QUIET REFLECTONS

Today, our home is quiet, half of my family are on the golf course and half are working (yes, on a Sunday). The quiet has seeped into my soul...and while I paint, I'm surrounded by my own thoughts and thoughts of the people in my life who seem to be constantly battling with the demons of their past and present...seemingly, without respite. Yes, to an extent, I have been drawn in, to become part of the various dramas but only through love. Nobody has been brought into my life without a higher purpose. My faith in this is what helps me to look through, and beyond and around the human element.

I so badly need this time to replenish 'self' and if that means attempting to try and process my own hurts and those of others, well then, I need that too. I guess, I'm fortunate in being able to express a lot of emotion..... and even my dream state, through my art....Alas for some, these channels are not available.

I spoke to a member of my family yesterday, who was obviously not in a great space (he hasn't been for a while). He sadly told me that he was looking forward to 'the Armageddon'...the 'end of the world', without offering an explanation as to why he felt this way. I have friends, who still, daily, are battling with life issues, a past that is innately part of them in this present day, and a present which seemingly has no infrastructure, ability or desire to help and is merely feeding their pain and feelings of powerlessness. What wars are being waged in the human soul to cause such misery and spiritual desolation and why am I even trying to understand it ...the run-off hurts me too.

What is my role? I have none. I'm just simply here, at this time, living in this era, as ordained and directed by circumstances, some which were brought about by my own choices but mostly through those dealt by the universe and what was pre-ordained. Its all a test and a lesson, good and bad. I have my own hurts, faults and failings which, no matter how similar they seem to someone else, are my very own. I'm just simply here, doing the best can to live while I'm alive in the best possible way.

With all my heart, I know that when we begin to take full responsibly for our own lives, only then will we begin to discover the joy within....and the beautiful simplicity that feeds it.

I love deeply and care deeply but cannot direct anyone else on their own journey....its theirs. Today I read a quote that made complete sense to me while pondering the troubled lives of my loved ones:

Give, but don't allow yourself to be used.
Love, but don't allow your heart to be abused.
Trust but don't be naive.
Listen to others, but don't lose your own voice.

Gypsum sculpture and other surprises

My art soul is on fire! Barring a few touch-ups (but then again, maybe not) I've just completed my first real sculpture for this year. I had such fun doing this. The best of all, it was so easy!

First step was to get my hands on some POP (plaster-of-Paris) from our local chemist, which, I was later to discover, is nothing more than simple gypsum...the white powdery mix builders use to plaster ceilings....but way more expense as it turns out.

Then, using my own discretion as to ratios, (around 3/2), I mixed approximately 1kg of gypsum powder with water in a bowl and mixed it till all the lumps had disappeared. I used 'Spray and Cook' to line a 1 Lt yogurt container, poured in the mixture and left to set for around 24 hours.

The following day, I had to make a small incision into the lip of the container, just to loosen the mold slightly, and it popped out fairly easily.
















Not knowing where to start, I eventually decided on the concept of the consciousness and sub-consciousness merging and simply let the tools do the work. The gypsum has a wonderful texture for carving but be warned, it dries quickly and once dry, its really impossible to work with. I'm yet to discover how brittle it becomes with curing or if it will crack under stress (which I'm pretty sure it will)....stay 'posted'!






























The final product has received many and varied comments, opinions and thoughts from friends and family alike (not without a raised eyebrow as well) but every comment has given me a smile.....just because someone has bothered to look long enough or found it interesting enough to produce a thought about what they see.....a great blessing for an artst...the best!!!






Back view...reserving my comments




























front view























This however, was the surprise. My future son-n-law discovered something else...which I hadn't seen.
















I joined a friend and two of her students who were working with gypsum and pop bandages making sundials, cups and here....a torso for breast cancer awareness.

Reconnecting wth a teacup

A silver teacup cup from a flat, formless sheet
Molded and bent, painted and polished.
A silver teacup brought us again to meet
to rebuild what was once demolished.

Pewter and painting - for Tony - Alas, too late

Finally complete, this is the Sacred Heart candle holder for Tony.

Tony passed away peacefully last week, so unfortunately, I was just too late in completing it, He didn't get to see my dear moms gift to him.





Here, the planning stages were complete and the work was about to start.




I wasn't that happy with the completed product but given that I had a time constraint, and I was rushing a bit, I guess one cant expect it to be that well done.










What I have learned is that pouring in the wax, is possibly the most crucial step, as too much wax....and the design changes shape when the patina is applied and the rubbing and shining starts. It also creates an uneven picture when sticking it down on your surface ...giving lumps and bumps to areas where they are not wanted.










