#47 The Kite

The Kite (710mm x 890mm acrylic on canvas)

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A silent waiting – the mark of the hunter; a gentle breeze crosses the plain, the grasses murmur and the heavy heat of the African noon softens into the afternoon. Little moves, but for the scanning as the kite turns its head, missing nothing, waiting.

A silent watching – the patience of the artist; the shifting light on the rocks enhanced by the track of the sun, the soft feathers, gentle form, all perched on scalpel talons, contrasts that make these small hunters so fascinating.

In the studio these two worlds are brought together, a merging of realities born out of these extraordinary moments, and a pathway of sharing that invites you into these encounters.

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Preparing to paint

Much of the artistic and creative process is invisible, of inspiration and insight and the mulling of ideas in the mind, of engaging with nature and seeking that deeper resonance that sparks origination and gives momentum to the creative process. Without these the artist cannot speak, and it is only by visiting those silent spaces deep within our souls that we encounter that which has true meaning for us,  giving breath to the wind and melody to the flute, leading to a sharing of the invisible.

A sketch is often the first visible manifestation of an idea, a time to give voice to those images of the mind, and to explore and capture the hidden nuances before they recede back into the unconscious. I do not pretend to understand this process, but to rather seek the quiet balance in my life that enables the resonance to be heard and made visible through my hands. This sketch is a vital part of this process.

# 46 Spirit of the Eagle

Spirit of the Eagle (H280mm x W300mm x D180mm to be cast in bronze)

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As an artist I once again feel that this piece must stand alone, no narrative or creative thoughts, just a single sculpture, inviting you to engage with the spirit of the eagle from your own perspective.

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#45 The Heron

The Heron (710mm x 890mm acrylic)

The stream had been silent for many months, a quiet place to sit and contemplate life as the waxbills fluttered and dragonflies buzzed from reed to reed, the calm water finding a natural meandering route down the valley and into the sea, bisecting a world of not enough time and looming deadlines, the honking of horns and endlessly ringing telephones. And each time I went and sat by the stream I saw the heron, silently waiting till a frog let down its guard, or a fish swam lazily by.

That was till the west wind brought the first of the rains, the river swelled and burst its banks, spilling washed up leaves and broken twigs onto the land, and I looked around and the heron had gone, its favourite spot inundated with tumbling waters. So I decided to followed the stream as it now cascaded down the valley and into the sea, and there the heron stood, waiting for another frog to lets its guard down or a fish to come swimming by, and as the years have passed I  learned that this is the way of the heron. In summer he stands under the shadow of the willow tree and waits, and when the west winds blow he flies lazily down to the mouth at the edge of the sea. I now know where to look for him, and I too now move with the seasons, more in synch with the rhythms of nature, and a heron I have come to know well.

The Baboon in bronze

#40 Baboon ( H250mm x W180mm x D160mm bronze)

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#40 The Baboon has just returned from the foundry, ready to be packaged and shipped to the Netherlands, number 1 in a limited-edition of 50. As a sculptor the return of a piece from the foundry is very exciting, as, till this point, the outcome of a sculpture in bronze can only be imagined. Once again the crew at the Kalk Bay Foundry have done themselves proud and I am looking forward to this piece arriving at its new home… If you are interested in the casting process, click on the ‘Into the foundry’ link under Recent Posts in the right-hand column – this shows Mapungubwe Revisited being cast.

#40 Baboon ( H250mm x W180mm x D160mm bronze)

#44 Otter

#44 Otter (910mm x 910mm acrylic on canvas)

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I know of a place where the otters come to play, where rock-pools teaming with fish and crabs provide the impetus to tussle and tumble upon the soft white sands, and the grassy bank a gentle slope down which to slide, where the sun is warm and the breeze gentle. This is a place where the piercing call of the oystercatcher mingles with the sound of the surf just beyond the reef, and where overhead, as the day draws to a close, the sacred ibises fly towards their nightly roost. This is a place where nature is her own, and I know to tread lightly, for this is where the otters call home.

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#43 Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers (710mm x 890mm acrylic on canvas)

In the far reaches of the Cederberg, after a cosy night in a converted shepherds cottage, I was awoken by a rhythmical tapping, seemingly out of synch with the rhythms of the earth in this spectacular mountain setting, a sound which was soon traced to a pair of olive woodpeckers building a nest in a nearby tree. Their determination to chisel a nesting hole in this tree that had once been struck by lightning enabled me to get quite close to them, and create a series of sketches whilst they busily carved an enclave necessary in this often harsh land where summer’s air becomes laden and heavy with heat, and the winter winds chill all life to the bone.

The remoteness of this wonderful place allowed a chance to slow down and reconnect with the gentleness of the earth, and to prepare for the last stages of this 52 week journey, the final ten artworks, with the tapping of the woodpeckers resonating like a clock and reminding me to return to the studio and share their story.

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Into the foundry

The process of creating a bronze uses techniques that have been passed down through the generations and changed very little over thousands of years, using what is known as the lost wax process. Now that the origination of Mapungubwe Revisited is complete, the first three bronzes have gone into production at the Kalk Bay Foundry… (click on images to enlarge)

The first phase sees the preparation of the original sculpture for casting, with special attention being given to the details, as once the mould is made, changes become difficult. The ball-clay is then cooled, as it then becomes less easily marked, and it is transported to the foundry.

