Perlemoen

Half a painting this week, and half of a different painting last week, but did finish one this month!  I need to make some time for myself as this is getting ridiculous.  I am promising myself that tomorrow I will spend the morning at least, in my art room - I will not even turn on my computer.  (Let's see how long that lasts!)  At least I am going to watercolour classes every Monday (when Monday isn't a holiday) and hopefully am making some progress on the watercolour front.

So, no, this is not the half painting done this week, but a watercolour and pastel of abalone shells that were lying around when I was lost for something to paint.  It has a strange name, but that is what we call them in this part of the world - perlemoen - roughly translated meaning lemon pearls. 

Black Shouldered Kite - Pastel

I was going to post a different painting today, but was woken up in the early hours of the morning with the wind howling from the north-west, a wind that usually brings rain - so far, nothing.

But with this wind (which is par for the course living in Cape Town) comes the worry of a little sparrow's nest which I can see being whipped around in the branches of the tree.  It has already blow down once, and those industrious little feathered friends re-built it.  Being Spring, I also think there are chicks in there as both the Mom and Dad are constantly popping in and out.

Now I know this is not a painting of a sparrow, but a pastel of a Black Shouldered Kite which is another of John Kennekam's marvellous photos.  Just watching and keeping an eye on that nest, made me think of this one.

and this little nest is the one battling for survival in the high winds.

World Cup Fever

Couldn't resist this one!

As you know, the World Cup is in my neck of the woods.  And we are having a great time and I'm slowly being converted to becoming a soccer/football fan.  So watched Ghana lose to Uruguay on a penalty shootout (sob, sob), Germany thrash England and then this - another big upset.  The Netherlands beating Brazil!

This fan echoed it all.  Sketched in pastels (not my medium) quickly at the end of the game in my brand new Moleskine!