Ground Art Paintings
"Cape of Storms". 2.3m * 83 cm. R59 000. SOLD. From all over the world, people have come to see the splendid beauty of South Africa's shores. This painting renders a typical beach near False Bay, close to Cape Town. It is made in a dramatic 3D style, composed of large granitic and sandstones from this area. The icy cold turquoise bay, is made of the gemstone called African turquoise. If you looked closely at the horison, you will see the colder ocean giving way to warmer, clear blue (azure) water - made of azurite. This warmer waters are what the fishermen are waiting for. The rocks, below the high-tide mark, has been decorated with a lawn of malachite. This is a perfect choice for an exquisite beack house. An elegant yet non-overwhelming authemtic stained oak frame fits any setting in a modern home. Bring the fresh sea breeze into your luxury home.
"Wheat fields of the Overberg". 2.3m * 83 cm. R59 000. For Sale. Bring the sunshine into your home. "Wheat Fields" is my favourite Ground Art painting thus far. I used a variety of sands and sandstones to bring to life the feel of a sunny afternoon in the Overberg near Caledon in the Western Cape. The ears of wheat in the direct foreground was made from a bright yellow standstone I found very neardby, which has the same colour and texture of wheat before harvest. The bright yellow ochres that stain the sky, too, was from nearby. There is also Namib Desert sand, and some interesting granular sandstones, with just a few hidden green gems... A just-enough distant blue, was made from the incredibly hard sodalite. To round it off, the frame was done by Klaus Tonitz from ZoyaLiving. In itself, this frame is a piece of art, made from Wenge hardwoood. Perfect for a spacious, luxury home, this will bring the sunshine of the late afternoon into your home.
'Breakthrough'. 76 cm x 50 cm, canvas. R12000. For Sale. The Eucalyptus tree, or Bloekom, is one which I have mixed feelings about. It's an alien plant, yet, in the several hundred years, it has become an essential part of our landscape. Almost like the rainbow trout, which was brought to our rivers, without becoming a pest, unlike some other species of fish. The eucalyptus tree grows to an enormous size, and occurs almost everywhere in the country, proving an artists complement to clouds with its interesting shapes. It is also of economic importance. Only recently I noticed that a variety of them exists. Even within a species there is tremendous variety of the shapes in which they come, depending on the soil, the amount of water they get, and the temperatures. On a Sunday afternoon recently I took a photo of a two eucalyptus, which this painting is based on. It was a dark, rainy day, unlike the time of year. It was standing in a field of wheat, and the sun was trying to get through. The colours coming through the clouds were captivating on the shiny leaves, and lifting up the landscape for a few moments. 2021 - the toughest of tough times for me personally. Always look Up for a breakthrough. The clouds in this painting is made of a variety of sandstone, shale and ochre from the Western Cape, with bright pick being rose quarts from Namibia. The shale is a very interesting pale green form I carried out of the Swellendam mountains on a hike (Ground Art is not for sissies!). The Eukalyptus is made from a background of my old rusted braai (yes), and decorated with very shiny mica from Windhoek, Namibia.
