Hazel Soan's African Watercolours

Hazel Soan's African Watercolours

Young Ones - Hazel Soan

I've been enjoying again a book I found at the library and thought others might enjoy it, too. This book is a surprising mix of watercolor how-to, travel in Africa and a nature notebook.  Hazel Soan takes us on a safari through southern Africa.  As she travels around the south-western corner of the continent she describes the setting and animals she is seeing as well as sharing her wonderful watercolor paintings.  To top it off, her book is full of instruction in watercolor painting.  Each chapter covers a different stop on their safari and is commenced with a brief poem by the author.  Here is a sample from her chapter titled, The Lake of Drowned Trees: Kariba- 

Tall and trim, sharp and fine

lines, rigid with the passing time;

monographs to Noah's flood

shedding arboreal 

High above the eagle soars,

sears the skies above the shores;

charting branches for his perch,

remembering the olive search.

She then describes the area, followed by a couple pages of painting instruction and finally each chapter ends with a two-page spread called Safari Sketchbook, which is pictures and text from her sketchbook with a brief campfire tale of some experience they had.  The book is worth browsing through just for the wonderful paintings.

Life Giving Water by Hazel Soan

Parade by Hazel Soan