Leopard

This is Tyson, a very old gentleman who roamed happily on the Munyawana Reserve, minding his own "leopard business". We got to know him well over the years and I was lucky enough to be part of a team who had to dart him to check on the collar he was wearing, and his general well being. What a humbling experience it was to admire, touch, smell, feel his heart beat, in the middle of the night, in the wild. We stayed close by him till he came round safely, and then the whole team drove back to camp in silence. I think we were all wondering what the future was to hold in store for this magnificent cat. Unfortunately  leopards are being decimated in huge numbers, for their skins. Sadly, this was his end as well a few years later.........

Black on white

A group of us artists in Hluhluwe  are painting up a storm for our forthcoming exhibition called " RED ALERT" to raise money towards aiding the sorry plight of our rhino. Living among rhino,seeing them on a daily basis, personally knowing the vets who have to dash to their rescue, makes us even more aware of  what life would be like without these beautiful creatures. And to think that MAN is responsible for this sorry state of affairs is just too much to bear thinking about. Can we possibly be so cruel and ruthless? I feel ashamed of the human race. Anyway, as individuals we cannot make much of a dent, but together we can make a difference. So.... we are raising money to specifically help the Hluhluwe rhino, 'our rhino" by assisting the Honorary Rangers build a hangar for the "Bantam" aircraft donated to Emzemvelo KZN by WWF.

Here is one of my first paintings. It is a black rhino on a white back ground. I must admit rhino, black or white, are one of my favourite animals and I am passionately committed to saving them,,,can you imagine world without these stunning prehistoric creatures?

Workshop

We have just had a wonderful workshop in my studio. My good friend, mentor, fellow artist  Anne Cleveland, came to share her creative knowledge and inspiration with a group of artists in Hluhluwe.We painted flowers- roses in very sweeping, bold strokes and water lilies in Monet's style.  Phew...not so easy!!We were going to paint these en plein air but the lilies on our pond remained closed due to the cold weather...so we had to inprovise and work from photos in the studio. The workshop was such fun and stretched the mind somewhat. here is a photo of me in action as well as the  painting of roses I did.

Streets ahead

I felt like exploring abstacts for a while, a nod towards my varsity work. It was great to see how my style has grown and developed. It was such fun!! The motives have grown out of the wooden panels I have done recently. Oil on Canvas

Star Burst

As all artists, I hit a slump. Badly! I blame it on various distractions. The Easter bunny being one!
The only way to climb out of the humongous. deep, dark crater is to get back into the saddle, so to speak. Artists are hard on themselves and always strive towards improvement, in their art, that is.
I think I finally made the breakthrough this week. Before I show what I have done, I will give you an idea of the build up.

For some time now I have been painting on wooden panels, again influenced by year rings, the patterns in wood, the texture, the soul of timber. "Galaxy" is one of a series, which is currently on exhibit with "Jabulisa" a curated travelling exhibition. Another is " Star Burst" and " Dance by the light of the moon". I love pattern, perhaps influenced by years of fabric painting.

Old Giant-leaf fig tree ( Ficus lutea)

 My creative life has always been influenced by trees one way or another. Earlier  University work so often reflected the year rings of trees as a leitmotif. I loved working on wood, either in on panels, or making wooden block prints.
(I can feel the energy of trees and could not imagine living anywhere, where trees are absent. For goodness sakes, I have even strapped myself to a tree to save it from being felled unnecessarily! This passion for trees led me to start an indigenous nursery in Zululand.)

I find that I have turned towards trees again as a theme. Here I painted an old giant- leaf fig which grows in our garden. It has such character!  The trunk is gnarled, textured, twits and turns, and providing shelter for a multitude of small creatures, from bats to bush babies. Its shear size demands respect! The intention is to paint important trees in my life, capture their beauty, their character, to record their symbolism or function....to treat them as portraits. This is only the start of what I hope will grow into a body of work.

The Spinach Seller

This lady grows her own spinach which she sells at the local market. This is such a typical sight in our rural area. This work forms part of a series I am doing, recording people going about their daily business in Zululand. I tried to capture her pride and energy with bold, quick brush strokes. I loved the bright colour of her head gear and wanted to keep her the most important aspect of the painting. This painting was selected for the KZNSA Gallery's current exhibition "Bold and Beautiful".  I am particularly proud of this painting.

Sheep on the Highveld

Painting these sheep brought back so many childhood memories of my Dad who was a sheep farmer on the  Transvaal Highveld. He also moved the flocks from one grazing paddock to the other with the help of the shepherd, Noah, on horseback, a few lads on foot and the ever present Collie dog. At lambing time the ewes were brought closer to the homestead to protect the new born lambs from the jackals. How I loved being part of the action as a kid, also riding my own horse, adding my voice to encourage the sheep in the right direction.
We past this flock while were travelling back from Ermelo. My poor husband had to slam on brakes so that I could hop out, take my pictures and make a sketch or two. He has learnt well over the years...bless his heart! (He stopped grumbling years ago.)
Sheep as a theme, is something I have painted so often in the distant past, my boys playing with lambs, or Japie's beautiful show rams, but I do not feel as if I have exhausted the theme as yet. I will do a few more until my nostalgia has been stilled. Maybe I should have become a sheep farmer?
Can you smell the dust....? Can you hear them bleat....?

Prices for all the paintings are upon request.

Stringing beads

This painting was painted from a photograph I took, while I was in Mozambique. This chap was so engrossed in what he was doing! I just  loved the way he used his toes as an extra set of tools which is why they feet are placed so prominently in the front. It is painted in acrylic on canvas in swift bold strokes. Yes of course, I did buy that string of beads, which is now a prized possession of mine and a constant reminder of Mozambique. I just so enjoyed painting this, and it is one of my favourites.

mozambique trip

We recently spent some time in Mozambique where I was bowled over by inspirational scenes around every corner, from the brightly coloured markets, the stunning people just going about their  daily business to the wonderful beaches. I want to share some of the scenes I painted there of dhows on the ocean....white handmade sails, azure blue sea, contrasting with the darker figures of the fishermen. What a wondeful country. I cannot wait for the next trip, may it be very soon.

http://www.hilarygrant-currie.co.za/

A wonderful new Year

There is something exciting about a new year. It is almost like starting a new book. You just know it will all be new, full of adventure, at times frightening or exciting, inspiring or thought provoking but with loads to anticipate.
My New Year starts off with this new blog sight, created as a birthday gift, by my own " newly acquired daughter in law'', Jeanne. I could not think of a more appropriate gift. Thanks Jeanne for all the effort and the support. Much appreciated. I think I am going to enjoy "blogging".
My studio-gallery in Hluhluwe, heart of Zululand, South Africa, is finally completed and I am busy hanging up the paintings. Hopefully I will open the doors beginning of February. The gallery will be open by appointment only for teh time being.
The space is large enough to host my painting workshops which will commence in March once the heat has broken. I am really looking forward to these and have so many exiting things planned.
At the moment I am working on a series of  paintings about "all things rhino" towards a charity exhibition that our Hluhluwe art group are putting together for June...watch this space!