'Blue Karoo'. 2.08 m by 80 cm, board. Sold R35000 Another large, heavy groundart painting made completely from stones. This one held a couple of surprises in the making. So, I discovered this amazing blue stone called azurite at a gemstone dealer and I though I had to make some blue skies with it. Its usually astronomically expensive. These two stones I got for a fair, but still quite rediculous price tag. Azurite is probably the second most valuable blue stone that can be used as pigment, after lapis lazuli (stay tuned for more about lapis and groundart...). Being a lover of wide-open spaces, I naturally though... Karoo. It has to become a Karoo landscape with a wide angle view of this landscape. In certain regions of the Karoo, especially near Beaufort-West and Laingsburg, you find a white limestone covering on the brown semi-desert soil. This is exactly the material that the foreground in this painting is made of. And to render the low shrub, I used the gray shingle ('brou-gruis') that is also abundant in the area. It has these shards, originating from the brittle nature of this ancient, fossilised mud that covered this region in ancient times, harbouring many dinosaur fossils (I've actually discovered dinosaur fossils from the Cretaceous period in shingle on discovery trips!). Shingle also varies in colour. From up close you will see yellow and lighter variations of the dry shrub. There is actually a wide variety of rocks I collected over a period worked into the shrud. Some of these are olive-coloured rocks that was likely lava at one point, collected from California. Bright flashes of malachite were used to indicate a few green leaves among the bristles, and makes it pop. From up close, it is really interesting to discover all the forms, how they complement each other. The contrast I found quite satisfying. The predominantly dull gray bush stretching for kilometres into the distance, contrasted by a vibrant blue horison made from a semi-transparent mixture of sodalite and azurite. What is intentionally down-played, are the reds and yellows. Where they appear, its like they are a treat. Then there is the sky. It started out as a bright blue sky with a few clouds. Somehow, all the blue was overwhelming to the eye. I had to start painting in some clouds, to kind of hide away all my precious blue sky, and to also complement a bit with the really rough foreground of limestone and shingle. Then, had to paint over some more, and more... (not something you hear an artist tell you about often...). I wanted to see the blue, but the bigger picture demanded less blue sky, more clouds. It's something that often happens when you are looking to find a setting to make a painting from. You see the best colours and light when you have a bright blue sky, but somehow, the actual blue sky does not play along artistically. Then it dawned on me. Think of the farmers in the area for a second. This dry landscape is often in desperation for rain. While many of us enjoy looking at a bright landscape with beautiful colours and blue skies, a farmer in a drought-stricken land does not want to see the blue sky most of the time. He or she wants the rain clouds, with movement, like something is going to happen which will lead to the bright times, transforming the dry landscape into an endemic paradise. I think, most of them won't trade their Karoo farm for one in a lush area however. It's simply not the stuff they're made of. This painting, to me, is special in its unique perspective on colour and sharp contrasts of our land. And yes, makes me want to walk straight into it and stay there.
'Golden Brown'. 2.08 m x 80 cm, board. Sold R30000. This 3D groundart landscape painting shows the last rays of the sun illuminating a field in full bloom, growing from the rich South Africa soil. The warm natural colours from Western Cape sedimentary stones, blended with ochre and jasper contrasts sharply with a thick 3-D relief of sealed, charred wood. This unique painting is several inches thick in some areas, resulting in a somewhat mesmerising effect - you are walking in this field.
Free State Family Farm. 2.08 m x 0.8 m, board. Sold R40 000. This massive art piece shows a typical farm in the Free State in the central part of South Africa, which happens to be our family farm, and one of my favourite places in the world. The wide open spaces and the veld filled with ganna bush and rooigras is typical of the region. The year saw good rains and the veld is looking superb, after several years of drought. It contains many large rocks, including a precious piece of African turquoise of 63 grams, many pieces of malachite, and beautiful West Coast sandstone, mestled onto the board in a wavy flow. The painting was done over several months during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown.
'Richtersveld'. 120 cm by 60 cm, board. Sold. The second in the series shows the Richtersveld in the Northern Cape. It is the driest part of the land, home to only the toughest of human and animal settlers. Greens and blues are virtually absent and exchanged for a landscape made of stone and dust. The Richtersveld, like Namibia, has little plant growth. Only a sparse coating of hair-like grass is visible here, and widely spaced old Karoo bush, but it is rich in minerals. Blue-green copper-containing chrysocolla rock is used in the far distance to create the effect of depth. In the nearby low hills, traces of elemental copper (Cu++) is weaved into the rock face and shiny mica highlights the precious Karoo bush. 2019 is the peak of a long-lasting drought in the area. Searing heat scorches this land of extremes, but clouds are finally forming above.
