My Dad's Paintings

Ranked #12,846 in Arts & Design, #245,335 overall

Paintings by C.L. Gittens

This lens features paintings done by the South African artist, C.L. Gittens (my dad). He generally prefers detailed realism, but is also experimenting with a range of contemporary works, as well as some off-beat images.

His paintings include scenes from abroad and in Southern Africa, from the Limpopo, Northwest and Northern Cape provinces in South Africa, to the Ockavango in Botswana and Sossusvlei in Namibia. There are some wildlife scenes, e.g. of seagulls, an elephant, springbuck and a kudu. Even a Brahman heifer is featured!

These paintings are currently on sale. Click here to see some of them in a single screen view.

Some background on the artist

In 2007 my dad reached his three score and ten years. He is now retired from a journalistic background.

In the last few years has been painting to supplement his income. He has also done photography for many years, so generally prefers detailed realism.

On the right is a photo of my dad. The painting in the background is of the Sea of Galilee in Israel, as seen from the Church of the Beatitudes. This is one of his favourite paintings.

We hope you will enjoy the paintings featured below!

Kudu at Sunset

The dark shapes of trees, rocks and animal against the colours of sunset convey a feeling of quiet and peace as can only be found out in the bushveld regions of our country, South Africa.
Do you like it? Get it here
It's done with oil on canvas board, and is is 457mm wide by 356mm high (18" x 14").

Kudu at Sunset 

3 Seagulls

Three seagulls rest on a rocky foreshore along Cape Town's eastern shoreline. The scene is quiet and peaceful, with not even a few wavelets to disturb the tranquility.
Done using oil on canvas board.Size: 610mm wide by 457mm high (24" x 18").

See below on how to buy.

3 Seagulls 

Bluegum, Limpopo Province, SA

A single bluegum tree dominates the horizon, looking eastwards along the Zoutpansberg mountains. The lone tree conveys a sense of tranquil strength and solidity against the distant horizon.
Would you like to get this work of art? See below.

Bluegum 

Bushveld Road

Some of the most beautiful forest regions of South Africa are referred to as "Bushveld." This is a tranquil scene from the Lowveld region of Mpumalanga Province, the road leading away among the trees entices one to dream of romantic places.

To obtain this work of art, please contact me directly!
Oil on Canvas board. Size: 40.6 x 50.8 cm (16" x 20").

Bushveld Road 

Bushveld scene near Hoedspruit, Limpopo Province, SA

My dad writes: "I have a great love of the Bushveld, whether tree-grown or open grassland; this painting (based on a scene photographed near Hoedspruit, in Limpopo Province) captures something of both, and also shows how ecologically sensitive the region is to human activity; the roadway shows signs of early erosion, and the heavily trampled area on the left could also give rise to degradation."
Read more on the bushveld.

This work of art is available. See below on how to purchase.

Bushveld scene 

Colateral damage

The artist says: "I am fascinated by Elephants; they are so like us in many ways. I was struck by this bull's body language, the display arrogance as he struts away from the tree he has demolished. I know a few humans who try to act like that, but not as successfully as this chap!"
To buy this work of art, see below.

Colateral damage 

Kalihari dragon tree

"I made very few changes to a photograph of a very strange tree, taken in the Kalihari. The strange shape of the tree conjures up endless fanciful ideas, from a dragon to an extra-terrestrial insect."

A friend suggested that this painting could also be called "Survival". He pointed out that the tree looks like a man crawling in the desert. His right hand becomes a branch with leaves, a symbol of hope. Towards his left are marks in the sand as he moves forward, a sign of progress, but which way? Amazing how fertile one's mind can be!

Oil on canvas board
Size:W: 508mm x H: 406mm (W: 20" x H: 16")


To buy this work of art, go to the section "To buy a painting", below.

Kalihari dragon tree 

Kalihari Springbok

"I love the dry, arid reaches of the Kalihari, and am always amazed at how such apparently delicate creatures as Springbok can survive there."

Oil on canvas board. Size: 34.6 x 45.7 cm (14" x 18")

To buy this work of art, please see the section below on how to buy.

