"Summer Borders"

This is my very first Abstract painting. It took exactly 20 minutes and has no underlying meaning or induendos what so ever. My brain at the moment is an empty canvas.
Please tell me how I can take step 2 to better and brighter abstract art.
I love colour, life, laughter, wine, my wife, my dog, and being able to walk to the end of the garden. (I'm hooked up to oxygen 24/7).
Harsh criticism will be acceptable, gentle criticism will be embraced.
I do not like the word "Nice." I find it offence.
So, have your way with me, I'm an abstract Virgin.
(Think I'll call myself Mad-Ona).

150 x 200 mm
Oil on Board
"Summer Borders"

"Sid the Rocker"

150 x 200 mm
Oil on Board
“Sid the Rocker”

My wife and I were invited away for the weekend to our friends timeshare. Sid spent most of the time that he wasn’t braaiing practising his chords. He decided about two years ago that because he didn’t have the time to learn the guitar when he was a teenager, he’d learn it now at the age of sixty something. All power to him. I started painting about six months ago.

I wonder how long it takes to be a brain surgeon, not long if the specialists in this country are anything to go by. Maybe I can take a six month mail order course from the University of Havana.

I think I’ll stick to painting, and eagerly await Sid’s first album.

Cheers
Bob

"Hippo Opera"

200 x200 mm
Oil on Board
"Hippo 1"


Alt title,
"Horatio Hippotameus, being unused to this end of the river stepped on a rough stone."

"The Hippo had been given one last chance to reach the high note on 'Idols'."

"Mum, Where's me dinner?"

Although great looking animals, it is not true that Hippos make good family pets. The expense of keeping them far outways the cost of relining the pool to allow for a constant flow of weed and detriment from up stream of your home.
Their sleeping habits are far from normally acceptable standards. Prior to sleep they go from room to room stamping on open fires to ensure that they are completely doused.
Prefering to cuddle to the friends, they do however provide desperately needed warmth during the cold winter season. Hippos should be toweled off prior to allowing them to get onto the bed.
Domestic hippos should be ado[pted from the youngest possible age.
The auther prefers sugar hippos to sugar mice. They tend to last longer, especially the pink parts.
Cheers folks.

"The Widebeest Fight Back"

150 x 200
Oil on Board
"Mara Crossing II"

Well they're not really fighting back, but you wouldn't have looked at it unless I changed the title, would you?

A/t Titles:
"Walter Wildebeest takes his family to the beach".

"Last one in's a Gnu!"

"The Wildebeest family decided to fight back and stomp all over the crocodiles".

Light wasn't so good to photograph in, the sun's setting here when you lot in the Southern States are eating your crunches for breakfast. Hope that the Huricane doesn't catch any of you all.

As for my European compatriots; time for a sundowner.
Adios, adeu, tot siens, sayenora, buenos notchas, gutten nacht, god dag
and may the sleep fairy bring you all pleasant dreams!
Cheers
Bob

"Across the Mara"

150 x 200 Oil on Board “Across the Mara”

For those who don’t know or can’t afford “Getaway” magazine, the Mara river runs through the migration route of the Wildebeest / Zebra on their trips to and from grazing.

They are forced to cross the river which just happens to be full of, no, not overflowing effluent, spilled aircraft fuel or household rubbish, but those magnificent natural pool cleaners; crocodiles. It is a natural lottery, run much better than South Africas National lottery, in that it works with deadly efficiency.

I wouldn’t like to have to make the crossing if I was a zebra. Come to that, I don;t think that I would like to make the crossing if I wasn’t a Zebra. Still it’s one of those things that will continue to happen every year. From what I understand, they will shortly have to put up grandstands to allow the hundreds of annual visitors to be able to see better.

Maybe they should make the visitors cross with the animals. Could make for some good photo opportunities.

Cheers

Bob

"Wildebeest"

400x600 Oil on Board
"Wildebeest"

I finished this painting to-day of some wildebeest in the late afternoon sun. You know when you look into the sun and everything looks the same colour, well that was where I was trying to go.

Guess what:I failed. Maybe not. I don't know. I still like the picture. I just wish that I was more skilled. I wanted to put another five or six animals in the background. Either I didn't have the patience or the skill or I'm a rotten artist. I don't know, but I kind of like it anyway. So there.

The white is the flash from my camera.

A peom for Mon amie Canadiane,

The water hole is not far from here. This is more like the Kalahari. You can see the sand dunes in the background. It gets quite hot. Theres a village down the road a mile or so (300 ks) called Hot as Hell You'll find it on the map close to the Botswana border.

“Old Tree at the Water Hole”

I’m sitting here on this old tree,
The sun is sinking in the west.
Doves come in to wet their wings,
In the water hole down below.

Zebras squeeling , wildebeest fight,
Black Backed Jackal look left and right.
Dust reflects the golden rays,
The last rays of the day.

I’m sitting here on this old tree,
The sun is almost down.
Amimals bending at their knees
Quenching a long days thirst.

Lion are coming over dune,
Hyenas running, they’ll drink soon,
Crocs are looking with dead eyes
Their feast will come when something dies.

I’m sitting here on this old tree
The sun has disappeared.
They all see things that makes them run,
The powerful rule the night.

