This copse of poplars was very pretty, with the river running past.  This was fun to paint.  I flicked and splattered the foliage and dabbed out the trunks with a rolled up tissue paper.
Last year we had a massive flood through the park, caused by a ‘cut-off low’ – an atmospheric condition I would not be able to explain.  But there was a massive downpour.  Communities were cut off as bridges were washed away.  The Lourens River broke its banks and filled the olive plantations in the farm on the opposite bank.  When all settled down only one of these trees in the copse was left standing.

Helderberg from the river bank.

There is an area on the river bank where people meet to chat, especially in the afternoon.  There used to be some big Oak trees, one with a swing that children enjoyed.  Now the trees are all gone.  This is my view up the bank from standing in the river.  That is our local peak in the distance.  Helderberg is such a pretty peak.

The baseball fields from the car park.
This was one of my earliest shifts towards pouring colour and spraying on water to create texture.  That is the Hottentots Holland in the background.

Gum Stump

This stump demarcates one edge of a parking lot in the park.  It sits there through all storms and floods.  Wait! I am not sure if this is true.  I will check on this.
It is just such an anchored calm and sublimely ignored feature of our park.  It really wanted a good water-colouring.

Rocky berm:

There is a spit of small rounded pebbles along the river in Radloff Park.  This is my view looking downstream.  I was keen NOT to paint individual rocks.  I think I would still be working on this watercolour with that approach.  I am not sure if it really worked – but it does make a good design.

Poplars at the end of the Park

There is a copse of large poplar trees at the bottom end of the park.  Well there were many in 2020.  Now the copse is looking quite straggly.  They looked so stark and noble in Winter.  A great topic for a watercolour.

The path next to the river in Winter – lots of puddles for splashing

In winter the sky is grey and the grass is green and the trunks of trees stand stark.  So many of these trees are now gone.  It is sad.  but it is time to plant more.

The community weir for dog splashing

I have sat here to paint this scene quite often.  Dogs love to come and see – and lick me in the face.  Dogs are so special.  Every year people push the rocks together to make a weir.  Sand builds up to make a large (ish) shallow pool.  This was my first view up stream.  A friend said he really would like a watercolour of this view.

This is all different now.  Some of the trees have fallen over and some have been totally washed away.

The dog plunge-pool – throw in a stick and you will see.

This long pool is a favourite for water-loving dogs to leap off the bank after sticks.

Norman’s Rapid

This pretty little rapid seems to hold its place as the river shifts – though – looking at it now I think it is missing some of these rocks.  And of course the stump lodged in the corner was washed out a couple of years after I completed this painting.

I always think of it as Norman’s Rapid.  There is a bench on the bank to the left of the frame where Norman would sit – maybe for a decade.  Every morning with his little dog and his pink bicycle.  And to all the dog-walkers he would say “Top of the morning to you”  only it sounded like “To Yuh”  I think he was Yorkshire.  One day a woman in his complex drove over his little dog.  And he said it is OK.

One day I plucked up courage to ask Norman if I could paint his portrait.  He said yes so I took one pic with my mobile phone.  Then I got to work.  I did a work of which I am well pleased.  But Norman didn’t see it.  Norman died soon after.  Ai!  He was so nice.

I still have the painting and will post it soon on my site here.

So every time I walk past or sit there to sell my annual calendar I see the bench and I remember Norman.

Dog Weir – the second one

Here is my second view of this place on the river.

Don’t you love the blue rock?

This lovely Wild Almond creates a shady spot in summer.  I completed this work as 2020 drew to a close and I knew I had to complete the portfolio for the calendar.  That is the river in the background.

After this painting was done.  The municipal workers decided to “trim” the tree.  Well you know – you just cannot allow these trees to just grow uncontrolled.  They really hacked it back.  The path still passes under two low branches (or you can go around).  In the Black South East storm this year one of this branches was damaged.

I still have this original work though I have sold a few numbered prints.

Radloff Park – the 2020 WatercoloursThis was used as the cover for the 2021 SJQ Watercolour calendar

Another view of Normans Rapid