We need colour, tons and tons of it. How many tons are these whales again? Their sightings in False Bay still very elusive to my eyes, have not spotted a single one yet. Although if you check the link of the whale route/heritage, there are people spotting whales in False Bay as we speak. So for now I use table mats that I found some time ago by Elmien Kotze where one can appreciate the "naive" approach in her artwork.

Arum Lilies, our indigenous bulbs, flowering in abundance everywhere except in my garden. Tons of them, to me a sure sign of spring being just around the corner. So, once there is more sun I'll be chasing tons of 'Namaqualand' daisies, carpets full of colour, every time it just takes your breath away. It's time for a whale of a weekend...

The onslaught of my aunt's, Ingrid, birthday today made me dig up some archives. { Thanks to her husband for making them digital } I have a weakness for old black and white photos, especially from my parents and their family when they were young. I always pester them to tell me more about the story behind the story.

Look at her, you just want to reach out and hug her. Yet in that vulnerability is a sense of strength. Its in those sturdy legs and those boots were definitely made for walking. Today she is walking, no, more like climbing, and that at age of, no, not gonna tell you.

This one is fun, not quite sure what happened here but knowing my father, who is in the pram, I think someone needed to take control of the situation. I just love the pram they had here, its sassy design, the curve of the handle and the "chubbiness"...

This remains the famous family photo. Omi and her two kids; my dad already clearly character distinguished, as in always up to mischief in what's next. [der schelmische Blick] And Tante Ingrid the sensible and sensitive one. To this day she also has created some beautiful art pieces and enjoying California. Although both of them moved to far away places, they simply cannot deny their roots in Europe. I can just hear her saying: "Are you kidding me". Tante Ingrid, enjoy your birthday and I hope all your children and grandchildren will spoil you...

Oh dear, what neglect, its already Friday and the 08/08/08; the opening of the Olympics in Beijing and for more "historicalness" I'll focus on woman's day for tomorrow.

These hand painted tiles are on the old Post Office of Noordhoek and have been painted by Joyce Ordbrown. It depicts the story of Christina Rousseau on receiving this land as a grant/gift by Baron Gustav Wilhelm van Imhoff, Commissioner Extraordinaire of the Dutch East India Company in 1743. Apparently she grew impressive veggies and they were supplied to the ships anchored in Simons Town. I once had a farm in Africa. Anyway, the whole story with wonderful images is on this with a difference, artistic website of http://www.imhofffarm.co.za/ under the history section.

The farm is still to this very day buzzing with activities for the whole family, with a farmyard and the farm buildings have been converted to farm shops, working art studio's, shops with local craft and if you visit the cheese shop, there you will get to know a dynamic cheese maker or is it maker'ess'. Still did not try their camel rides yet...

What is most enjoyable, to me anyway, is the restaurant [housed in a traditional Cape Dutch style, with historical photos] which has the most magnificent view towards Hout Bay and there is a feeling of grandeur as you stand on the traditional "stoep".

See, what did I tell you. Now lets do this in style, where is the waiter. Cheers, here is to the women, enjoy your day, woman's day... and every other day...

The previous post made me aware of another 'iconic' item that I was wondering if it still could be found. Needless to say you forget about things until it pops up out of nowhere and your observant obsessions suddenly run parallel with other findings at the same time.

Chappies bubblegum: http://www.chappieswrappers.iblog.co.za/ , [post of 2 august 2007 the story of 'Did you know?'] I found myself at the Noordhoek farm village, on Saturday, where this little bric brac/antique shop also sells candy, the old fashioned way, and there they were the iconic bubblegum chappies. The main conversation always revolves about the price:" I remember buying them for half a cent each." These ones were 20 cents each and that after 35 years. Okay the inflation rate cannot be measured to a sweet and that's not the point.

It was the wrappers, where everyone read out their Did you know...while blowing these enormous bubbles. Was that our Internet? Information overload? Pity they never got filed. As kids we found such simple pleasures. Anyway, the realization today is what an incredible way to market a simple bubblegum when there were plenty others to choose from.

So the next day in the Sunday Papers I came across this ad making use of the Chappies Did you know ... wrapper.

Its an advert for entrants to be aware of and enter the marketing excellence awards of 2008. Brilliant.

So, do designers/artists subconsciously 'work' in their marketing tools, in their work? Is the 'name' and the exposure still an important and sufficient marketing solution?

Winter rainfall is difficult to get used to when your origins are from a summer rainfall area. My mind often wanders to the fauna and flora of the north of South Africa especially the wildlife. In short : I miss the bush.

Then it dawned on me, that we actually exchange and work with the Big 5 [lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo & leopard] every day. There they are still in my purse [lucky me] .

How many of us actually pay attention to which animal is on what note. Obviously, the credit worthiness amongst us will use plastic or electronic banking but I always liked the colour and design of our money. [noticeable, especially when abroad]. It might not have the value like it used to, but it is really not that long ago when the lion, R 50.00, the buffalo R 100.00, and let alone the leopard R 200.00, got introduced. [1990] Jaaa, we only worked up to the elephant R 20.00 for a long time and a rhino R 10.00 still filled a fuel tank. And I bet you that most of us still use 2 buffalo's before we even use or keep a leopard.

