Watercolour sketch in my Moleskine Watercolour Sketch-book
Ancient Bushman paintings like these can be seen in many parts of South Africa, especially in the Drakensberg mountains. The Bushmen, or San, are thought to have been the first modern human inhabitants of Southern Africa. Only a few thousand survive today, living mostly in the desert regions. Their art tells of their ancient lives, with particular emphasis on hunting and the animals around them.
During a visit to a rock painting site not far from where I live, located north-west of Klerksdorp, North-West Province, South Africa, I did a couple of sketches in my Moleskine Nature sketch-book and since then I've painted a couple of these on the walls in my house.
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A couple of 'rock paintings' on one of my bathroom walls
The Bushmen are a hunting and gathering people of the Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa. There are many interesting aspects of their culture, but their connection with the natural world is mostly expressed through their rock art and healing/trance dances. The healing dances and the Bushmen’s rock art are both central to the Bushmen’s way of life.
Bushman rock art today is widely threatened by erosion and vandalism. Some of the best known examples are under protection in South Africa’s parks.
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I love petroglyphs and have lots of books about them from all over the world. Amazing how they are so similar the world over and from vastly different time periods. Your painting is terrific! I love how you have captured the colors and textures so beautifully.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot Starr! The South African rock art seems to be mostly pictographs, as the figures or images or designs are drawn on the rock surface and not carved. They typically used a paint made from a variety of available ochre’s and bonded with a liquid medium. Some 30 colors have been identified. The color red, for example, is made by grinding red ochre and mixing it with blood, oil or fat. All very fascinating stuff!
DeleteHow wonderful, Maree! And Starr is right, there's a lot of similarity, worldwide...are there any spirals in the bushman paintings?
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Kate! I have not seen any spirals done by the San but believe spirals have been found at Lake Victoria in Uganda.
Deletethey really look alive, I really love these subjects, you did so well on your moleskine.
ReplyDeleteThank you Concetta!
DeletePictographs and petroglyphs have always been a favorite of mine. I once embroidered three bushman designs onto a pillow.... so much life in their drawings!
ReplyDeleteI agree Elva, it's amazing that it is still vibrating so much emotions centuries later. And those pillows would go perfectly with my décor!
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