Kalihari Springbok 

Kokerboom

"Kokerboom" is an Afrikaans name, literally meaning "Quiver Tree". It's a tree aloe, found in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, and in Nambia. Read more about it.

The artist says: "The lone tree, standing in an open, rather uninteresting region, symbolizes for me the resilience of nature, the tree having apparently taken root and grown up in isolation from others of like kind."

Oil on canvas board. Size: W: 610mm x H: 305mm (W: 24" x H: 12").

To buy this work of art, click here

Kokerboom 

Koppies

A typical scene in autumn, in the Northern part of the Free State Province of South Africa, near a town called Koppies. The name "Koppies" is Afrikaans for small hill. Here's a map to see where it is.
The ripe maize is nearly ready to be harvested and taken to the distant silos, while cosmos plants lend colour to an otherwise rather dull scene.

To buy this work of art, please contact me directly!

Koppies 

Nagmerrie innie Bosveld

"Nagmerrie innie Bosveld" is Afrikaans for "Nightmare in the Bushveld". Veld refers to areas of southern Africa with vegetation that is abundantly shrubby and often thorny (so http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bushveld).

This is a humorous 'take-off' of the modern approach to surrealism. It began as a photograph of a very ordinary group of bushveld trees, passed through the electronic labyrinth of a computer program, and emerged as this wild dance.

It's done with Oil on a supawood base. Size: W: 430mm x H: 545mm (W: 17" x H: 21").

To buy this work of art, click here

Nagmerrie innie Bosveld 

Narcissus

"This pretty Brahman heifer seemed to be lost in admiration of her reflection when I took the photograph on which the painting is based. We all know a few ladies who have the same narcissistic self-fascination - some of them with far less reason than this gal!"

Oil on art canvas board.
Size: W: 305mm x H: 406mm (W: 12" x H: 16").


To buy this work of art, see below.

Narcissus 

Ockavango Boatman

The tranquil setting of hazy late afternoon, with a lone boatman punting his way home, expresses the artist's love of this time of the day, and the quiet that accompanies the end of a long, full day.

Done in Oil on canvas board.
Size: W: 508mm x H: 406mm (W: 20" x H: 16")


To buy this work of art, click here

Ockavango Boatman 

Sossusvlei trees

The brooding immensity of the dunes towering over a group of trees highlighted by late afternoon sunlight, convey to me a feeling of quiet reverie, and an awareness the desert's relentless march across once-fertile regions of Africa.
Read more about this area of Namibia.

This is done it oil on canvas board. The size is W: 508mm x H: 406mm (W: 20" x H: 16")

To buy it, visit here

Sossusvlei trees 

Sunset rocks

"One of the delights of painting, for me, is that I can rearrange the world if I wish! In this scene, based on a photograph taken in the Cape West Coast's Nature Reserve, the tree was 'transplanted' from a back street in Cape Town, to balance the massive grandeur of the rocks, outlined by the setting sun (one of the rocks was also moved a few meters, to enhance the balance of the composition)."

It's done in oil on canvas board. Size: 35.6 cm x 45.7 cm (14" x 18").

To buy this work of art, please contact me directly!

Sunset rocks 

Bluebells

This painting was a commission based on a photograph supplied by the client. It consists of two large panels and shows a bluebell carpeted forest in England.

If you would like to commission a work, please contact me directly. (The artist is based in Johannesburg, South Africa).

Bluebells 

To buy a painting

If you would like to purchase any of these paintings, please visit here. Contact me directly for any paintings not featured at this address. The paintings can be delivered anywhere in the world!

If you would like to commission a painting, please contact me!

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My own work!

Here's some of my own digital and photographic art on offer:
In association with Zazzle.com
Take a look at my Zazzle Gallery here!

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Copyright
Unless otherwise indicated, all photos and art in this lens are © CL Gittens 2008. All rights reserved.
Photos and art may not be used in any other context without prior written permission.
Thanks for your understanding.

Disclaimer
References to other websites does not mean I endorse them or agree with all content!
They are accessed at your own risk!


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