Tag Archives: art

I can never begin to say how proud I am of my mother.  Not only has she been the best mother but she is a marvelous creative spirit.  Sadly her artistic genes did not make it into my DNA but she taught me to look at the world differently.  When we are in a vast expanse of space she will …

The Klein Karoo and R62 can be summed up with a string of Q words, quaint, quirky and quiet being a few. At dusk Barrydale glows with an ethereal light at the foot of the Langeberg mountains. The Barrydale Karoo Art Hotel embraced us with an abundance of tasteful quirky on arrival . Art abounds from innumerable paintings on the walls to …

Our daughter Acacia (5) called The Owl House in Nieu Bethesda “The God place”.  True art is spiritual, a link between mankind and infinity.  It is a bridge between flesh and blood and that part of us which reaches for more, even when ‘more’ cannot be named and pinned down. Helen Martins was a troubled soul, there is a tangible …

In the past I have loved the challenge of writing prompted by creative prompts.  Previous prompts provided by others have resulted in some works which I have been most happy with and the stimulation of rising to a difficult challenge is so rewarding.  I have missed this inspiration very much since the Writers Bootcamp ended and woke this morning with …

The art in Pretoria Botanical Garden prompts thought.  The giant sculptured metal insects whisper questions,  feelers gently probing perceptions.  Greatness is not housed in size, value is not found in possessions.  The scales of natural balance so precarious.  What is my weight in life’s equations?  All around lives are spinning in their own orbits, I oblivious to the motives and …

When I was a child, I had a certain connection with certain toys particularly some dolls.  I felt a bond, as if they were not inanimate objects.  I once found a R1 note and a quill feather in our garden shed, those two objects filled me with a sense of utter dread and I asked my parents to dispose of …

In 2008 The Sunday Times published a cartoon titled “Rape of Justice”  by the brilliant cartoonist Zapiro.  It depicted Jacob Zuma preparing to rape Lady Justice whilst being held down by alliance leaders.  It is probably the most famous cartoon in our history or certainly in my life time although Zapiro generally sums up current events with breathtaking precision.  The …

The book ‘Small dreams of a Scorpion’  by Spike Milligan had an enormous impact on me and inspired me to write poetry, a passion which has stayed with me ever since paging through the book over and over as a teenager.  Recently my husband bought a copy for me which is treasured. Below is my attempted imitation Titled Spring Naked …

A picture paints a 1000 words.  When you are the subject senses and memories are captured too.  Mixed in with the colour the brush immortalizes a fragment of your essence. My mother’s friend Di lived in a house who’s terracotta walls blended into the setting of her home in the Valley of 1000 hills in Natal.  Mum placed a wicker …