New Dimensions

  This is an exciting moment for me because I have worked on my book for a long time and can finally make it available to the public. There was one slight obstacle, but I worked out a solution to that requirement. Patreon allows file sizes up the 5MB.  My book is too large with too many beautiful photographs in it and at that size it just did not work. The resolution of 72 pixels made the photos a bit too fuzzy, and it spoiled everything. Even splitting the book in half was not helping. That is why I broke the book down into three sections, which enabled me to choose the right resolution for the photographs.  I numbered the books one, two, and three. This book is mainly about waking up in Bela-Bela in the rural part of Lesotho. It quickly progresses to the Basotho Heritage blankets, a section with blankets from the first years to what is currently available today. I took the photographs at the Sanlam Art Collection in Sandton. Here you can see the impressive blanket displ...

  The Chinese lantern plant is strictly ornamental. Its bright orange, balloon- or bell-shaped husks make this species prized. You can harvest and dry these husks to use in fall décor and craft projects or simply enjoy their vibrant hues in the garden. Ensure that children and pets cannot access your Chinese lanterns, as ingestion of this species is highly toxic. In midsummer, the Chinese lantern plant blooms with small white flowers, which grow into tiny berries surrounded by a balloon-like husk, or calyx. The husks start off green, then shift to yellow, and finally a vivid orange. When it dies back for the winter, cut down the plant at its base. Its roots will survive the cold season, and when warm weather returns, your Chinese lantern plant will begin growing again. To preserve its attractive foliage for floral decorations, tie the stems of your Chinese lantern plant into bundles, hang them upside-down in a cool, dark place indoors, and replant any dropped seeds next year. Once ...

In an endeavour to keep the ball rolling with my art and blog, I decided to create this piece, which did not turn out exactly the way I wanted it to because of the wrong paper I used to work on. If I used a more expensive paper to work on, the finished product would have been neater. It just goes to show you that the experts were right. Don't use cheap paper for art. When I started painting with watercolours, I bought a Hahnemühle pad for painting but never actually painted on it. Yesterday, I got fed up with the cheap paper I had used and decided to see what the Hahnemühle paper would do with my paint. To my surprise, I was delighted with the results. Where I had added too much paint and it ran over the lines, I could lift some of the water paint up and everything looked perfect again. That was obviously on a different work of art. I have started a page on Patreon where I am selling my book called Love For Blankets, People, and Lesotho and feature tutorials on how I create my lit...

Last night it was time again. I was relaxing watching the TV and wanted to draw something. I got an image up on my cell phone and just drew this lady whose husband was criticising her about her big bum. Because I struggled to find the marker colours in a hurry, I messed up a bit and had to fix things on my computer. In the end, you can still see most of my original piece of art. More practice would significantly improve my drawing and coloring skills. My aim is not perfection at the moment. No, I just want to have fun, be creative, and unwind whilst doing my art. If what I create looks good enough for me, then I am happy because I am just doing it to relax, and I can see I am getting better all the time. My book is nearly complete, and I believe it will bless readers. I used an ordinary A5 notepad with lines to draw on and the results are quite pleasant.