Paintings, Details and Stories

When I started painting, my first real project was District Six and I realised then that I quite enjoy painting structures. Here are some of them based on photographs I took, as well as some on photographs of others, whom I mention in the detail of each painting. Thanks all for you contribution and allowing me to paint your creations!

I did not inlude the District Six paintings here so please go to the District Six Collection page.

The Story

Matteo, our grandchild’s home. He has invited his parents, Lida and Stefano to share it with him, as long as they feed and bath him and allow his grandparents to occasionally visit him.

It was built in 1572 and still standing.

The Details

The Story

This is Via San Rocco, a small street at the bottom of Poggio Nativo, outside the main town wall.

The walled town with the monastry visible at the top is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Rieti in the Italian region Latium, located about 45 kilometres (28 mi) northeast of Rome and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Rieti.

Poggio Nativo is home to the Santacittarama Theravada Buddhist monastery. Economy is mostly based on agriculture (cereals, olives, vines, fruit) and cattle raising.

Among the main landmarks is the San Paolo church and former monastery. (Wikipedia)

It is the street where our daughter lives and I loved the view looking up at the town. There are hundreds of cats all over the place and Tietie (Afrikaans spelling) was in the photo as well as Mielies, formally baptised as Amelia, the street’s dog. They add the personal  touch to the painting.

The Details

The Story

We visited our one grandson in Italy. They live in a small town, Poggio Nativo, approx 50km north of Rome. It is a beautifull little village in the Sabina Hills – “poggio” meaning hill.

We were here for a month and thought it to be the best time to practice free-hand drawing and doing small watercolour paintings.

This is my first attempt of a ruin, and there are many, three properies away from them.

The Details

The Story

Die Damhuis, Melkbosstrand. If you visit Melkbosstrand, it is really worthwhile visiting Die Damhuis Restaurant for a meal. The building that it resides in is historic and its history can be found here https://www.diedamhuis.co.za/damhuis-history-from-fish-shed-to-top-restaurant/.

With my neighbour’s permission, Dirk Nagtegaal, who is part owner of Die Damhuis, I painted one of the black and white pictures hanging on the wall. This is the result.

The Details

The Story

“Atrullo (plural, trulli) is a traditional Apulian dry stone hut with a conical roof. Their style of construction is specific to the Itria Valley, in the Murge area of the Italian region of Apulia.” (Wikipedia)

When Lida got married to Stefano, we stayed in Puglia and she took us to Cisternino, where I took some photos of trullis. I decided to paint this one.

The Details

The Story

The photograph I used for this painting, was posted on “Ek reis deur ons pragtige land – Suid Afrika” Facebook Page.  I unfortunately misplaced the photographer’s name and could not find the photo again to give acknowledgement.  Please let me know if you were the photographer or knows him.

I loved the water tank and its overall composition, and it forms part of my “People lived there”/ architectural paintings series.  It also gave me some practice using green, as I find it the most challenging colour to mix.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY1tD_yKUwa/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

The Details

The Story

Gavin McKellar’s photographs are really inspirational. I can do a whole series just on those showing African rural businesses. This is the first one that caught my eye. I think it was taken during one of his many motorbike expeditions in Limpopo or Mpumalanga. I just hope that I created a watercolour rendition of it that is pleasing to the eye.

Thanks Gavin for letting me paint it!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY4iRbgMYEE/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

The Details

The Story

My daughter, Izaan got married in Apri 2019 at De Oudekraal Wedding Venue, near Stanford. We stayed at Boschrivier Wine Estate nearby. The wedding was wondeful and the two houses we rented at Boschrivier were really exceptional.

Nearby was this ruin with a massive wine barrel visible and it inspired my next project ‘Structures of Yesteryear’.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca_kgmusiyu/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

The Details