My good blogging friend, Rebecca Budd, shares some lovely posts about famous paintings on her blog Chasing Art. You can read her latest article here: https://chasingart.com/2021/03/12/fridaypainting-alfred-henry-maurer-model-with-a-japanese-fan/
I had a brief chat with Rebecca in the comments on her blog, about her choices in artworks and she mentioned that she has been sharing a lot of portraits lately. I said that I am a fan of landscapes but they need to include a human element by either featuring houses, cars, boats or people. I don’t like landscapes the only feature nature. I also like painting that have warm tones and steer clear of dark paintings that feature mainly blues and greens.
I thought I would share a few of my favourite local paintings. These were done by lessor known African artists and I haven’t been able to track them down again or find any website or other way of finding more of their work.
These three are by Adolph who is a South African artist. Adolph paints typical scenes from squatter camps and rural South Africa.
I love these pictures.
These next two paintings were done by a Zimbabwean artist living in South Africa. They both depict typical rural African scenes.
I love these pictures too.
What kind of paintings do you enjoy?
roberta-writes.com 
These paintings are beautiful. Shame you couldn’t track down the artitst.
Have a gorgeous week.
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Thank you, Drew, it is a shame. I looked for quite a while. I will try again when I am next in Cape Town.
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I love Rebecca’s use of colour as she captures the essence of Africa. The Zimbabwean’s artist use of colour is different, yet captures the movement of daily African scenes perfectly. I am drawn to any art that captures movement and colour. Thanks, Robbie for sharing these. ❤
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My pleasure, Jane. I also love the richness of the colour and vividness of the scenes in these paintings.
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These are lovely paintings, Robbie. Thank you for sharing them. I enjoy paintings that depict slices of life and love it even more when there are things hidden within the painting.
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Hi Jan, you have said exactly what I think about paintings. I’m glad you enjoyed these pictures.
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Thank you for sharing these paintings.
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It is my pleasure. I am pleased you liked them.
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I really like Adolph’s paintings as they depict a very natural setting. I often pick up paintings on my travels as they are perfect reminders of my visit. Also, I like to support local artists. I bought one in Barbados of a woman walking down the street holding a red umbrella. It rained the day we were in Barbados so it is a great reminder. I usually chat with the artist and get to know them a little. I also like the paintings by the Zimbabwean artist.
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I am imagining that Amanda was by your side when you were chatting with the artists!!!
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Oh yes, she is there. I think she has a chat with an artist in Taos, New Mexico.
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Ah, Darlene, I do the same, but then I have a tendency to get into lengthily chats with most people. I like to support local people and buy their beautiful artworks.
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These are fabulous, Robbie. They really bring the scenes to life. My favourite period was the 19th century, which gave us the Impressionists, the Pre-Raphaelites, the French Realists (like Courbet), and some wonderful English genre paintings (eg Frith). I was lucky to choose that as the main period for my degree studies.
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Hi Clive, thanks for joining in the conversation. I didn’t know you had studied art. How wonderful. I would love to study English literature but haven’t the time just yet.
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You started a good conversation with these paintings, Robbie. Yes, I did my degree in English Literature with History of Art – a very enjoyable combination. I hope you get the chance to study Eng Lit too – but there’s a lot of it!
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What a lovely degree. Much more interesting that accounting. I am working my way through a lot of American classics now, Clive, and enjoying it. If I decide to study in the future, I will have to re-read them but that’s fine. I’ll learn more.
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I don’t think I’d have coped with accounting! It was a good combination, and there was a good deal of crossover, in terms of artists taking themes from literature. I hope you’re enjoying your reading – it sounds fun!
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I really am, Clive. I’ve read All Quiet on the Western Front and A Gentleman in Moscow this year so far. Now I am reading A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemmingway.
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I’m glad to hear it. Plenty more to explore!
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I like the colors and the life in those paintings. For me, I’m fond of realistic works showing things I can relate to like families. I tend to go more for darker colors. 🙂
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Hi Chel, I like paintings with people in them too. I do prefer lighter colours but hubby likes darker colours. He has one painting that is of the ocean.
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Those are great paintings. My wife is a painter and she’s my favorite artist. 😉
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Ah, Andrew, you are sweet. I’m glad you like the pictures.
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I love these and I also like those warm ochres and browns and then the bright colours of the last two paintings. I enjoy all sorts of landscapes, but yes they are more interesting with people and homes or lighthouses, boats etc.
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Hi Janet, there is something about a small glimpse of people in a picture that I love. It can be a tiny person in a field of flowers or a tiny boat on the horizon, but it just adds a lot for me. Thank you for adding your thoughts.
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Those are wonderful paintings, Robbie. I can see why you like them so much.
My dad was an artist who did a lot of still life, nature, and even some portraits. My personal favorites are mostly nature….beach scenes, seascapes, farmland and pastures.
