BAARDSKEERDERSBOS ART ROUTE

Ah! Another successful Art Route under the belt. Serious preparations begin a few weeks before each Art Route. From deciding which works to frame and hanging the exhibitions to sprucing up gardens, organising studios and a serious spring cleaning of homes. Then we open our homes and hearts to all the wonderful people who drive to Baardskeerdersbos for the weekend. The weekend ends with a get together of all the participating artists and friends. We all gathered at Josh and Angela's and christened their new back stoep. The evening was perfect with not a breath of wind, a double "rainbow" around the moon, wine flowing and lots of chatter. Artists discussing which works were sold, feedback from visitors, sharing stories of interesting connections we made and just generally celebrating another successful art route weekend. Angela fed the gang with hearty soup and bread and Joshua's chicken wings miraculously appeared a little while later. Eventually Weyers brought out his guitar and fuelled by a good few glasses of wine, inhibitions fell away and even those who swore they didn't do sing-along, joined in.  We are all buzzed up and inspired to get back to our studios and get creative!  The next Art Route is in spring, so we have the whole of winter to prepare for another show stopping exhibition. Here are a few of my favourite photos of the weekend goings on.

Visitors

Morning coffee, Weyers and Joshua

Morning coffee, Neil and Emily

Stoep

Asana and her new baby chicks

And Horus the Horror, who arrived during the art route

Isis is not impressed by the new arrival

NEW WORK FOR THE ART ROUTE

I've been in a creative frenzy..... just the way I like it! Deadlines looming for the book I'm illustrating and the art route a couple of days away. Pressure is a fabulous thing.

Here are a couple of the birds from the series of woodbocks that I've carved. I loved doing them. You are going to have to pop in to the art route this weekend to see the rest of them.

A little while ago I had this crazy idea to decoupage a buck scull, which now hangs in my lounge. It turned out beautifully and I didn't want to part with it. I have been hunting for more sculls to decoupage and managed to twist Joshuas arm into swopping a scull for a ceramic hand basin (isn't the barter system great?).

So, this is the result................... It takes FOREVER but it's a great meditation. 

 

 

GECKO

I just couldn't resist posting these photos of Asana and her new friend!

A friendly gecko Asana found in our bathroom

A little too friendly perhaps

APRIL ART ROUTE

BBos Art Route 28th and 29th April 2012

April is just around the corner and we are all gearing up for the Art Route on the weekend of the 28th and 29th. Posters are being printed today. Here's a sneak peek at the "new look"posters.

Painting by Amanda Jephson

BARBERSWOOD HARVEST

Barberswood Wines

Brightly coloured kites duck and dive in the blue summer sky, over Barberswood Vineyard on the hill above Bbos, insisting on being noticed. The kites are there to scare the birds away from the delicious sweet grapes which are about to be harvested. At the Bbos Bazaar, I bump into Caroline, owner of Caroline’s Fine Wines in Cape Town. Caroline and her partner Ray, have a little piece of heaven in Bbos and they have spent the last few years developing their very own vineyard. The weather has played along beautifully, the sugars are perfect and they are in the process of harvesting. I jump at the opportunity to snap some photos and stroll over after one last stop at the pancake table.

Tired, but happy

 

I'm looking forward to sampling some delicious home grown Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon in the near future!

THE ANNUAL BBOS BAZAAR

THE ANNUAL BBOS BAZAAR

The biggest event in BBos has to be the yearly church bazaar. People come from miles around and start queuing for the famous kebabs an hour before the minister opens the event with a short blessing. The BBos Orkes entertains the throngs of bazaar-goers from their tractor trailer stage. Jumping castle, games and prizes for the kids, crafts, pancakes, curry, pudding, homemade ginger beer and boerewors rolls. Farm animals are auctioned as are massive farm breads, preserves, wine and a woodcut donated by Joshua Miles. As they say, a picture speaks a thousand words, so here are my photos of the day………

The Bbos Orkes

Fans

Catching up

Kids and sweets

Mom, can we have a donkey?

Auction

Des rushed from her pudding dishing duties, apron still on, and adds 
another Miles woodcut to her collection. She's a real patron of the arts!