Well, we had confidence in our monetary value, it was once very strong and equal and the Big 5 were sufficient. I would really feel uneasy with a R500.00 note in my purse and if they would place Penguins on it, I would never spend it. Subconscious brainwashing from early days , perhaps?

And then, wildlife that remained of iconic value; the infamous Springbok. More designers are re-inventing this one.

You can stop holding your breath, I know butter is poison, but when my German mother searches far and wide for unsalted butter in Africa then you know it will be imprinted on your taste buds forever. This graphic slightly changed now but it has been with this Springbok butter for as long as I can remember. To this very day there is only one unsalted butter with of course the introduction of the 'Woolies' one but that really costs a small fortune. We could always immediately taste the difference especially in a cake, cringe. [So, Ma, wo ist mein Zitronenkuchen?]

A truly, internationally acclaimed, successful ceramic venture that also portrays the African Wildlife at its best, is Ardmore. You can indulge more on http://www.ardmoreceramics.co.za/.

There is so much more , so don't take away my wildlife icons, EIKONA...

My mind has really been boggled, this weekend, partly due to some 'blogging' research and realizing I've gone totally off the beaten track, I've been derailed and completely stopped in my tracks. { Side effects of living near railway lines}

If I don't part and post these thoughts they will keep boggling me. The blog was initially intended as a platform for my work and what surrounds me as inspiration. For a true artist that is really everything. Then I got wrapped up with the click of the camera and the click of the mouse and got seriously sucked into a vacuum of blogging addiction and also realizing its one way to confront the 'wet winter blues' and share the 'goings on' in my area, but in a off the beaten track kind of way.

Then friends, that have lived here but moved on to Holland, are visiting at the moment and 5 years are being mind blown in a boggled few hours. Then the inevitable confrontation, how is the pottery/ceramics going?...

Saturday morning visit to the old biscuit mill. http://www.theoldbiscuitmill.co.za/ This place is now really Cape Towns hub of 'communal' activity. You have galleries and shops with the most inspirational local art and its not in a shopping mall.[yippee] And not to mention the neighbourhood market. Its not a flea market and its not entirely a vegetable/fruit type market like you get in Europe. No, its really special, the stallholders are 5 star selected, from yes, a lot of gourmet food and wine and beer tasting to keep the men at bay, while the ladies indulge in queen of tarts, to fun with vintage, lots of design items and organic, organic,organic. [sorry, I,m fired, no snapshots] but check out http://www.skinnylaminx.com/ in her blog under posts of markets, she shows the atmosphere very well.

But my main reason to visit was actually to check out Clementina's new gallery/shop http://www.clementina.co.za/ that she recently opened in this very Biscuit Mill. And my ceramic 'guru' was there herself. To me she is really the most successful ceramic artist in South Africa. Through the years her approach to clay has remained honest and yet fresh regarding form and function and the newly approached application of surface treatment is so uniquely unified that the one cannot be without the other. Not only is she talented but she is the kindest and most generous person; downing her own tools in her hectic schedule to help me figure out the mysteries of my boss, the kiln, and its firings; now that in my books calls for a lot of respect and admiration.

So again the inevitable question, hows the ceramics going? Then..the stop in the tracks,.."Are you ever going back to it?" Did I hesitate, no, just slightly cautiously answered:" I will get back to it."

Clementina has also now recently discovered the 'blog' and I think hers will stay true to ceramics. What also boggled me, was that I noticed the South African Ceramic Artists don't make much use of the Internet let alone blogs, because that's really a great way of interacting, updating, advising etc.and we need that in our isolated clay world, I think.

I must say, I do miss that click clack sound of the temperature controller of my boss, the kiln, who now also has a boss called Eskom/Koeberg [they switch it all off] Green solutions are needed for firing pots.

Anyway, stay on track girl. We wish Clementina all the very best on her new venture, the gallery/shop, where she also showcases other aspiring local ceramic artists and will keep us updated on her new blog.

In my collection, special Clementina tea light bowls, carved porcelain to reveal light through the translucency; with gold lustre, as Johannesburg's 'gold dust' will never really escape us...

A 360 degree view of Kalk Bay harbour, no video.

The entrance/exit to the sea. This is the calmest it can be. {spiegelglatt, mirror like}

Mountains towards Simonstown in the background.

In the background the start of the seaside village of Kalk Bay.

A very characterful, authentic Cape way of doing things at Kalk Bay harbour. The fish, Snoek, has been cleaned and gets hung to dry.

Snoek: a traditional Cape fish, long and silvery and slightly oily. There are numerous ways to prepare this fish. Personally the best is on the coals, better known as a fishbraai.

So waar is daai rooipote, die krewe, jy...{ local lingo for where is the crayfish?}