A quick watercolour study of Nicholas at home. I couldn't resist capturing the relaxed posture—and those striped socks.
#art #plebchain #grownostr #watercolor

In the middle of nowhere, Karoo, South Africa
An isolated homestead holding onto its secrets, surrounded by ancient mountains and dry scrub in the vastness of the Karoo.

Mostly colored pencil.
40 x 60 cms
#art #nostrart #coloredpencil #landscape

Dappled Shadow at Ferney, Mauritius
Looking back at a slightly older oil painting from Ferney Falaise Rouge, looking over Grand Port Bay.
Dappled light is slippery to catch—it shifts every few minutes. Oils allowed me to build the weight of the dark, interlaced canopy first, and then lay down those vivid hits of sunlit ground right against the shadows.
Looking at older pieces like this alongside my recent watercolours is a gentle reminder of how our process quietly evolves over time.
Dappled Shadow at Ferney | Oil on canvas | 30 x 40 cm Ferney Falaise Rouge, Mauritius





Read the full studio note on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/sonjanorthover/p/dappled-shadow-at-ferney-mauritius?r=naywu&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
#art #nostrart #oilpainting #painting #mauritius #artstr #creators

What the Mind Keeps

A friend took the photo that this painting grew from at Île d'Ambre in Mauritius. The camera caught a single moment, but what stayed with me was the feeling of being there—the calm sea, slow clouds, and light resting on the volcanic rocks.
I didn't paint it straight away. If I paint too soon, I copy what I see. If I wait, I paint what I remember noticing.
Watercolour refuses to be hurried. The foreground rocks became a quiet lesson in restraint—knowing when to put the brush down and walk away.
Watercolour on paper: 35 x 45 cm: Île d'Ambre, Mauritius
I’m still experimenting with balancing dark granulating washes against transparent ones. How do you handle restraint in your own process?

#art #nostrart #watercolour #painting #mauritius #artstr #creators

Read the full studio note on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/sonjanorthover/p/what-the-mind-keeps?r=naywu&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

It has been a minute since I've posted here . Life intervened, but I am more settled now and I would like to continue to share my art journey with everyone on this wonderful platform. So, here is one of my latest watercolour paintings...
The Lily Pool: Pampelmousses Botanical Gardens
I was drawn to the quietness of this scene and the way the lilies seemed to float in the shimmering light.
Watercolour on paper.
50 X 72 cms
#artstr #artonnostr #nostr #Mauritius #watercolor

Back with a closer look at this one. It's ink and getting the clouds to stay crisp and opaque was the real challenge. See the WIP stage where it all started coming together!
#artonnostr #art #inkpainting #WIP