"Laura" - Oil Painting

Oils on canvas 40 x 50cm

Portrait of Laura, a beautiful young lady and I feel very honoured to have painted her.

Thank you to Dalia of http://digitalcreationsmyway.com/

If you would like to commission me to paint that special person or pet in your life, just send me an email for information.

"Tiger Pool" - Oil Painting

Oils on canvas 50 by 70cm

I have been working on this painting for several months. At last, it is finished. After visiting SA and seeing these beautiful animals at Jukani, I am inspired to paint them.

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is a member of the Felidae family; the largest of the four “big cats” in the genus Panthera. Native to much of eastern and southern Asia, the tiger is an apex predator and an obligate carnivore. Reaching up to 4 metres (13 ft) in total length and weighing up to 300 kilograms (660 pounds), the larger tiger subspecies are comparable in size to the biggest extinct felids. Aside from their great bulk and power, their most recognizable feature is the pattern of dark vertical stripes that overlays near-white to reddish-orange fur, with lighter underparts. The largest subspecies of tiger is the Siberian tiger.

They are territorial and generally solitary animals, often requiring large contiguous areas of habitat that support their prey demands. This, coupled with the fact that they are endemic to some of the more densely populated places on earth, has caused significant conflicts with humans. Of the eight subspecies of modern tiger, two are extinct and the remaining six are classified as endangered, some critically so. The primary direct causes are habitat destruction and fragmentation, and hunting.

Portrait of Boetie - Oil Painting

A portrait in oils of my darling doggy, Boetie.

He is a rescued dog (5 years old now!) and we got him when he was 8 months old. His first months were spent in an atrocious puppy farm and it took him a long while to trust us.

Now, he is a real character and, although he still has 'issues', he is the boss of us.

Love him to bits and when he looks at me like that with his big brown eyes, I will give him the world!

Cheetah Humour

I took these photo's of two cheetahs lying in the shade on a very hot, dusty day at a game reserve on the East Coast of South Africa.

They could not be bothered with us and seemed to be sharing a little private joke!

"Have you heard the one about?......"

Back in Ireland

South Africa - land of splendour

Dear Friends

And so we are home again after the most wonderful holiday in South Africa. There are so many stories to tell and I took tonnes of photo’s which I must still work through. My new camera worked like crazy!!

To make a very long story really short:

We landed in Cape Town in the midst of a heat wave!!! From light snowfall in Ireland to 40 degrees – well, it was quite a shock to the system!

Absolutely wonderful to see the family again after 6 years and we had so much to share and talk about.

After the first few days, we took to the road and traveled up route 62!! I had almost forgotten just how beautiful the majestic mountains, countryside, orchards and vineyards are. Our eyes were like sponges, soaking in every detail.

From Oudtshoorn to Mossel Bay, George, Nysna, Plett, Stormrivier, staying over at each town to enjoy all the activities, from swinging in the tree tops of Tsitsikama to walking with elephants! Game reserves and animal santuaries – long walks at Keurboomstrand and steep climbs up to the suspension bridge at Stormsrivier.

So many things we saw and did and enjoyed the lovely, HOT sunshine on our skins. The last few days we traveled way across the land to the West Coast and then back to Cape Town and spend more time with the family.

The people are so friendly and it was wonderful to hear our language again!

The downside (unfortunately) – people live in their own prisons! High fences and security systems is the reality of living in South Africa. How terribly sad that so much beautiful is ruined by humans.

When I have more time, I will tell you about some of our adventures and upload photo's! And what fun we had!!!

Love
Avril