Ocean view

 Ocean view, British Columbia. Oil on Masonite, 20 x 15 cm:

Doesn't hurt to now and then try something I am not so familiar with. A Canadian friend of mine posted a photo on Facebook, and I shamelessly stole it to use as reference photo. I couldn't quite do it justice, I think...

Pylons

 Pylons near Balmoral, Mpumalanga:

Oil on Masonite, 15 x 20 cm.

This spot is only a few kilometres from where I lived as a boy. It is mid-winter, and the winter frosts have killed off the grass and, it seems, everything else. New growth will burst forth in spring, and by November, if the rains were reasonable, the area will resemble Ireland. 

I find most people don't particularly like this kind of scene: the winter colors are considered drab, even depressing, and the pylons an eyesore. With me it is different, perhaps partly because I grew up in this sort of landscape, and thus perhaps view it through the soft-focus filter of nostalgia. For me, these pylons and their cables snaking over the horizon are very much part of the landscape, and I love the rich but subtle and subdued hues of the winter grass. 

This item will be for sale on my Bid-or-Buy store as soon as it is dry enough to travel.

Abandoned home, Karoo

Oil on Masonite, 15 x 20 cm:

SOLD

Mission Station, Tweespruit

Oil on Masonite, 20 x 25 cm:

SOLD

The Belgian-South African artist Frans Claerhout spent his last years here, in the small Free State town of Tweespruit. During his life, his art generated millions of rands. But as Catholic priest, he did not keep a cent of it for himself; it was all used in development projects in the community where he served, and he retired in humble circumstances, sharing a house with another retired priest. He died in 2006.

Karoo landscape with figures

Oil on Masonite, 20 x 25 cm:

SOLD

Cape hunting dog

Oil on Masonite, ACEO (= about 65 x 90 mm):

I haven't painted anything in ages, but have been itching to do so, and to try out a medium I haven't used in years, namely oils. I was rather relieved to see that while my painting has become a bit rusty, my old oil paints are for the most part still perfectly usable.

To start with, I stuck to a limited palette of black, white, yellow ocher and burnt umber. For this sort of subject matter you don't really need much else anyway, though the reference photo I used was definitely more colorful, particularly in the background.

Tuscan window

Oil on board, 20 x 25 cm:

When it comes to painting outdoors subjects, I seem to prefer this sort of intimate scene rather than grand vistas. Not even sure what one should call this: landscape or still life? No idea, but it is what it is.

Ceramic and egg

Oil on board, 20 x 15 cm (= about 8 x 6 in).
Painted with a limited palette of ocher yellow, ocher red, black and white. Using such a limited range of colors makes for an interesting challenge, particularly if you try to paint green or blue things; I cheated a bit here by picking subjects with colors that could be fairly easily approximated with what I had available.

Apple and bottle

Oil on board, 20 x 15 cm:

Mini bottle and Eugenia berries

Oil on board, 10 x 15 cm:

Probably the last of the berries for the season - mornings are getting decidedly frosty...

Onion and bottle

Oil on board, 20 x 15 cm (= about 8 x 6 in):

Back to still life, but I decided to try something other than my usual dark backgrounds.

Pretty flowers

Oil on board, 20 x 15 cm:

For a change, an outdoor scene. For this sort of thing I often prefer a far looser, impressionist sort of style. I based it on a reference photo I took in the garden of a local school; I noticed the girl intently staring at the flowers, haloed in rich light, and knew I wanted to try painting it.

Onion and herbs

Oil on board, 20 x 15 cm:

Pear and bottles

Oil on board, 15 x 20 cm (= about 6 x 8 inches):

Candy and Delftware

Oil on board, 15 x 20 cm (= about 6 x 8 inches):

Cloudy and drizzly weather today, so the light is no good for photography. And hence, the camera didn't really reproduce the picture all that accurately.

Mustard and apricot jam

Oil on board, 15 x 10 cm:

Next week, perhaps some larger ones again...

Egg, mushroom, tomato

Oil on board, 10 x 15 cm (= 4 x 6 inches):

One of the last cherry tomatoes sill on the last surviving plant before winter hits us here...

Grapes, mushrooms

And another small one. I really should do a whole series of them, but we'll see...
Oil on board, 10 x 15 cm (= 4 x 6 inches):

Mini bottle, mini tomatoes

Been a while since I have made one of these mini paintings. Oil on board, 15 x 10 cm (= 6 x 4 inches):

Sweet things

Nowadays, I try hard not to eat these things. But they are fun to paint.
Oil on board, 15 x 20 cm (= about 6 x 8 inches):