'Northern Cape'. 39 cm x 22 cm, board. Sold. This is the first landscape in the series of Ground Art, and strives to capture the beauty of this arid landscape in heavy impasto painting. It uses only six basic elements (yellow and red ochre, mica, malachite, sodalite and calcium containing sand), most of which originate from the region. Iron-containing ochres make up the majority of the painting. Apart from charcoal, ochre is likely the oldest form of paint used by primitive tribes ranging from American Indians to Aborigines, and of course, the Khoisan or Bushmen of Southern Africa, which is the setting for the painting. The yellow and red versions reflect the oxidation state of iron. Shimmering mica, a mirror-like rock is used in the rendering of low bush growth ('Karoo bossies' in Afrikaans), giving different effects depending on the source of light and angle of view. Rare copper-containing malachite is used as touches of green to indicate life still persisting, even in the dry season of the semi-desert. The rains are finally coming, rendered in white calcium-rich soil from the Western Cape in vertically applied impasto to give the peaceful feel that rains bring with it. In the far distance, hills are visible across an invisible valley. The purple-blue sodalite rock is used to give the sense of distance and depth. The simplicity of the raw materials, unmixed and unaltered is the focus here. It invites the viewer to appreciate things as simple as rocks, mud and water and to be aware of abundance and scarcity. While abundance means an easy life, it is scarcity that attracts value. You will know the value of something when it is not there anymore.
'The Great Karoo after good summer rainfalls'. 120 cm x 60 cm, board. Sold The painting shows the Great Karoo near the town Three Sisters. Thick impasto renders a messy foreground of mud after drenching rains. Runoff of rainwater gathers in the distance in a seasonal stream. Bright green copper containing rocks are used to make karoo bush, mixed with occasional large shards of mica that changes the perspective looking from different angles. A wider variety of whole and ground rocks are used, including some rare yellow calcite rocks from Mexico, and style alters between square brush strokes, impasto, and the use of whole rocks. Sodalite in the high hills draws attention to the distance and entangles foreground and background. The paint becomes the object matter from up close, which harmonises in the setting of a happy, healthy landscape. Looking carefully, it is nevertheless a sparsely grown region, making the best of its opportunity of water, saying 'Thank You'.
'The Stellenbosch Vineyards'. 35 cm x 25 cm, canvas. Sold. Stellenbosch in the Western Cape, South Africa, is a beautiful place and has a rich history of wine making of over 300 years. The quality of wines is dependent on having the right terroir - a combination of the climate, the soil, slope, and in some places here, the moist sea breeze from the ice cold Benguela sea current. In this painting I included fine sea sand from Yzerfontein on the West Coast, and skeletons from dead sea urchins washed ashore for vine leaves along with bright green malachite. Bunches of grapes and the Hottentots-Holland mountains peaks are made of dark purple sodalite. The empty field to the left is awaiting the planting of wheat, the staple food of many.
'Origins'. 30 cm x 30 cm, board. R2000. For Sale. A Ground Art Abstract painting. Charcoal, ash, ochre, iron oxide and copper ore. The timelines of The Creation, its civilisations, industrial ages, and Art.
'Edge of the desert, featuring red African jasper stone.' 120cm x 44 cm, board. Sold. A minimalist ground art painting of the desert, using large stones. Traces of green are rendered by ground up malachite stone.
'Hottentots-Holland Mountains.' 76cm x 38 cm, canvas. For Sale R9000. A minimalist ground art painting of the Hottentots-Holland Mountains near Betty's Bay, Western Cape, South Africa. The painting was made using only three basic materials - charcoal, ash and limestone gravel. All three of these materials are considered ordinarily as worthless dust, and thus overlooked for any aesthetic or other value. Here, the textural gradients in each material is preserved in its original state. Contrasting shows that limestone actually brings a yellow-greenish colour tone into the painting, appropriate for clouds, plants and other living things. Ash, considered as lifeless dust by most people actually has a flowy character in the ground art medium, reminiscent of the water and mud that supports life. Charcoal is made from the same stuff as ash, and here adds textures and sharp contrasts, appropriate for the rocks and bushes that characterise the Hottentots-Holland Mountains.
'The Cold Benguela' 121 cm x 45 cm, canvas. For Sale R10000. The Benguela current on the West Coast of South Africa brings icy cold water all the way from the South Pole. When the wind blows in the right direction, the cold, nutrient-rich water wells up from the ocean floor, and when sunlight comes into contact with nutrient-rich water at the surface, it creates the perfect conditions for photosynthesising algae to flourish. The cold water thus coincides with a bottle-green colour. (My dad, a salted fisherman, can actually tell the temperature of the water from its colour.) While the West Coast has a smaller number of fish species that the East Coast, it has a highly productive planktonic life, which sustains huge numbers of filter-feeding deepwater fish species such as pilchards, which in turn, feeds shoals of yellowtail, tuna, geelbek, and the South African favourite - snoek. The plankton also feeds a dense population of filter-feeding organisms desperately clinging to the rocks that keeps them from becoming fish food. The huge black mussels and rooi-aas (the smelliest and best bait for our national fish species - the galjoen) break loose from the rocks and wash ashore during the regular heavy storms. White mussels too, become dislodged from their sandy homes. These storms are what the galjoen are waiting for. The foamy waves in this unique groundart painting was made using natural materials that washed ashore during a storm on Dertesteen beach (this seascape). The bottle-green sea contains ground malachite and Western Cape ochre. Depending on the direction of the light, you will see that the waves sparkle in a lively fashion.
