Windows and Walls

6 x 8 (Acrylic on canvas board).

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Driving through the small town of Paternoster, I am starting to concentrate on the lovely details that make up the whole of this successful architectural venture. Of course, because this is a rather chatty sort of blog, you must refer to the experts if you want to build a proper West Coast cottage. The information will be available at VASSA ( Vernacular Architecture Society South Africa).

The walls should be roughly plastered. As the first freed slaves and early fisherman a few hundred years ago did not have all the tools, one should try to emulate the true texture of early West Coast cottages! The cement was made in lime kilns as I have explained in an older blog. This lime was also mixed with salt to "paint" the walls white.

Windows and doors were made from the salvaged wood from the many ships that met their ends on this coast. As the ships were painted for protection, the locals would always try to get hold of paint to repaint their woodwork. Blue and sometimes green were the preferred colours. Today the blue shutters, doors and windows give unity to the street scenes. I loved the way the orange aloes complimented the blue shutters in this scene. And please do not miss the rocks on the roof as if they are anchoring the corrugated roof and chimney. Ah, detail is everything!

Bird's Eye View of Cottages

The best things in life are free, they say, and looking at seagulls are absolutely the best! We who live by the sea can only see the animals up North at great cost. Looking for the Big Five, the Little Five and the Ugly Five can cost a fortune. But lets see what we have here: these gracious white birds, day after day! I love them when the ants are out and they circle the house to catch them in midflight. I love them when heavy waves beat tiny sea creatures unconscious, and they do their daring dives into the turmoil. But the nicest time is the day after New Year, the traditional picnic day for the local people. Then these scavengers glide in lazily and low, they come from everywhere, in no haste and enjoying the scenery from up above. On that day you can lie on your back pointing the camera skywards and take hundreds of photographs. I have painted this picture as a gift some years ago. In it I show the proper 'bird's eye view' of the cottages.

Cottages by the Sea

In the Cape vernacular architecture, form always followed function. Seaviews, etc were of no importance. Tiny doors and windows meant that the interiors were protected against the elements. When a basic house became too small, a flat-roofed structure was simply added to the existing building. And of course, the community was very supportive and there were few walls and fences dividing properties.

Today I really wanted to paint blob people: a few details, movement, light and shadow. The picture should be viewed from a distance to fill in the necessary - viewing it on a wall is perfect.

The Blue Ladder

These cottages become more difficult to find on the West Coast of South Africa. I have an invitation to visit a lovely family at their farm cottage. Original building, several kids, sheep and chickens! One cannot ask for more in the line of inspiration. For my next painting, I will work on a cottage from a photo where the sky was a light orangy colour.