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 bourgainvillea and frangipani petals lying on the floor, the…
Tag: nature
Regressing to my teenage gothic self at Whitby Abbey
One hundred and ninety nine steps up from a harbour town stands the imposing Gothic remains of a 13th Century abbey. On a clear day you can see for miles around, out to the North Sea on one side and across the Yorkshire moors on the other. And on days when the weather is rainy…
Hope over the Horizon – Sunrise on the edge of the Ngorogoro Crater
While camping on the edge of the Ngorogoro Crater in Tanzania I decided to wake up early to watch the sunrise. What I witnessed was nothing short of breathtaking. Snuggled up inside my hoodie and scarf, I sat alone, mesmerized by the changing horizon before me and watched as the African sky changed from an…
Endless Abstract Land
Endless Abstract Land is my interpretation of the Serengeti and is painted using ink and acrylics. Serengeti comes from the Maasai Maa word Serengit and means endless plain and this vast area of grassland spans northern Tanzania and southern Kenya and covers approximately 12,000 sq miles. As I travelled through these immense plains, which are…
But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?
Travelling through the Great Rift Valley in Kenya en route from Nairobi to Mwanza, I woke early to see this amazing sunrise. Just then I had one of those moments when you feel entirely content and at one with everything in the world – a feeling pure harmony. “But what is happiness except the simple…
Here comes the sun and 2016 – Happy New Year
This New Year rather than counting down the minutes and seconds to midnight on New Year’s Eve and partying until the early hours, I woke up before dawn on New Year’s Day to catch the first glimpse of the sun rising in Tanzania in 2016. In a glass-fronted house situated on the banks of Lake…
The Spiderman Agama
The Spiderman Agama, or to use its actual name the male Mwanza Flat-Headed Rock Agama (Agama Mwanzae), was such a tricky subject to capture on camera. As soon as you move near to them they scurry off at the speed of light. And despite the fact that there are large numbers in and around the school…
Close Up Cockroach
I found this delightful, and thankfully dead, little creature on my patio and in the early morning sunlight thought it would make a great close up image. One of my earliest experiences of life here in Mwanza, Tanzania, was when I was enjoying a sundowner in the garden and a cockroach ran up the leg of…
Painting is Just Another Way of Keeping a Diary
I was asked to paint some pictures for staff who were leaving Isamilo International School in Mwanza this year. These images were the results. Which one is your favourite? I am now off work for 8 weeks… so plenty of time for painting, sewing and lots of crafty fun. And as Pablo Picasso once said:…
Rock City Paintings
A few weeks ago my husband and I took advantage of visiting grandparents to have a sneaky evening away without our three young children. Mark had previously won a night for two at a Tunza Lodge, a local beach resort. And when Bill and Joan came to stay, we decided to grab the…
Sunshine and Showers – Forces of Nature
In Tanzania when it rains…. it really rains. And when the sun shines… it really shines. And when it does both at the same time, the result is absolutely breathtaking. Yesterday evening, as they sun was setting over Mwanza and Lake Victoria, aware of the impending storm, we took shelter at Isamilo Lodge and admired…
The Sun Just Touched the Morning – Early Bird
I love the light first thing in the morning and wherever I am in the world I always get up early on one day so I can capture the moment either on film or in my sketchbook. Whether it be a sunrise over a beautiful natural wonder or people getting ready for the day in…
