Saturday, 9 February 2013

Painting in Zimbabwe ~



An illustration from 'Ride the Wings of Morning' by Sophie Neville


I was able to go on a number of trips to paint in Zimbabwe in the 1990s.

An illustration from 'Ride the Wings of Morning' by Sophie Neville

British friends of mine serving with BMAT were stationed up in the hills on the Mozambique border where it was possible to fish for trout.

An illustration from 'Ride the Wings of Morning' by Sophie Neville

I had other friends who were farming near Chegutu who kindly invited me to stay, giving me time to sketch 

An illustration from 'Ride the Wings of Morning' by Sophie Neville

Their daughter Jenny was thirteen then and we would sit, peacefully drawing together.

illustrations for 'Ride the Wings of Morning' by Sophie Neville


An illustration from 'Ride the Wings of Morning' by Sophie Neville

I left them several framed paintings including one of this lady washing clothes and another of their prize Brahman bull.

An illustration from 'Ride the Wings of Morning' by Sophie Neville

When their farm was invaded, they had so little time to pack that some of their pictures were left behind. Eventually they made contact by e-mail from Australia telling me of their loss. I spent a wet afternoon sending them these scans from my sketchbook to remind them of their life in Africa.

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