Sounds and smells keep them alive and safe to see the sun
To them it’s life or death, to us it’s just good fun.
The smell of blood, the taste of dust, of hair, of bone, of bile,
It’s more than that. To sit down here ,to sit down here and smile.

Cheers
Bob

"Death in the Afternoon"

150 x 200
Oil on Board
"Death in the Afternoon"





What do you think?
I find that I am becoming more and more of an illustrator and less and less an artist.
You know what I mean, unless there's a highlight in the eye, unless the proportion is technically correct etc etc.
I spent a total of ten minutes painting , in thick lush paint, thick strokes and lots of colour, painting the kill of a beast by a lion.
I wanted to express the pace, the power, the horror.
Did I suceed, or did I fail missabrably?
Should I look a little bit further under the bed, or just pull the covers down?
What do you say?
Should wildlife art be purely illustrative or should it also contain an element of artists licence?
Your Call.

"Prince Charming"

150 x 200
Oil On Board
"Prince Charming"














Heir apparent to all things African.
The rich grazing plains, the dry deserts, the forests and the swamps.



I have this little Lion,
a very likely Lad.
His features are so grand,
He looks just like his Dad.

He's such a playful soul,
He's sitting on my knees.
I hope that when he goes away,
He leaves with all his fleas.


Have a good one.
Bob

"Her Imperial Highness"

150 x 200
Oil on Board
"Her Imperial Highness"

Finished at last, but unfortunately the colours have somehow not transfered properly.
I have named her HIH because that's how I see this mother. She is not Queen, however most animals are affraid of her, because one bite will crack a leg and spell death to any adversary.
She works hard providing for her family, yet is derided as being a dirty and second rate animal whose sexual life is devient. All false.
Her latin name is Crocuta Crocuta. Related more to the Suricate (Meerkat) than to our dogs.

My pet Hyenas name is Crunch,
He has such funny taste.
He eats just anything for lunch,
He says he don't like waste.

I've seen him eat a crockodile,
an Elephant and a cow.
For lunch I've seen him walk a mile,
Here comes an arab dhow.

I wished he wouldn't eat so much,
Be choosey with his diet.
Every time I tell him such,
He tells me to keep quiet.

Bob
Have a good one!

"Walk On By"

150x200
Oil On Board
"Walk On By"

A toasted Warthog Sandwich
with some Achar on the side.
My Elephants in a Parking Place
and they tell me he's too wide.

"Stripes and Ticks"

150x200

Oil on Board

"Zebra Dust Bath"

You guessed it. The stripey, horsey things are dusting themselves to get rid of ticks and bad odours.It's sunset and everyone except the killers are preparing to settle down. The "Psst" of an opening beer can, the "plop" of a bottle of smooth red wine. The smell of "Boerewors dripping fat on the fire. A fillet stake doused in garlic ,origanum and olive oil awaiting it's fate. A Woodland Kingfisher pipes its last call for the night. The Hardidah Ibis fly over screaming like prehistoric Teradachtlyes, coming home to roost.The last "he ha sweeil" of the Zebra the "mew ba gtrh" of the Wildebees.Bats flying around hunting giant sized moths. The "sis si s iiiss" of the insects, a firefly drifts past. In the distance a lion "urrrh, urrrh, urrrrh", tells everyone where he can be found if they're interested. A Leopard slips by, no one will know.

Whilst going out shopping with Zebra,

Steer clear of things black and of white,

There's rumour in town,

of a Hippo who's gown,

came off at a ball late last night.

The dress, although most becoming,

was striped, and a half size too big.

The music was loud

and it whipped up the crowd

Leaving Hippo with leaf of a Fig.

Any dress that was worn by a Hippo,

Although striped and a little too large,

Has a tendency to slip down

If bought as a gown

and shaped like a river boat barge.

Have a good one

Bob

Warthog Poetry

I posted a painting of a Warthog on a Wet Canvas Forum yesterday and Patrick Hedges came back with a Warthog Peom which promted this reply from me.

How many Warthogs have you seen to-day?
A dozen or more is usually the way.

On knees, snout down, their tails in the air,
If your’e lucky, and quiet, you may see a pair.

Of one thing I’m certain you won’t see much of,
Is warthogs in water with all their clothes off.

I’ve seen many animals, prancing around,
but seldom a warthog with feet not on ground.

Awarthog is happiest when covered in mud,
Much happier than any cow chewing her cud.

A beauty a warthog indeed maybe not,
but I’m not a kettle and you’re not a pot.

(A kettle calling the pot black for all those that can’t figure out what I mean)

Warthog

150x200
Oil On Board
"Warthog"

"Oink,oink,oink...snuffle, snuffle.....oink,oink.......squeal.........run,run,run......oink,oink,oink." It's all been said before.

"Suricate"

150x200
Oil on Board
"Suricate"

I love these little guys. They always look so busy and intelligent.
However they must be pretty stupid.
When the Eco-Tourists are around you'd think that they would make themselves scarce.
You see lots of them on their backs squashed flat with Desert Dueller tracks all over them.
Life is full of fun!

Bruise Cruise

150x200
Oil on Board
"Bruise Cruise"
I love these guys. I think that I'm half way to being where I want to be with this painting.