys didn't get much cricket played today...the weather was so strange. We had sun, rain , thunder, lightening and cold temperatures all in one day. The game was finally called off because of the lightening in the area and it was deemed unsafe for the boys to play. Satellite lightening detectors let off a warning siren if lightening is detected within a 20km radius and then boys are required to come off of sports fields and stay under cover....so our boys never made it back onto the field. The real sign though that summer is nearing its end was the carpet of oak leaves that lined the schools pathways and roads...a crisp, crunching carpet of fallen brown leaves! Summer will soon be on its way....

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Five roses tea #145

Daily painting #145 pen, ink and watercolor on A5 watercolor card SOLD

 Wow today feels like it has been a long day! Airports and traveling have a way of making you feel like that....I am exhausted! But I am happy! Johannesburg is a busy city.....it has such a different atmosphere to relaxed (sometimes too laid back) Durban and while I would never choose to live here...it certainly has a vibe and the occasional visit is great! We had a lovely meal at a little local Italian deli which we walked to from the hotel and a delicious coffee after the meal! But now that I am back at the hotel I am regretting my caffeine indulgence....I might be awake for a while! I probably should have stuck to a cup of tea back at the hotel....a little cup of Five Roses tea!

It feels strange to not have my oil paints or my little traveling oil paintbox with me....a strange feeling indeed!

I had to share one of the images I took from the plane....by now you will know how much I love painting the sky....so I couldn't resist taking some pics from above the clouds for a change! Beautiful cloudscapes.....

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Three little brushes #144

Daily painting #144  pen, ink and watercolor, A5 watercolor card

Tomorrow I am leaving for Johannesburg, one of South Africa's larger cities and I am traveling by plane....the dilemma is do I travel with my oil paints or not? Our airlines have become so cautious about what is in your luggage and oil paint is listed as a flammable product! I know so many friends that just pack them into their luggage and have never been stopped, but my other dilemma was that I am only there for 4 days, hardly enough time for an oil painting to dry and I am staying in a hotel, so do I want to travel around with wet paintings?! I put my dilemma out there on my Paintings in the post Facebook page and there seemed to be a bit of excitement about the idea of seeing some little pen and ink and watercolour paintings! So, thanks....you helped me make up my mind! I am going to do some little, simple images in pen, ink and watercolour for my next few daily paintings and I am quite excited for the change, although I know by Sunday I will be missing my oils and itching to get back to them! But a change is good and I like the drawing element involved in this type of work and the delicate nature of the images created this way ....a contrast to my thick oil paint!
So tonight I dusted off my Winsor and Newton traveling watercolour box, gathered all my materials and sat down to paint these 3 little brushes ....that was after I had packed my bags (and both my children's bags)  and it was nearing that silly time of night when night is actually about to become a new day!!!! I might have to sleep on the flight tomorrow.....but I do like the simplicity of this little image....something different for the next few days!

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A protea for Ross #143

Daily painting #143. 6"x6" oil on primed canvas panel. SOLD

Today has been all about proteas! They are my favorite flower ....they are South Africa's national flower ....and our national cricket team are called the Proteas! For those of you who follow my blog regularly you will know my husband is a professional cricket coach and my son is passionate about the game! Today Ross received his 1st team cap for playing 5 games for his schools 1st team and the boys were presented their caps by our local cricketer and Proteas player, David Miller. It is a little boys dream to play for the Proteas! But playing for his school, Clifton 1st team, was a goal my son Ross set for himself and today he did himself proud! So this little Protea is for you Ross....may you always remember that anything is possible when you set your mind to it.....and nothing comes without hard work....even to a Protea!

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Paprika #142

Daily painting #142. 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel

A little bit of extra heat....like we need it at the moment!

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