APRIL 2026 NEWSLETTER #62
Dear Friends
Your April Newsletter has finally arrived! I have absolutely no excuse for my tardiness and woolgathering! I trust that life is back to normal after the Easter period, and that the Lent-fasting, chocolate-eating, sunrise-service days are now behind us for another year.
Word of the Month
"Woolgathering"
Indulgence in idle daydreaming
Woolgathering once literally referred to the act of gathering loose tufts of wool that had gotten caught on bushes and fences as sheep passed by. As you might imagine, woolgathering was not the most profitable of enterprises. The first known use of woolgathering was in 1553.
“The April newsletter is late because my wits went a-woolgathering”
Mad About Rose Madder
I’ve finally found the ultimate pink for painting roses! It’s called Rose Madder and I’m completely smitten! I’ve been searching for the perfect rose pink for years - one that’s not too purple or too orange – until finally stumbling upon Rose Madder. I’m smitten. You need only look at my latest painting of roses (and an iris) in a vase, and you’ll also fall in love with its warmth, glowing light and ability to lend life to the peach and apricot hues when it blends smoothly with Quinacridone Gold.
Rose Madder pigment is extracted from the red roots of the madder plant and was used in paintings dating as far back as the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids.
A Rose By Any Other Name...
…would smell as sweet
I haven’t decided on a name for my painting of roses in a vase, so maybe you could help out by sending me some suggestions on WhatsApp. It’s watercolour on Arches paper, 31 cm x 41 cm, and is available to buy for R540. Follow the journey of the painting in the photo gallery below.
April Birthdays
To all the lovely April birthday people – Magda, Renée, Geraldine, Nellie, Peter, Jenny Howell, Julia, Liezel, Chantal Mc L, Stefani, Chris, Sheena, Tabatha, Ernie, Gill - may you be surrounded by loved ones, because “life is just too beautiful to live it all alone”. Enjoy David Cassidy’s Daydreamer from 1973.
NB If you haven’t yet sent me your birthday day and month, please send it to me via WhatsApp, or fill in the online SUBSCRIBE form.
Workshop 20 June 2026
Winter Watercolour Workshop 20 June R300 per person, 3 hours, Saturday 9 – 12, all materials included.
ONLY TWO PLACES LEFT! R100 secures your spot.
Don’t miss out on the fun! Check out all the dates of EVENTS at my Art Studio 112 for 2026.
If you didn’t get round to reading some of my art newsletters, or would like to re-read some, you’ll find them under NEWSLETTERS in the MAIN MENU at the top of the page.
You can also re-visit past events by viewing photographs from 2024, 2025 and 2026.