Scratchboard / Scraperboard Art by Solly Gutman 'The Colour of Black and White' - BLOG

Crowned Crane

5/22/2022

Crowned cranes are every bit as majestic as their name suggests. One of 15 species of crane, these long-legged birds have grey bodies, white wings with brown and gold feathers, white cheeks, and bright red gular sacs underneath their chins. Most strikingly, a spray of stiff golden feathers forms a crown around their heads.

Visit my online gallery to see all of my available work.
All images are available as high quality prints on non-archival paper or on ready-to-hang stretched canvas.

Contact me:
by phone/whatsapp on +27 79 247 7532
by email to solly.gutman1@gmail.com

A new portrait of Spike Lee

5/15/2022

I recently completed this portrait of American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and professor, Spike Lee. I was so pleased with the way it turned out, that I have written to the great man via his production company offering him the opportunity to purchase the original. Waiting in eager anticipation, I shall be delighted if he responds, even if he isn't interested in purchasing!

Visit my online gallery to see all of my available work.
All images are available as high quality prints on non-archival paper or on ready-to-hang stretched canvas.

Contact me:
by phone/whatsapp on +27 79 247 7532
by email to solly.gutman1@gmail.com

Cheetah

5/7/2022

The cheetah is one of the world’s most-recognizable cats, known especially for its speed. Nearly all the cheetahs remaining in the wild live in Africa. Cheetahs are covered almost entirely with small black spots on a background of pale yellow and have a white underbelly. Their faces are distinguished by prominent black lines that curve from the inner corner of each eye to the outer corners of the mouth, like a well-worn trail of inky tears. Read more fascinating facts about the cheetah here.

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Visit my online gallery to see all of my available work.
All images are available as high quality prints on non-archival paper or on ready-to-hang stretched canvas.

Contact me:
by phone/whatsapp on +27 79 247 7532
by email to solly.gutman1@gmail.com

Nelson Mandela and Freedom Day in South Africa

5/1/2022

On Wednesday, 27th April, South Africa celebrated Freedom Day, commemorating the first time every South African citizen was given a vote. These first democratic elections were held 28 years ago on 27th April 1994. A staggering 19.7m of the 22.7m eligible voters showed up at the polls to make their votes count in South Africa’s first non-racial election. The presidential candidate for that first election was the iconic Nelson Mandela, who is widely credited for brokering the peaceful transition of power in the country.

Here he is in all his glory! You can read more about the great man here.

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Visit my online gallery to see all of my available work.
All images are available as high quality prints on non-archival paper or on ready-to-hang stretched canvas.

Contact me:
by phone/whatsapp on +27 79 247 7532
by email to gutmansolly@gmail.com

The African Leopard

4/24/2022

Leopards are the least social, and perhaps the most beautiful, of all the African big cats. They usually keep to themselves, lurking in the dense riverine bush, or around rocky outcrops, emerging to hunt in the late afternoon or at night.

The leopard is a graceful animal with an elongated body, relatively short legs and a long tail. After the lion, it is the next-biggest African cat. Leopards in the wild may live up to 15 years. Unlike the lion, the leopard is a silent creature, only occasionally emitting a cough-like call.

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Visit my online gallery for more images of African animals and birds, botanical works, historical buildings and places in and around Cape Town, all in both monochrome and colour.

All images are available as high quality prints on non-archival paper or on ready-to-hang stretched canvas.

Contact me:
by phone/whatsapp on +27 79 247 7532
by email to gutmansolly@gmail.com

Hanover Street Fish Market & Aspeling Street Mosque

4/10/2022

The Cape Malay fishermen, who mainly lived in District Six, recognised two seasons. There was the season of the small fish, such as harders, which lasted eight months, then came the season of the big fish, particularly snoek.

The fishermen never risked their money in banks, rather they wrapped their coins in lappies (little bits of rag) and through them on the roof of the four-poster bed which most of them inherited.

