More land art on Gordon's Bay beach

Small elongated pieces of rock that seems to 'sliver' off from large rocks, planted into the sand, and washed away by the tide

These are the rocks where I found the long pieces of rock. There are several yellow rocks lying around, which I used to accentuate a natural cleft between the rocks.

Land Art on Sunset Beach

I was up this morning at 5h15, preparing for a morning of playing and creating on the beach from about 6h15. Diaan Mynhardt, a very talented photographer, joined to capture this human-nature co-creation, as well as artist Janet Ranson, who created a large-scale snaking kelp-installation. It was a morning filled with beauty and magical moments - including my utter delight of creating sand lines that partially get washed away by the very slowly-incoming tide. I also found the power of the water that pushes onto the beach astonishing - the rushing water flinging the pebbles against the sides of my bare feet and ankles.

I should add that I did get slighty agitated when the water kept washing away the small rocks before it was 'the right time', which then made me realise that it's an apt metaphor for life - things don't always work out the way that we want it to, but instead of fighting against it or getting unhappy about it, rather appreciate that there's so much other things that DO go well.

Land Art: Upington, September 2013

It seems the theme for this Upington visit was rocks (symbolic for stability and as lines in/on the earth) and twigs (growth, direction and building). Except of course for the sheep's scat (yup, 'skaapdrolletjies'!)...

Sand Circles and Mud Patterns - collaboration

(Photograph by Darren Bruce Lyon)

Circles in the sand by Darren Bruce Lyon, also known as Das. He created these circles in the sand in front of the rocks I painted with mud, while participating in Andrew van der Merwe's Beach Calligraphy course during the Site_Specific Land Art bienalle. Resulting in an incidental creative collaboration! I love the way his geometric interlinking circles contrasts with the organic pattern I created on the rocks.

Creative Energy and Flow at Site_Specific

I was very privileged to be one of the artists for the 2013 Site_Specific International Land Art Biennale, held in Plettenberg Bay from 10-17 August. I met incredible artists, professionals and also members of the public (some as young as 5 years old, while others were retired and had a lot of experience and wonderful stories to share). I'd like to share the work that I did during the week...

Inspired and fascinated by the splatter patterns of water on sand,
the idea started to form around
the connection and borders
between land and sea. 

Sea to me = Spatters Waves Foam Water Flow

&

Land brought me to soil, mud, "grond"

Only after I started playing and experimenting with the mud on the sand and rocks did I find out about the ship that got stranded just up the coast towards Knysna and Wilderness, leaking oil. My artwork incidentally or accidentally gained a new layer of meaning.

"Flow" and "Riding the Wave" became slogans for my week - realizing I had to manage my energy levels, taking advantage of the inspiration and creative flow, because time seemed to fly past sooo quickly!

...The sands of time...

Painting with Mud.

Connecting with the rocks that has not yet eroded into sand.

Flow. Drift. Splatter

Flowing with clarity and energized focus.

Creating, Working

Being in the moment.

Drifting along, swept away by emotions.

Feelings, thoughts that ebb and flow like the tides.

While oil seep into the cracks of our survival.

Spluttering, Crashing against rock, 

hitting your head against a wall to leave your mark.

Flow, Focus, Have Faith

that you are in the right place at the right time.

That everything can be healed, washed away

By water. Or by Time.

 For images of work by the other Site_Specific artists and participants, go to: 

• pinterest.com/sitespecificafr/landartbiennale-photo-competition/
• facebook.com/events/418591894888932
• sitespecific.org.za
• landartsouthafrica.blogspot.com/2013/08/sitespecific-2013-huge-success.html

New work: Home

Home: Silence Has An Echo

This painting shows Lion's Head, which is situated right next to Table Mountain and overlooks Cape Town. The work forms part of my "Home" series, focused on the theme of homecoming, nesting and what 'home' means to me. I started working on this series in an attempt to explore my feelings and fears after we moved to another flat not far from where we used to live in view of Table Mountain. 

Breathe And Believe, W:34cm x H:67cm (unframed), R1 650

Bound By Earth,  W:16cm x H:59.5cm (unframed), R1 500

Inspiration: Paarl Mountain

During the weekend I spent time in Paarl Mountain nature reserve with hubby Pierre Bezuidenhout and during our walk took some photographs of the breath-taking scenes and interesting plant life surrounding us. Expect to see glimpses of these in my new artworks, I feel very inspired by our outing!

Siklus: ritme in dood en groei

This is the artwork that I created and finished for the Hiernamaals | Hereafter exhibition at Slee Gallery, Stellenbosch. It will be on exhibit from 1-10 March 2013, don't miss it! For more information about the exhibition, view this blog post, the Facebook event page or the Site_Specific website

Siklus: ritme in dood en groei

Artist's Statement/ Description: 
There exists a complex and intricate balance and rhythm in death and growth - the process of death, decay and rejuvenation. Decayed matter in nature gives sustenance and feeds new growth, in nature there is no 'waste'. In this artwork natural materials, objects, organisms are used in juxtaposition with man-made and discarded/found material - the latter perceived as 'waste' by the general public, but as a source or substrate for creation for artists like us. The bronze/golden thread that helps to tie and entwine it together, holding the depicted process together, aims to evoke the image of the proverbial heavenly golden streets, and a spider's web. These hinting at the beauty, perfection and holiness - sacredness - of natural processes of life, death, decay and regrowth. 

Medium: Natural & Found material assemblage 2013
Dimensions: 350 x 380 x 75mm'
Year: 2013