I got a request from my friend Leslie of spectacular quilt fame: “Josh’s dear friend Emily is marrying Jeff on Jan 25th. I’m wondering if you could paint a watercolor for them with the intersecting hearts, their names and even
Advent Challenge 23 – sunshine and sandals
When we were moving from America, back to South Africa, a child asked us this question: “When do you celebrate Christmas in South Africa?” As it was asked by a child, I didn’t unleash the sarcastic side of me (always
Advent Challenge 20 – Joan Aiken and friends
James Mayhew posted a link on facebook to a page on the website Illustration Cupboard, where some of Jan Peinkowski’s illustrations are for sale. It was like stepping into a time machine and being whisked back to my childhood. My
Advent challenge 19 – If you give a hoot, some might think you’re bats
Having written about the importance of so called “pests” in a previous advent post, I thought these guys needed a boost. Ecosolutions is a company that installs owl boxes and bat boxes in suburban gardens. It is run by
Advent Challenge 18 – Angela Smythe
It was one of those viral things, someone likes a page on facebook, and being nosy you go over to have a look and discover someone who tickles your funny bone. That’s how I found Angela Smythe who is based
Advent Challenge 17 – Don’t get sent to the dog box
Send the dogbox instead! My favourite wine people are offering this creative alternative to getting a puppy for Christmas… dog boxes. They consist of 10 selected bottles of wine and a large Endangered Wildlife Trust Wild Dog fluffy toy. The
Advent Challenge 16 – Gerard Hendriks
If you like loose and beautiful watercolours then Gerard Hendriks is your man. His style is wonderful – it is almost as if the paint has been flung at the canvas in sheer joy and formed itself! What I particularly
Advent Challenge 14 – Down under
Today we travel Perth, Australia. There are quite a few fabulous designers and artists based in Perth. I found out about them by following Perth Upmarket on Facebook. How did I find Perth Upmarket? Haven’t a clue! Mokoh Design is
Advent Challenge 12 – Catherine Rayner
Today’s artist is Catherine Rayner. I admire her wonderful painterly style and how her animal characters are such individuals. Her bio from her website: Award winning author and illustrator Catherine Rayner studied Illustration at Edinburgh College of art. She fell
Advent challenge 11 – Marguerite Brennan
For seven years, I played with clay at the New Jersey Centre for Visual Arts under the gentle guidance of Marguerite Brennan. Marguerite is a an incredibly creative ceramic artist. She specializes in hand building techniques so there is always