NEW Pet Products - Pet Blanket

It's time to spoil your fur-babies with these beautiful pet products now available in my store on RedBubble. Your cat or dog just oozes personality! So now's the time to spoil them with a blanket, a bandana, a new food bowl or a mat also just oozing personality! Treat them like the kings and queens they think they are with a unique design for your discerning doggo or kitty.

• A soft, fluffy, cute way to keep your furbabies warm and your furniture clean.
• Comes in two sizes, because cats and dogs come in different sizes too. View size chart for details.
• Cozy 100% polyester fleece.
• Edge-to-edge full-color sublimation print on front; reverse is all off-white
• Machine washable.
• ATTENTION: Intended to be used for short duration, under close supervision. Always supervise pet to ensure they do not destroy or ingest product. Not suitable for children. Inspect regularly and replace if any part becomes damaged.

So please visit my store and spoil your pet babies the way they deserved to be spoiled!

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Father’s Day all the time!

Father’s Day is a time for people to celebrate the men in their lives. For children, it is a day to show appreciation for their fathers and father-figures. For adults, it is a day to show how much they love and appreciate the hard work of the fathers and husbands in their lives.

Get your Father’s Day cards and other gifts HERE.

Are Christmas cards a thing of the past?

Growing up, I remember my mother sitting down and writing a quick note to put inside each Christmas card she sent out. She painstakingly signed each card from her and my father, addressed each of the hundred or more envelopes, stuck stamps on them and put them in the mail. Memories like those will live with me forever, and I carried on the tradition for many years myself, but I feel that it is a dying tradition for a lot of people.

I’m still one of those traditional hold-outs, I guess. I actually enjoy sending out Christmas cards — and, believe it or not, receiving them. I hang them up in my living room and studio as Christmas decorations, gazing at the smiling faces that seem so happy to be there. I love it.

But in the event of you finding Christmas cards a bit of a waste, eventually destined for the dustbin, how about making a change?

In stead of giving a greeting card for Christmas this year, how about a Hardcover journal? Or a Spiral Notebook? A lasting remembrance of a wonderful festive season that’s not going to be tossed into the dustbin. How about a coffee mug to enjoy a wonderful Christmas morning hot steaming cup of coffee or eggnog?

Because your Christmas greeting  is an extension of yourself, you might want to purchase your greeting from someone that specialises in custom cards or other forms of Christmas greetings, making friends and loved ones feel special, showing that you really care.

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Last-minute gifts and New Year shopping!

Please feel free to visit my RedBubble profile for some wonderful last-minute gifts or New Year shopping. Back-to-School offers on Notebooks, Hardcover Journals, Tote Bags, Drawstring Bags, Laptop Sleeves, Studio Pouches (for all your writing instruments) and Laptop Skins, as well as a range of great clothing like T-shirts, leggings, mini skirts and scarves, zipped hoodies, sweatshirts and too much to mention.

So pop in now for a wonderful shopping experience and remember, “In life you have the freedom to pursue whatever your heart desires!”

A very fine day

Morning everybody! What a wonderful day! Before the Christmas madness starts, here's a thought to lower your blood pressure and get you to be a Calm Person. Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.” Even if you can only spare five minutes, use it to stay in touch with your self as a gathered soul. The point is to not lose your connection, however fragile or loose, to the calm self that is being created. Hold on to the effort and the belief that you will become such.

I took a little stroll
along the pathway
and observed the wild flowers blooming.

It was a very fine day.

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Aloe arborescens (Torch Aloe) – The genus is native to Africa; species are found in southern Africa, the mountains of tropical Africa, various islands off the coast of Africa including Sardinia, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula.

(Photo taken on my stroll through Sheffield Beach Estate, Ballito, KwaZulu Natal) with iPhone 6S Plus

Currently being shown on RedBubble

Some new works, currently being shown on Redbubble. Available as framed prints, greeting cards, notebooks, journals, T-shirts, mugs, throw pillows, scarves and much more.

