Mandy in her studio
It lifts my soul on a damp, dark, windy, grey February morning in UK to look at images of my travels to Africa to visit artists on bright, blue-sky summer days. We are about to receive in a new collection of oil paintings by Mandy McKay, featuring birds and flowers. After visiting her at her lovely home and studio in the Cape, it is easy to see why. Whilst she does draw a lot of her inspiration from sightings on her trips into the bush, she also has a wealth of beauty and colour on her doorstep, which is an artist’s dream. At this time of the year in South Africa, bougainvillea as tall as houses tumble with riotous abandon in a rich array of colours, while the dark glossy green foliage of hibiscus bushes are studded with a variety of impressive blooms the size of small plates.
Sharleen Boaden from up the coast in Kwa-Zulu Natal also captures the verdant flora of their more tropical climate on canvas, and having successfully shown beautiful oils by her of hydrangeas, we are proud to introduce her geraniums for the first time, as well as welcome back her beloved roses.
Tools of an artist
