Plein Air Painting in Cape Town, South Africa

Plein air landscape painting of Diaz Beach at the Cape of Good Hope.

Cliffs at the Cape of Good Hope. 25 x 35 cm, oil on panel.

I was in Cape Town, South Africa for a week last month, escaping the long European winter. It’s a beautiful part of the world. The foliage, colors, and climate are all very similar to Central California.

Here are a few of the sketches:

Plein air painting from DeMorgenzon Vineyards

The View from DeMorgenzon, Stellenbosch. 20 x 30 cm, oil on panel.

Landscape paintings of vineyards near Stellenbosch, Cape Town

Vineyards near Stellenbosch. 20 x 30 cm, oil on panel.

Plein air painting from the Kirstenbosch Gardens, Cape Town.

Banana Trees in the Kirstenbosch Gardens. 20 x 30 cm, oil on panel.

Plein air landscape painting of Lion's Head, Cape Town.

Lion’s Head from Victoria Road. 22 x 33 cm, oil on panel.

Plein air landscape painting of Sea Point, Cape Town.

Above Sea Point. 20 x 30 cm, oil on panel.

Plein air painting of the beach in Hout Bay.

Afternoon in Hout Bay. 25 x 35 cm, oil on linen.

The wine and food are terrific and their currency is way down too so it was a very reasonably priced stay. I would highly recommend the place for anyone looking to paint in the Southern Hemisphere in February. I hope to go back soon.

Plein air painting of sunset in Stellenbosch.

Sunset, Stellenbosch. 18 x 28 cm, oil on panel.

10 comments

  1. Very nice set of oil studies here.
    I’m South African born (but exiled in UK for many years) so I recognise the light you’ve captured. Doesn’t SA have it’s own colour values and amazing sense of space? I particularly like your Hout Bay Beach painting, great surf. I stayed there for coupla days on one visit.
    Good to see these and I must put SA on top of my travel plans again.
    Cheers
    Andrew

  2. All of these are lovely Marc – really compelling work The quality I find most distinct in this lot is the hard edges of the distant masses contrasting with the loose brushwork elsewhere. It draws my eye, focusing my attention to the vastness.

  3. Hi Marc, I love the paintings, esp the Cape Point. I live just down the road, in Simonstown and am part of a Plein Air group here in the Cape. Please let me know next time you plan a trip, it would be great if we could organise a demo??

    • Hi Yvonne
      I’m going to be visiting Cape Town in March and would love to do some Klein air painting. Is there a group I could join?
      Thanks
      Lee-Ann

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