South African Landscape Paintings

 

 

Doves in Flight Before the Rain Comes (View of Groot Constantia), oil on canvas, 70 x 90 cm, Damian Osborne, 2012. A plein air impressionist oil landscape painting of the Constantia Valley with Groot Constantia Manor House in the background. South African Landscape Painting
Doves in Flight Before the Rain Comes (View of Groot Constantia), oil on canvas, 70 x 90 cm, Damian Osborne, 2012. A view of the vineyards on Groot Constantia looking towards the Manor House (1685) and the mountains over the Constantia Valley. This was a common view I had while walking to work. Cape Turtle doves in their characteristic swift scattering fill the sky.

South African Landscape Paintings

 

A collection of South African landscape paintings that I painted mostly en plein air.  South Africa is a beautiful country, blessed with stunning landscapes of great diversity.

‘En plein air‘ painting is the practice of painting landscapes outdoors directly from nature. I very rarely use photographs in my work, preferring to paint from life generally.

I’ve enjoyed many conversations with people who walked past and who were curious about my artwork and outdoor art practice, as I had my easel and canvas set up in the field.

Sometimes I would even paint landscapes with my canvas or board propped against the steering-wheel of my car! This was useful in windy or rainy conditions.

From childhood, I was always obsessed with birds. If you look carefully, you may find one or two bird species in the paintings.

These would be real bird encounters that I’d had at the scene, and had posed long enough for me to paint them.

I often drew and painted the vineyards near my childhood home. I would walk through the vines almost everyday. Being in nature and observing the changing light and seasons, the birds and animals, and studying the vegetation, was a great blessing for me growing up.

As time has passed, some of these scenes no longer exist due to encroaching urbanization or changes in the landscape. Thus, I’m glad I was able to paint these paintings from life as a contribution to a historical record.

Painting en plein air is a wonderful practice as the artist feels a definite and stronger connection to the surrounding landscape, and the inspiring benefits of close observation of nature.

 

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