Something rather lovely happened the other day, my Travels with My Art blog, was nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award – not once, but twice. I would like to say thank you to both Sara from MALINČICA and Joelee from Joeleepost for nominating me for the award – it is always a pleasure to receive positive feedback and…
Category: Art
Getting a taste of the Nairobi Art Scene and the Kenyan Coffee
Prior to moving to Nairobi, lots of Kenyan friends told me that the art scene was pretty vibrant here. And while sipping a latte in my local cafe, the rather aptly named Artcaffe, I flicked through the exhibition listings in one of the many what’s on guides to Nairobi and I felt fairly confident that there was indeed…
Every Cloud has a Silver Lining (sometimes even two)
I have been doing a lot of sitting down this week – and no, it’s not because I’m lazy, but for two reasons; because firstly I sprained my ankle and can’t walk and secondly I have been working on three paintings to enter for a competition. What I have learned from this week is that…
The World Was Suddenly Rich with Possibility
Some books you read at exactly the right age and time in your life. For me “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac was one of those books. As I read it I remember thinking that travel would be THE escape route from my humdrum home countries Hertfordshire existence and I remember scribbling down so many inspirational quotes…
Addictive Art Materials
Charcoal and soft pastels are addictive. Admittedly they are not in the class-A drug category of heroin or cocaine and there doesn’t need to be a government health warning about them, but there is something about their versatility that makes them so appealing. For the artist, charcoal and soft pastels are extremely satisfying to use;…
Back to the drawing board
After recently leaving my teaching post in Dar Es Salaam to move to Nairobi for my husband’s new job, I now find myself ‘in between jobs’ and consequently at a rather interesting crossroads in my life. The million dollar question, well, million shilling question is this: Do I continue with teaching Art and English or do…
Sketches of Tanzanian Markets
My family and I are in the process of relocating from Tanzania to neighbouring Kenya; so as one East African adventure closes, another begins… Although I may have physically left Tanzania, I am still keeping my memories alive by finishing off drawings in my sketchbooks. These sketches will go towards bigger art projects, involving acrylic…
A few of my favourite things – sketching, camping, watching the sunrise and listening to The Pixies
Much as I like raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, my favourite things list is more likely to include camping in remote places, sketching and painting, watching a sunrise and listening to alternative music. So when a recent holiday involved all of the above, I was happier than a Von Trapp child having a…
A Botanical Paradise
After nearly three years of living in Tanzania, I am still amazed at the botanical paradise which surrounds me everyday, all year round. From the hibiscus flowers and bird of paradise plants in private gardens, public municipal areas and hotels, to hedgerows at bus-stops heavy with bougainvillea and frangipani petals lying on the floor, the…
My Pen and Ink City Panoramas
A few years ago when I was going through a minimalist phase I did lots of simple pen and ink sketches, trying to capture faces, places and buildings in just a few black lines, by reducing everything back to its basic elements. Part of this project included a series of panoramic sketches I did of…
Dadas at the fish market
I’ve been painting this picture in my head for months now. The Kivukoni Fish Market in Dar Es Salaam is always busy. Both inside and outside the market walls there are scores of people; inside fishermen and traders huddle together around the many different catches of the day, outside house dadas dressed in brightly printed…
“How do you avoid the tourists in Stone Town?” said the tourist.
In the blistering heat of the sub-Saharan sun lies a labyrinth of narrow alleys lined with tall once whitewashed, now crumbling buildings. A walk through Stone Town’s higgledy piggledy streets, most of which are too narrow for cars, is like stepping back in time, providing you can ignore the high-tech gadget carrying tourists. The town,…