Some of the original artworks are available for sale on my Sales Blog. Just click on the Contact Form in the right-hand side-bar to enquire about availability.

Dandelion Botanical illustration

Gum leaves - botanical illustration

Magaliesberg cliffs

Evening Primrose

Early-morning bluegums

The beauties of Nature

Rhus lancea leaves (Black Karee) Botanical illustration

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Mother's Day is around the corner!

If you haven’t gotten something yet for mom, don’t panic, you’ve still got a few weeks – that is unless it’s mum you’re shopping for…

While May is traditionally the month for mothers in South Africa and the US, in the UK and some other parts of Europe, Mother’s Day, or Mothering Sunday as it’s best known, is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent – exactly three weeks before Easter. 

Originally observed as a day for people to attend church in their home-town (i.e. return to their “mother” church), it has become more of a general occasion for honouring the mothers of children and giving them presents much like the Mothers Day that’s celebrated elsewhere in May.

For those of you shopping for mum, don’t worry, there’s still some time (Mothering Sunday this year lands on March 26th) and luckily for you, I've got something for every type of mum/mom out there.

For the Working Mom

 

If your mom’s got hustle, here are a few things to help her work it in style. A new laptop sleeve is the perfect tech accessory to help brighten up her workspace like this ‘The air is scented with my fragrance’ Laptop Sleeve above; you can even find a coordinated phone case to match. 

 

Does her desk need a little sprucing up? Our new acrylic blocks can help add that touch of personality to her workspace. She'll love ‘A cup of tea solves everything’. 

 

Studio pouches are the perfect travel accessory for stashing snacks, chargers, pens, cosmetics, and (for extra brownie points) you can give it to her stuffed with treats to make her smile; I think she’ll like ‘Tis Cosmos season!’.

And of course, how about a shiny new travel mug to keep her sipping in style. Check out this inspirational design - Power, Balance, Contentment.

For Active Moms

 

If your mom is always on the go—running errands or managing young ones—help her find time for some of her own favourite activities like yoga, gardening, spin class, or running; these gifts will help her get started. 
 

Give her the perfect tank top, like ‘My favourites, garden tools’, then pair it with stretchy leggings to keep her comfortable but creatively fuelled — she’ll just love"Cosmos in a pot" for pure gardening inspiration!

Package the tank top and the leggings in a tote bag like ‘Sweet, delicate Turnips’ below, that she can take on the go, and reuse on the daily for toting gym gear, emergency snacks, or groceries.

For the Homebody Mom

If mom enjoys nothing more than spending time at home, why not help her shake things up a bit? Start with a new duvet cover like…

Cotton Candy

or... 

Circles in my mind

and tasteful throw pillows like these…

The Art of Reverence

Daisies for healing

African Sunset silhouettes

My Flowers and I

 

…and a colourful mug to warm her hands on cold mornings before starting her hectic day.

Tea/Coffee collage

Mother's Day is a celebration honouring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. Honour your mother this year by presenting her with a card which you can personalise with a special message like, *"Thank you for being there every day with just the love I needed”* or something straight from your heart — you'll find the right words.

Keep Peace in your soul

So please feel free to head on over to my portfolio where you will find a great variety of products for every occasion! Thanks for stopping by! 

 

For the daisy-lover!

Daisies for healing

I don't know about you, but I'm totally mad for daisies! I plant them, I pick them, I eat them and I paint them! For starters, their name has the most charming origin. Daisy comes from the Old English "daes eage," meaning "day's eye." The name refers to the way they close their petals in the evening, and open again at dawn, marking the beginning of a new day!

Daisies are found everywhere on Earth except the Arctics and belong to the family of 'vascular plants' - those which circulate nutrients and water throughout the plant. They make up almost 10% of all flowering plants on Earth.

iPhone and Samsung phone cases

Tote bag

Studio pouch

Contrast tank top

Duvet covers

iPad case

Chiffon top 

Laptop skin

Wall clock

Scarf

Acrylic blocks

Acrylic blocks available in two sizes

Tote bag

I love Daisies.
No doubt about it, they are a happy flower.
And tough as nails.