They would often discuss the snoek run during the season. An early season, with fat specimens at the outset, portends a wet winter, but if the fish only began to run in late April or early May, the Cape winter would be dry and brief.

A snoek with soft and pinkish flesh is suspect and few will eat it, and if appears slightly luminous when hung in the dark, it must not be eaten even if freshly caught. You have been warned!

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Visit my online gallery for more images of historical buildings and places in and around Cape Town, African animals and birds, botanical works, all in both monochrome and colour.

All images are available as high quality prints on non-archival paper or on ready-to-hang stretched canvas.

Contact me:
by phone/whatsapp on +27 79 247 7532
by email to gutmansolly@gmail.com

Chiappini Street Mosque

4/3/2022

Jamia Mosque, Chiappini Street

This Shafee mosque was the first mosque to have land specially granted for a mosque site. It is situated on the corner of Chiappini Street and Castle Street, adjacent to the disused stone quarry where the first Jumu-ah (Friday Congregational prayer) was read in South Africa in 1790.Established in 1850, it is the biggest mosque in Bo-Kaap and the fifth eldest in South Africa. The minaret was constructed in 1932 and later enlarged in 1914.

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Visit my online gallery for more images of historical buildings and places in and around Cape Town, African animals and birds, botanical works, all in both monochrome and colour.

All images are available as high quality prints on non-archival paper or on ready-to-hang stretched canvas.

Contact me:
by phone/whatsapp on +27 79 247 7532
by email to gutmansolly@gmail.com

Adderley Street, Cape Town

3/27/2022

Adderley Street is the main street of the central business district of Cape Town. The street was originally named Heerengracht, after the canal ("gracht") which ran down its centre, and which had its origins in the rivers from Table Mountain. At the time the street was more of a wide walkway beside the canal, which was crossed by various stone bridges.

The network of canals were covered over in the 1860s. The Heerengracht river and canal therefore became an underground pipe-line. For many years the street was residential, lined with large oak trees, but by 1850 it had become strongly commercial in character.

Mayor Hercules Jarvis named it Adderley Street in 1850, to honour British Parliamentarian Charles Bowyer Adderley (elevated to the peerage as Baron Norton in 1878) who fought successfully against the plan for the British government to make Cape Town into another penal colony.

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Visit my online gallery for more images of historical buildings and places in and around Cape Town, African animals and birds, botanical works, all in both monochrome and colour.

All images are available as high quality prints on non-archival paper or on ready-to-hang stretched canvas.

Contact me:
by phone/whatsapp on +27 79 247 7532
by email to gutmansolly@gmail.com

On Exhibition - final few days!

3/20/2022

Rose Street, Bo-Kaap, a particularly detailed work, full of contrasting textures. One of five of my original artworks at the prestigious South African Society of Artists Members' 1 Exhibition in Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town.

The exhibition runs daily until 3pm on 23rd March.

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Visit my online gallery for more images of iconic buildings and places in and around Cape Town, botanical works and images of African animals and birds in both monochrome and colour.

All images are available as high quality prints on non-archival paper or on ready-to-hang stretched canvas.

Contact me:
by phone/whatsapp on +27 79 247 7532
by email to gutmansolly@gmail.com

Two Proteas - an original artwork on exhibition in Cape Town

3/13/2022

Two Proteas - one of five of my original artworks at the prestigious South African Society of Artists Members' 1 Exhibition in Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town. Take a look at the just-hung exhibition where you might spot another of my artworks, Meerkat.

The exhibition runs daily until 3pm on 23rd March.

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Visit my online gallery for more images of iconic buildings and places in and around Cape Town, botanical works and images of African animals and birds in both monochrome and colour.

All images are available as high quality prints on non-archival paper or on ready-to-hang stretched canvas.

Contact me:
by phone/whatsapp on +27 79 247 7532
by email to gutmansolly@gmail.com