Blog – Monique Day-Wilde

Brunsvigia orientalis

8 Apr 20218 Apr 2021

What fun I’ve had in the last while, discovering where the Brunvigia are flowering locally! It’s been a good year indeed, but in the end I opted to sit under a tree in a friend’s garden and draw and paint a paler specimen. There are just so many colours and movement and the shade on a hot day was most welcome. I used watercolours, water soluble wax crayons, coloured pencils in a Hahnemühle Carnet de Aquarelle Journal. It’s a heavy weight 400gsm Cold Pressed Watercolour journal and perfect for outdoors as there’s no paper buckling and quite secure in our wind.

A walk near the lighthouse here, sent a friend and I on a voyage of discovery of paintbrush lilies too, so watch this space…

Flight of the Bumblebee

1 Mar 20218 Apr 2021

A valuable part of my process is walking. Besides being good for your health, it’s good for the psyche too – and Scout, our dog would never say no! I’ll often sit and do a quick sketch or watercolour but collecting samples is also an important part of my practice. I pick up all sorts of things, from dried leaves to rusty bits and pieces and Fynbos too from which I make monoprints. Most of my work starts with printmaking, whether it be a print with stitching, a collage, or painting – and I’ll often experiment with different papers, including teabags. In this piece of work, ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ I have used all sorts of different plant monoprints on different papers and combined them with embossed plants and stitching. I’ve also added a couple of squares of painted woven paper for good measure!

This one is to be exhibited on the art.b members exhibition, Belville, an exhibition I take part in every year.

Fynbos and Fantasies

29 Dec 20201 Mar 2021

Every year or two, I gather a group of artist friends together and we mount an exhibition at our local Bistro over the festive season.

There are six of us this year and a wonderful exhibition it’s turned out to be too. Our opening was sadly cancelled due to Covid restrictions (how I look forward to the day when the word Covid is a distant memory!), but not to be too daunted we’ve put together an online catalogue. I’ts an eclectic exhibition of painting, pastels, printmaking, ceramics, fibreart and woodcraft.

Our exhibition is on until just after Easter, so do pop in and see it if you’re in the area.

So far, work from the Catalogue has gone to Portugal, UK, Germany and Kenya.

Colouring know-How

21 May 201731 Dec 2020

Exciting news! My new book ‘Colouring Know-How’ is about to hit the shelves in South Africa – and hopefully worldwide soon (we’re working on it!). Look for it in all good bookshops from the beginning of June – if they don’t have it, please ask. You can also order it from Creative Company.

Vice Versa

12 May 201731 Dec 2020

What a wonderful theme for an exhibition! I am part of an exhibition running at Art.b gallery at the moment entitled Vice Versa, curated by Juria Le Roux. Invited artists were asked to find a ‘partner’ and each were then asked to to a work of their impression of the other. This could take the form of a construction, written work, sculpture or a portrait which some chose to do, while others are more abstract works and some just simply quirky. My partner is Victor Harley, and these are our contributions… every picture tells a story. Victor’s mixed media work is entitled ‘Conversations with a disproportionate loss’, while mine is ‘The dichotomy of the seen and the unseen ‘.