Tag: Africa

Tuti Island

More news from September and this time from my world of art, with my painting, ‘Tuti Island’ appearing in the Menduina Schneider 6th Salon of Painting.

It’s wonderfully inspiring to exhibit alongside such a diverse range of international artists, and this piece, from my hand-painted mosaic collection, holds significance since it tells the personal story of a turtle I once met while living in the Sudan.

To listen to the story, click here for the you tube video. Read on for the extended version:

Happy Reading!

 

Tuti Island

In the shade of a steel truss bridge she stands,

On a not-so-deserted strip of sand,

Red fiery sun akin to warm Sudanese smiles,

At this place of confluence of the Blue and White Nile,

Behind her, Khartoum, a tale of two rivers,

And bustling streets, but her gaze drifts and lingers,

As young lads fish a turtle to torment,

She walks over to barter with intent.

 

Downriver she finds a secluded spot,

A safe place where the turtle won’t be recaught,

The turtle looks on at the water with longing,

But ‘Khawaja’, ‘foreigner’, the boys are calling.

In the mid-day sun, she heads further downstream,

Past crocodile watchers, asleep, so it seems,

Nervous, she casts an eye on the water,

Boys still following, unfazed by danger.

 

Her basket rustling, she heads for home,

Across the White Nile bridge to Omdurman.

Her sink becomes a makeshift pond,

For a turtle, of which she grows so fond.

When its skin begins to flake and dry,

She rubs fish oil into its leathery hide,

Days pass and still no-where to go,

With a turtle who needs a river for home.

 

Bemused smiles from friends sipping mint tea,

To see a turtle burrowing beneath her knees,

After call for prayer customary tales are whispered,

Of friends and neighbours disappeared,

Her heart aches for Aameira, never to return,

Brother and child left with hearts that burn,

Tears shed for the sorrow caused by those holding sway,

With check points and rifles never far away.

 

A maze of souks with brightly coloured tobes,

Great bowls of coffee beans, dates, cinnamon and cloves,

Shared trays of fuul beans laden with chilli and salt,

A taste for this staple, she has got.

Then finally news of a place,

A stretch of river where the turtle will be safe,

Basket full they leave the bustling streets,

Untempered by the stifling heat.

 

A boat ride to Tuti island she lands,

At the shore she gazes at the turtle, her friend.

Before releasing it to swim to its hearts content,

She’s taken aback by her own gushing sentiment,

And the turtle catches her by surprise,

Ducking under her skirt, reluctant to break ties,

Until finally it swims away,

And she stands alone, feeling emotions sway.

 

Time to leave this fertile shore, she knows,

But falters when a trail of bubbles show,

It couldn’t be… but then a head poked out,

This was a friendship she could not doubt.

It’s okay to go, she gently said,

Unmoved, the turtle raised its head,

The woman smiled and gently sighed,

In return, the turtle blinked its eyes.

When finally they parted ways,

She wiped away a tear that strayed,

Thoughts of women declaring with knowing smiles,

‘Nothing washes tired skin better than the Nile,’

 

#IWD2021 Abstract Landscapes

March 2021 has been a busy month. Alongside the publication of my new novel, I have also been involved in an art exhibit to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021: a month-long, virtual event hosted by the Menduina Schneider Art Gallery in Los Angeles.

Click here to view my video entry.

Considering which piece to enter from my collection of acrylics on canvas, I was drawn to the African landscapes and waterscapes.

Lagoon – (Actual size 50x50cms)

Beach Life – (Actual size 50x50cms)

Trading Bays – (Actual size 50x50cms)

From my time spent living and working in the Sudan and South Africa in the late 1990s/early 2000s, thoughts of the women who were my friends, colleagues, students and teachers, are never far away. I continue to paint these thoughts, memories and experiences into African landscapes and waterscapes, colourful panoramic views to pay tribute to these women.

Women’s Work – (Actual size 100x50cms)

          

The following collection entitled, Perspectives, was inspired by daily life in South Africa, in particular from the perspective of hawkers and the long distances travelled to sell their wares.

Perspectives Collection

Home – (Actual size 50x50cms)

Long Walk – (Actual Size 50x50cms)

At Market – (Actual size 50x50cms)

The work also considers the connection between people and land, a connection which is increasingly lost in a complex commercial world. The following piece, Desert Life, was the piece selected for the exhibit.

Desert Life – (Actual size 120x30cms)

          

All of my African views seek to highlight the rich colours of Africa. In Desert Life, the colours were also inspired by the symbiotic relationship between wildlife and land, in particular between flamingos and their habitat. I think of it as a painting that celebrates communities living in close harmony with the surrounding natural world.

The gallery stated that this piece was selected for its palette:

“When you think about the desert, you imagine something barren. You don’t imagine something this beautiful. It is filled with colours. Why? It could be the desert or it could be the life spent by yourself, filled with memories, with dreams, with different roads you have taken, and the ones still waiting for you. Are those trees and water there, or are they in the imagination of the woman that is carrying a basket? Are these her friends? The fact that Susie has travelled to these places, the insight she has, the work is tender and poignant.”

To view the live gallery video, click here.

To view more art on my instagram page, click here.