Back to Winterton for a new mural –
The came too soon when the household goods were packed and shipped and it was time to say goodbye. A neighbor had a farewell party for the family and friends from Pretoria arrived to wish my daughter and her family a safe journey back to Seattle. My rental car was packed with all my belongings, left over paint and bags of donations to share with people in Winterton. After two and a half months of precious time together, it was a tearful departure when I finally drove away.
Blank slate
My destination was a new host in the tiny village of Winterton where I had painted the crested eagle mural in 2024. During a brief trip to visit my host from that adventure, Michelle, a friend of hers asked if I might have time to paint the container that created one wall of her driveway. After searching unsuccessfully on Workaway for a mural painting opportunity, the opportunity found me!
Having now painted three 20-foot containers, I had a pretty good idea how much I would be able to accomplish in the time I had left. When I realized that this container was twice that long, I failed to take into account that twice as long meant four times the area. Yikes! I did my best to set realistic expectations with my hosts, Rina and Richard. My plan was to paint a skyline showing the nearby Drakensberg Mountains, then focus on plants and animals of the region in the foreground. We agreed to the plan and I got to work.
Getting Started
It took nearly two full days of working from the platform to complete a skyline of the Drackensberg Mountains beneath a blue sky at the top of the container. When the local gardener stopped to let me know he recognized the skyline as the nearby mountain range, I felt we were off to good start.
12 meters = 40 feet
At this stage, I was beginning to fully appreciate how much space there was to fill up. I would paint a section, sit back and imagine what came next, the go back to painting. For a space so wide, it was difficult to get my mind to image the images that was evolving when I played with in in Procreate on the tablet. I tried two sections but could never get a cohesive image to come to mind. So much room for learning, every time I take on a new project.
Optical Illusions
Each afternoon, as the sun moved across the horizon, the painting would take on a completely different look. Vertical bars of light would create an illusion that made designing an area very difficult. Once I realized the light patterns, I adjusted the work to focus on an area that was completely in shadow so I could maximize the number of hours I could work.
As with each of the previous murals, I learned better techniques for covering larger areas with less work. In the case of the snake grass below, I rolled on a variegated green area, then came back to outline each stalk in yellow. Then I added the horizontal dark green details to give it depth. The little area still took several hours to complete but it went much faster and ended up looking better than previous attempts.
Fun Day Out
With the mural nearing completion, Rina kindly took me to the nearby Falcon Ridge where I enjoyed both the raptor show and seeing so many different birds so close-up. Looking these big birds in the eye made me wonder how different the world must look to them.
Then it was over to the Reptile Park where I got to hold a large lizard, a fuzzy tarantula and a yellow boa held me!
The final mural included many local plants, a snake, a Jack Hangman bird and a sunbird. I also painter a metal crane like the welded one in the actual garden.
Rina and Richard were very happy with the final painting. Rina had imagined a mural in this location for ten years so this was a dream come true for her. She has plans to add rocks and planters in front at the bottom to soften the transition to the ground. I can’t wait to see what the final effect is.
I left Winterton with a massive sense of accomplishment and gratitude. Rina and Richard had been so gracious in including me in family activities and providing a brief chance to get to know their stories. In addition, I was so happy to spend time with Michelle again, an unexpected bonus. Making momentary connections and gaining a better understanding of the lives a few more people who I share the planet with is exactly why I travel.