A mould is then made using specialist silicones supported by a rigid backing. This sculpture required a two part mould – one for either side. Layers of wax are then painted into the mould until enough thickness has been built up – this determines the eventual thickness of the bronze. The two halves are then released from the mould, they are  joined, and the joints cleaned and any blemishes rectified. The resultant wax is now a perfect copy of the original, with each wax making one bronze. For the first casting we are producing three rhino, two in bronze, and one with gold leaf.

The next stage is to cover each wax in layers of ceramic, both inside and out, so now each wax rhino is completely encased, with the addition of a pouring funnel at one end. The ceramic/wax is now heated, and the wax allowed to pour out of the mould, resulting in a cavity within the ceramic casing exactly mimicking the rhino shape. Each ceramic casing is then placed upright in a sand-filled container with the funnel facing upwards.

Bronze is now heated in the furnace, and when it reaches 1200 degrees centrigrade, the crucible is very carefully removed, the slag of impurities cleaned off the surface, and pure liquid bronze is poured into each ceramic crucible. A very dangerous part of the sequence…extreme heat in fluid form!

Each piece then cools overnight before the cleaning process begins. Firstly the ceramic casing is removed, a careful process as the bronze must not be damaged, and the gating rods are removed. In the image above the nubs can be seen, the ends of the small flow pipes that are added to the sculpture joining different protuberances (a process called gating) in order to allow the bronze to pour down into each segment of the sculpture.

Over the next few weeks the sculpture will be cleaned, and any imperfections will be repaired. The surface will then be prepared for adding a patina, a process of warming the bronze to very precise temperatures before special chemical compounds are applied to the metal, resulting in the surface becoming coloured. The bronze edition of Mapungubwe Revisited will be given what I call an antique finish where the metal is given an ‘aged’ look, with highlights buffed to make them shine and stand out. Each bronze is then attached to its Zimbabwean black granite base with stainless steel rods, and polished with a protective coating.

The Mapungubwe Revisited conservation initiative will be limited to an edition of 100 bronzes, an additional special edition of 12 sculptures encased in gold-leaf, and one, cast in pure gold, to honour the little gold rhino found at Mapungubwe…

To see the video of Mapungubwe Revisited : click here ( if need be, allow the video to download and then replay it without breaks)

To learn more about this conservation sculpture, visit the webpage

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#42 Mapungubwe Revisited

Mapungubwe Revisited (H190mm, W300mm, D110mm to be cast in bronze)

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At last Mapungubwe Revisited is ready to be shared with you! After reading the narrative, feel free to watch our short video clip by following the link below, or find out more about the unique conservation sculpture castings, including the single pure gold rhino by linking to the webpage. And if you feel this is an important initiative, please share it with family and friends…

800 years ago, on the top of Mapungubwe Hill, where the great Limpopo and Shashe rivers converge, a member of the royal family was laid to rest, and within the grave was placed a little rhino, fifteen centimetres long and made of pure gold.

This compelling artwork speaks to us through time, and as an artist I see its significance not only as a symbol of the rich cultural legacy of Africa, but, as it was not a fragment of horn or body part, but a complete rhino, it thereby embodies a deeper connection with,  and a reverence for this magnificent animal of Africa.

It could be said that this little rhino linked these people to the land through a sacred thread of belonging.

It speaks to me, and offers a signpost to something that we might have forgotten but fortunately not lost, for it can remind us that the natural world around us is much more than a commodity, a space or a view, it is an intrinsic part of who we are and where we have come from, and each rhino killed or tract of land destroyed is another part of ourselves lost. This little rhino makes visible the deep connection we have with the natural world, a connection which sustains our souls and reminds us to tread more lightly upon the earth.

It was these thoughts and sentiments that inspired me to create Mapungubwe Revisited, not only as a way to speak of the rhino, but to also bring these perspectives of our relationship with the earth back into our modern world.

As we walk the trail of life, the rhino walks beside us, each an important part of our inter-connected world.

Thoughts, opportunities and sharing

If this story, the plight of the rhino, or our impact upon the earth concerns you, please feel free to share it, post it, forward it, or place an order for a sculpture. This initiative can potentially raise over R1 million  through sculpture sales (even excluding the gold rhino) and broaden the narrative about our relationship with the earth. Proceeds go to WWF-SA and The Wilderness Foundation to support their excellent work.

To see the video : click here ( if need be, allow the video to download and then replay it without breaks)

To learn more, visit the webpage

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A special posting this week

Dear readers and fellow travellers

This coming Wednesday 28^th March will be an important event along the ‘52Artworks – A Year in Nature’  journey, for I will be posting a new sculpture, #42 Mapungubwe Revisited, which has been specially delayed in order to correspond with the release of the Africa Geographic magazine special rhino issue.

As an artist I have decided that it is time to speak of the rhino, as I see it as a powerful symbol encouraging reflection on our broader relationship with the earth. I hope you will find resonance with this piece, which I have developed in partnership with WWF-SA, The Wilderness Foundation, the Magqubu Ntombela Foundation and the Mapungubwe Museum.