Cape turtle dove

 Acrylics on board, 20 x 15 cm:

Also known as ring-necked doves, these critters are found over much of southern and eastern Africa. They are very common around here in my neck of the woods, and their characteristic call something of a soundtrack to local scenery. Because they're so common, people hardly notice them, but I think they're rather beautiful and a worthy subject to paint.

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Winter weeds, highveld

 Acrylics on board, 20 x 15 cm:

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Most people tell me they find highveld winters depressing. Me, I love the subdued earth tones, the scraggly weeds and puffy seed heads, the hint of ice in the evening breeze. 

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Portrait study

 Paul Kruger. Acrylics on board, 15 x 10 cm:

With portraits I am thoroughly out of my comfort zone, and they always tend towards the awkward side. But that is partly precisely why I do them - always a good idea to push oneself a bit. I stick to grisaille though; I really don't trust my ability to mix proper skin tones yet!

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Summer landscape, highveld

 Acrylics on board, 15 x 20 cm:

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With good summer rains, which by no means happens every summer, the highveld region becomes as green as Ireland. Beautiful as it is, it then becomes a horror to paint - there is no more difficult color to work with in a landscape than green!

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Off the R42 near Bronkhorstspruit

 Acrylics on board, 15 x 20 cm:

SOLD

A winter scene not far from the town where I grew up. Winters around here are frosty, though still pretty mild by European or North American standards. They are also bone dry, so the above-ground part of grass dies off, and then bleaches in in the African sun. A day like this will be very brightly sunlit, but generally quite mild.

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Dirt road, Gauteng

 Acrylics on board, 10 x 15 cm:

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Digital paintings

 After years as artistic Luddite, I finally caved in, downloaded Krita and tried some digital paintings:

There's quite a bit of a learning curve, I think! I am somewhat in two minds about it. I'm not sure one can ever really quite get the same kind of effects as one can with physical media, but then, that might say more about my own lack of technique and experience than about the medium itself. On the positive side, there is no mess and you don't end up with your whole living space cluttered up with boxes of paintings.

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