The Art of It

The last three weeks has been spent bending the brain! Margie, that was the most challenging painting I have ever done and I have learned so much. It was well worth the hours of work. The first step in the project was to paint a mono tone painting, anything we liked. I had already started to paint the centre when I remembered to photograph it. Then we had to divide the painting up into segments. Most people did squares. Yours truly decided to do circles which became slightly distorted as they went out, sort of like looking through a porthole. Then we had to paint each segment using just two colours plus white, matching values for the differing tones. Each segment was to be a different colour combination. If anyone has been to the Sixty Minute Artist lately you will know how he has been concentrating on tone and value. Very challenging and difficult to get right. I landed up repainting four of the circles as the colours where just too way out. Now to photo...

This is a photo of our social art group. We get together every Friday morning during term time at the Frank Joubert Art School in Newlands and have a great time. We share the cost of hiring the room. We paint in all mediums, help each other when needed and swap news and gossip. Some of the topics of conversation are very interesting indeed. If any local artists are interested in joining us, we have a few vacancies left for next term. You can comment on this post or use the form at the bottom of this page to contact me. Please provide contact details so that I am able to get back to you.

Finished at last! All 25 squares! What a huge learning curve! I worked in each square with only two colours plus white and have been amazed at the mixes, especially the beautiful greys one can get. I have also confirmed what my favourite colours are.

These are a few more pictures we took at the Two Oceans Aquarium. If you are in Cape Town or intend to visit sometime it is well worth a visit.

Last weekend we were lucky enough to have two complementary tickets to the Two Oceans Aquarium at the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town. Sunday afternoon is the time when the sharks, turtles and rays in the predator tank are fed. These are a few photographs taken under trying conditions, low lighting levels, fast moving subjects and extremely thick acrylic walls of the tanks, which reflect the camera flash back into the lens. Thank you Yvonne for the tickets! A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon! We had forgotten what a brilliant Aquarium it is.