Zu's and News

A quirky narrative of one of South Africa's leading newsmakers for all the wrong reasons, often caught in the cookie jar.
Acrylic on Italian Cotton 70 x 100 cm

Dock of the Bay

A view of Hout Bay Harbour from Constantiaberg, with all sorts of fynbos including leucadendrons and crassula, lichen, a dassie and blackbird, as well as my hidden water lily in the sea. I wish Otis Redding could see this. Acrylic on cotton 90 x 120 cm

Namibian Sunrise

Acrylic on Italian Cotton 40 x 70 cm

K(no)wn Name Brands

Darryl Fine and I joined the Cape Times in 1972, ostensibly to create free advertising art for the Newspaper's advertisers. From the outset we enjoyed friendly rivalry between us until we were producing full blown advertising campaigns for the larger retailers who at that stage still had no advertising agency doing their creative work. This soon led to an avalanche of work, with both of us working till the early hours of the morning. We soon honed our skills and eventually Darryl left to start his own business.
Then came a bombshell campaign from Darryl. Checkers had asked him to create a counter campaign in 1974, in response to the launch of a nameless house brand by another well known supermarket chain. The name of my painting was the headline for the full page Checkers advert he created, and only appeared once as it was regarded as ‘effronté’ or knocking copy as we used to say in adspeak. Brilliant in it’s concept, simplicity and cheekiness, it was a statement by a young whippersnapper who made the retail titans sit up and take note, and ultimately earned for him a lucrative advertising client. This painting of mine is a tribute to a controversial, colourful and creative soul who gave me the courage to open my own business. Darryl sadly passed away last year, but I’m sure he would have approved.

Acrylic on board  29.7 cm x 42 cm

Nguni Boys should be seen, and Herd

Inspired by an image supplied by a collector in Majorca, I had to gain permission from the picture's author, but received no response, so to avoid copyright issues I had to recreate a completely different version from scratch, adding an extra narrative and other elements from my own references as well.
So what do herd boys talk about? Here’s my take...
“Hey Blondie, heard the one about the herd boys?” or the head herder at the front saying... “Hey guys, stop bickering!”

Acrylic on Italian Cotton        50 x 70cm.
SOLD

Bedtime Banter

A first for me, a portrait in black and white. A lot of elephants, I almost developed elephantitus!
Acrylic on Italian Cotton 55 x 45cm
SOLD

Bottle Top

After Michael English, whose art inspired me in the 1970's.
Acrylic on board 25 x 25cm

Camouflage 2

Acrylic on Board 25 x 25cm
SOLD

Royal Departure 1947

Thursday 24th April 1947. The Royal Family departing from Cape Town on the HMS Vanguard at the end of a successful tour of South Africa, the British Protectorates and Southern Rhodesia.

Acrylic on Cotton 90 x 120 cm

Camouflage

Acrylic on Canvas
20 x 20cm
SOLD