What I did differently with this is that I used 'Silvo' , a sliver cleaning solution, instead of
'Brasso'. Granted, AFTER the fact, but the last polishing using the 'Silvo' gave it the best shine out of all the pewter that I've worked with till now. Will try the Silvo on its own with my next piece.

Canned Hunting

Recently, we visited a reserve called 'Jukan Wildlife Predator Park', located a few kms outside of Mossel Bay.

This is one of the two rare and endangered white Bengal Tigers being looked after.






When I say being looked after, its not a flippant statement. Jukani came to the rescue through a R500 000 donation by a kind-hearted tourist, after a desperate drive to acquire funds to buy him outright and spare his life.

The male tiger, 'Angelo' has congental retinits (from what I remembered) and is unable to breed. His fate was to be part of a canned hunt, as, I believe was the female's.



One may argue the point that R500 000 could go a long way in feeding the hungry or housing the homeless....that's not the point. There are many aspects to humanity...and certainly no starting or finishing point in the Lords creation. Every life form has reason and purpose and is vital for our very existence. Who of us can question Gods Divine plan in creation....where he sends angels to protect a mere donkey from a beating




Reading up on canned hunting has made me feel ill!

In most cases, the big cats/animals are hand-reared, i.e. being bottle fed as cubs, raised with lots of human contact, being hand- fed and petted.

In a canned hunt, they are in enclosures and are often lured to humans (I use that word loosely here)/hunters under the impression of being fed.......and are then shot at point-blank range, If they are only injured by the the inexperienced little wally with the big gun, they then have no means of escape.

South Africa's cryng "foul" to the slaughter of our rhino but our hypocrytcal government endorses canned hunting of lion and leopard etc. Let me explain: In November 2010, The Supreme Court of Appeal, ruled in favour of lion 'breeders' continuing the practice of canned hunting. The Predator Breeders Association have 123 members (now, maybe more) who, between them, have 3000 (now, maybe more) captive-bread lions in their faciltes.

As with rhino horn, lion bones and body parts are used prolifically in Asian medicine...... The message, loud and clear: PAY US ENOUGH AND YOU CAN DESTROY OUR WILDLIFE.

What possible gratification can the 'hunter' have in that??? That's not a hunt. That's just a barbaric, cowardly act of an un-evolved primate with too much money or a dithery act by someone with mental capacity of a mitochondria!

Hanging a stuffed head of an animal, any animal, on one's wall, is merely a testimony and trophy to ones narcissistic, egotistical personalty...... of someone with Napoleon syndrome who's insecurities are bolstered by destroying life, who's obviously absence of self-respect has created an inability to respect anything and anyone around them............. who's gonads possibly resemble shelled peanuts which have been in the sun too long.

Graaf Reinet

On our way to Mossel Bay, we stopped in Graaf Reinet for breakfast.

This beautiful Karoo town is surrounded by the Karoo National park and is the fourth oldest in South Africa, having been established in 1787 by the then Governor, Cornelis Van der Graaf, of the Dutch East India company.


The Huge, beautifully maintained Dutch Reformed church, which was influenced by the architecture of the Salisbury Cathedral, can seat 1500 people and is pretty much the center-piece of the town. Coming from Gauteng, the first thing that struck me was how clean the streets were. A large, friendly, colored community add a very special vibe.




This is the Rienet Antque shop which houses the oldest cake (supposedly) in the world. The old house was bought a few years ago by a Mrs Era Maasdorp who found the cake on the floor. She, fortunately, found a photograph of the cake with the Te Water couple, who were marred in 1852 and who had this cake made for their anniversary in 1902.





Just below the mirror on the far wall above the fire place, one can see the 110 year old cake. Unfortunately, the photo which I took was blurred, The assumption is that it's a fruit cake which was seeped in brandy, as is the modern-day practice, preserving it. Also, cakes in those days were a luxury, a piece of art. The icing was often hardened and preserved with egg white and a slither was cut only on a special occasion.


Hows this kitchen?!!! The open hearth, the sloping timber beams, the creaky old floor I saw a dour old lady with a down-turned mouth, slowly stirring a large pot of stew.... I could almost smell it.!

A mother of a tortoise

This is the second time we have mysteriously found a huge tortoise in our garden. Last year...around about the same time, a tortoise, twice the size of this one, was trying to push open our sliding gate to get in!!! Obviously, I let it in (as I did, with three sheep a few years previously)....much to the horror of my gardener who, the next morning, reported the annihilation of most of my vegetable seedlings and pumpkin flowers. The same happened now.


Molly was hysterical....not knowing what this thing was. To add insult to her injury, it completely ignored her.








She kept a respectful distance








Max, the 'Boss' was having none of that....he decided that if he couldn't have any effect on this tortoise through intimidation, he would just go ahead and eat its carrot!!.......even if it killed hm.



The tortoise, happily, found a new home on my cousins farm.