Some have long elegant petals that gracefully drape.

Some are more fluffy and ruffled than others.

And some are more sedate with just a couple of rows of petals.

Each one seems to be slightly different than the next.

Of Thee, sweet Daisy!

bold lover of the sun,

And cheerful when the day's begun

Thy long-lost praise shall remain

Art Nature's favourite.

So head on over to my portfolio and try some Daisies today! 

When can you call yourself an artist?

The true artist paints for himself.

- A.C. Leighton

Wet-on-wet mountain landscape - watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm - 12" x 8" - Maree©

The other day I was reading the article "When can you call yourself an Artist?" -
- and doing this painting, for the first  time I felt like an artist! Standing in front of the easel, arm outstretched with the Rigger, creating a beautiful masterpiece!

For this wet-on-wet scene, after wetting the paper, I sketched the main outlines of my scene using my Rigger and Cerulean Blue, a "trick" I picked up at my watercolour workshop with Angela Eidelman a few years ago. I'm sure many of you use this technique (I know West Coast artist Marie Theron does), but I always used to be somewhat of a sketchy person, using my pencil, going into great detail with a lot of erasing happening. It's only been the past couple of years since I started practicing painting with no sketching beforehand that I feel confident enough to consider doing this.

I didn't use any reference material either, just my imagination.

By the way, to answer the question above, I think the best reply was as follows :

“You are an artist when you make art. Many artists spend their lives not selling their work … One of the first requirements for an artist is to ignore those who would define whether they are artists. The only real measure is the person making the art or, if need be, posterity.” -- Jon

Framed print in Small, Medium and Large available from my portfolio on RedBubble. 

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Gifts for the garden-lover

We all have a loved one, a friend or a family member who loves gardening. And now, gifting for these special people has never been easier! You will find many ideal gifts for the garden-lover in my portfolio. Surprise family and friends with a unique gift this festive season. Forget the bath salts, socks and ties - clothing, wall art, home décor, stationery, cases and skins for your gadgets and bags, all to be found at my RedBubble shop. Please also note that I have lowered my prices on ALL ITEMS until the 24th December 2016 as a Festive Season Special! And together with regular discounts offered by RedBubble, now is the opportune moment to do your Christmas Shopping!

Tote bags make ideal gifts for all those gardening tools, a bar of soap, your phone, gardening journal, garden gloves (but not the wheel barrow!) and a snack for the field mouse! That's how sturdy they are!

Elaborate blossoms, in every hue

Autumn Echeverias

It's Agapanthus time!

She never recognised her own beauty

Aloe cooperi

Hydrangea splendour 

Oh! Marigold!

My favourite garden tools

You just gotta love garden tools!

The Garden party

 

Another shelf in my garden shed

Marigold (Tagetes patula)

But these gorgeous tote bags are not just for gardening - use them while shopping for groceries, when going to the library, for camping, going to the beach and for collecting wild grasses and flowers while out hiking. Your imagination and the sky's the limit!

The ideal gift for those that love the outdoors - Beautify and brighten up your garden or patio set with these gorgeous throw pillows!
Choose matching colours or go for mix and match, either way you will create a lovely setting for breakfast or lunch or that special garden party!

Sweet Geranium

 

My Geranium would like to see you

Lavender in a Pot

A shelf in my garden shed

Comfortable and easy to wear leggings are the greatest invention since sticky pudding! Ideal for gardening as they allow easy bending and kneeling and even climbing a tree!

Helianthus (Sunflower)

Enjoying a cup of coffee is always part of my gardening ritual. Taking a well-deserved break from digging and planting, a cup of coffee always gives me that extra energy!

Aloe vera coffee mug

Calendula coffee mug

Bunny ears Cactus

Beat the summer heat with a comfortable tank top. Teemed with your leggings, it's the ideal gardening garb.

Rosemary and Parsley

A relaxed fit t-shirt goes a long way towards comfortable gardening.

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