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Thank you, Mae. I love the colours these artists have used and the vibrancy of these pictures. You have mentioned your father’s art before. Portraits are difficult, he must have been talented to do such varied work. I like landscapes, I just like them to have a little bit of human life in them. That is probably because I find people so interesting.
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Those are wonderful, Robbie. There’s so much life in each of them.
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I love these pictures, Jacqui, they are very vibrant.
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Lovely paintings and I can see why you are drawn to them, Robbie. I usually enjoy nature scenes and love animals or whimsical beings in them. Forest and ocean are my favorites.
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I can imagine that you would like forest and ocean paintings, Denise. When I think of you, I think of sprites and ethereal mystical creatures.
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Thank you for sharing a few of your favorite local paintings, Robbie. I tend to like impressionistic and realistic paintings of nature and landscapes. Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Claude Monet, and Vincent Van Gogh are big favorites. It’s interesting that you steer clear of dark paintings that feature mainly blues and greens. Your comment reminds me of a set of paintings in the Saint Leo College library in Florida that had been painted by one of the monks from the abbey. They were exterior scenes of windblown palm trees, with very dark skies: purple and green and black. I loved those paintings–although the people I mentioned it to thought they were dreadful.
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Liz – I love how you using paintings for poetry.
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Thank you, Rebecca. I’ve become quite taken with ekphastic poetry over the past year.
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Hi Liz, You have chosen fantastic artists and I think you for sharing them here. When Terence and I want to Florence and visited the art galleries, I found the paintings very oppressive. Somehow, darkness makes me feel closed in, as if I am suffocating. I like bright and light and I’ve always been like that with art. It is quite a contrast from my taste in literature which tends towards dark and conflicted. Hmmm! I shall have to reflect upon this contrast in my nature. I would appreciate the painting you mentioned but it would make me feel claustrophobic.
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Your comments remind me that I do note a difference between paintings I like for the artistry and overall effect and paintings I would want hanging on my walls.
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Yes, I think that is exactly it. I love to admire certain works from afar but they would depress me in my house.
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I like a wide variety of paintings and artwork. These are all beautiful.
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Thank you, Dan. I also like a wide variety of artwork in the same way I like a wide variety of literature. I am less fond of abstract art.
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Robbie – these are truly remarkable paintings, that welcome me to look deeper into the stories of a country that I long to visit. This artwork reminded me of the mbira music of Zimbabwe. My son, Thomas played the mbira in his teenage years. Late at night, I heard him play the mbira, the notes coming softly in the darkness from his room, speaking of ancient songs and cultural memories. Thank you for sharing these paintings and reminding me that art, music, stories are the threads that connect us all. I enjoy are conversations, Robbie – thank you.
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Hi Rebecca, these paintings are quite reflective of the spirit of Africa with their vibrant colours and an energy that jumps off the canvas. The memory of your son playing his mbira is beautiful. Our children are lucky to have such wonderful opportunities. Have a lovely evening, Rebecca.
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Those are amazing paintings, Robbie. I love paintings that depict real living.
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HI CArla, thank you, I like pictures about people too. I also like books about families and people so my taste in both is similar.
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A lovely share, Robbie! I love art and especially enjoy visiting local museums with granddaughter Ceilia (23). As for my own art collection, it’s eclectic and I enjoy changing pieces around and rotating them here at home. Seascapes are among my favorites.
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Hi Bette, how lovely that your granddaughter enjoys visiting museums with you. I have that with my sons and consider it a blessing. I have a few seascapes too, and one is by quite a famous SA artist. Maybe I’ll do another post about that one.
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I liked the selection of your favorite paintings. For me, I like the impressionistic painting also and Claude Monet is my favorite. For the contemporary artist, I like Thomas Kinkade.
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Hi Miriam, thank you for sharing your favourite artists. I didn’t know Thomas Kinkade and have just looked him up. His work is wonderful, so much talent.
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I absolutely love the ones done by Adolf- so much attention to detail! I have a couple of favorites; one is by a local Canadian artist, Robert Bateman, who does amazing animal prints. http://robertbateman.ca/art/tryon/tryon.html
And Leonid Afremov, whose works glow with a life of their own.
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Hi Jacquie, I think these pictures capture the spirit of African people – bright and vibrant. Thank you for the link, I’m going over to look at Robert Bateman’s work now.
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Fabulous artwork❣️
What I love about artwork like this is the story it tells us without one word. ❤️
It’s brilliant and never ceases to amaze me.
Thanks for sharing stories I may never have seen 😘🤗
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It is my pleasure, I am glad people like my African artworks. I love African art and its vibrancy and love of life.
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Your post is a great reminder when I befriended a Zambian lady who was staying with a friend of Zimbabwe. She was never out of words, and her visits were always much fun! Before she went back to her family I sent a small painting I did, with her. This is the first time I see recent African paintings, and I am not disappointed – colorful and full of life. Thanks for sharing! Jesh
Saw you on Thurs. Doors today – https://thejeshstudio.wordpress.com/2021/03/15/dan-antions-thurs-door-3-18/
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