'Cape Proteas.' 50.5 cm x 25 cm, canvas. R3500. Sold The Western Cape is rich with plant life. In fact, the Cape Floristic Region has and extraordinary 9000 vascular plant species, one of the most diverse in the world. The most stunning of all flowers occur here - the Protea, growing most abundantly on hillsides in the Fynbos in sandy soil. In the past I have found fynbos to be a very challenging subject to bring to life in art such as acrylics of oils, probably due to the predominant green and sticky nature of the bush. However I found the natural colours and textures the stones I have collected to capture the nature of Fynbos. A small painting made predominantly of stones, Cape Proteas is made mostly of green and pick rose quarts, which both have a semi-transparent nature. The proteas in the foreground is in the shade, while in the distance, hills are in bright sunshine. Under good lighting, a variety of blues and yellows are visible. The yellow stones used for rendering the pollen-containing parts of the flower is yellow calcite, all the way from Mexico. I get the feeling of the sun going down with a mountain behind me, and its starting to cool down.
"Griekwaland, Early Morning". R18000. For sale. Early morning is the best time of day for the outdoorsman, hunter, or farmer. The towns of Kimberley, Prieska and Upington in the Northern Cape are charactersed by grassland with low thorn trees and bushveld, where Kudu, Springbok and cattle roam together. Feint animal tracks through the dry grass, now wet from the morning dew, is made in 3D Ground Art style. The thunder clouds and the cold blue morning air was rendered in a Ground Art with some Impressionist influence, making you feel the fresh morning air. Azurite from the DRC, together with copper ore from close by this area, as well as pink ochre from the Western Cape are the pigments that make up the air.
"The Richtersveld in Stone". R18 000. For Sale. The Richterveld is a semi-desert in the Northern Cape, with sparse plant growth, and rich in rocks and interesting minerals. The painting is something new altogether. This piece contains only whole rocks, no crushing of rocks even. A rocky desert in undiluted, pure stone Ground Art. The setting sun is made from two beautiful pieces of yellow calcite, which is all the way from sunny Mexico. The nearby pink rose quarts is from nearby Namibia, while the white quarts from the Western Cape. Framed in another excuisite frame by Klaus from ZoyaLiving, this makes for a very unique piece of ground in the South African art landscape.
"Primordial Soup". R15 000. For Sale. A life-sized 2.1m Abstract Ground Art paiting made of the Elements of His Creation. Have the conversation with me on this creation.
Morning Impression". R4000. Sold. This Impressionist-like ground art painting is one of my favourite small paintings. Fits into your suitcase.
"Icy Blue Karoo". R10 500. Sold.
"Vanrhynsdorp". R4500. For Sale. The Gifberg close to Vanrhynsdorp in the Northern Cape got its name from the San tribe who lived in the region for millennia. They are known to hunt with poison arrows to kill their game. At the top of this mountain, a plant grows, which was harvested to use as poison.
"Kalahari vibes". R40 000. Sold. A bright summers day on the edge of the Kalihari, Northen Cape. When you drive past the Namaqualand, North on the N14, past the mightly Orange river, the landscape starts to change to patches of grassland with thornbush, and low hills spread over a vast landscape. In a good year, the red sand would be completely covered with grass. Blue and white acrylic was used here to render the clear skies, while a variety of rocks and minerals made up the setting. Copper ores, soldalite, various sandstones and malachite, and three new materials: spiky shale, coal lava, lepidolite, a rare purple mica. The shake was an interesting find from the Cederberg, while coal lava brings a very life-like organic feel to thorn trees.
Watch this space...