Scratchboard / Scraperboard Art by Solly Gutman 'The Colour of Black and White'
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Balcony Life in District Six

2/27/2022

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In times gone by, people would sit on their balconies of an evening to gossip, smoke and watch the passing parade, and District Six had many balconies, especial in Hanover Street. People would keep their pets there, string their washing out to dry, and as a playground, it was safe and near at hand.

Most of the balconies have long since been condemned and demolished, and with it a tradition, known as the 'skel', practiced by women neighbours when they quarrelled. In a wordy battle the woman up on the balcony had a distinct advantage for she could empty the contents of her dirt-bin (or worse) onto her adversary. This was rare though as these exchanges more usually consisted of bawdy comments and quick witted quips. A crowd would gather who listened with the ears of connoisseurs, while children would cheer and clap hands when one or other woman uttered such a riposte to leave her adversary speechless for a while. The saving features of these street-to-balcony skirmishes were that the two opponents were unable to engage in physical violence; rather they provided free entertainment to their neighbours, and they lived to fight another day!

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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
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African Meerkat

2/20/2022

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Standing at only 30 cm tall, meerkats, also known as suricates, have captured the attention of television and film audiences around the world because of their endearing appearance and interesting social behaviour.

They depend on group cooperation to survive. They live in groups of 20 to 50 extended family members in large underground tunnels. These family groups are led by an alpha pair, with the female being dominant. 
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Read more about these fascinating animals.

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​Visit my online gallery for more images of African animals and birds, botanical works, iconic 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
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An Ostrich from Oudtshoorn

2/13/2022

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​The quiet town of Oudtshoorn lies between the majestic mountains of the Klein Karoo. In winter, snow covers the nearby mountain peaks and in summer temperatures sizzle. Its dry, extreme climate has much to do with the town’s success, where once ostrich farmers bathed in brandy and papered their walls in pound notes, when Oudtshoorn became known as the ostrich capital of the world.

It began when ostrich feathers became a major European and British fashion accessory in the mid-1800s. Oudtshoorn farmers were quick to realise that the Karoo environment was ideal to raise ostriches and began ripping up their agricultural fields and domesticating wild birds. Breeding pairs of birds thrived and farmers pocketed up to R200 per kilogram for their feathers, an astonishing amount in 1884.
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Although the demand for ostrich feathers has drastically decreased, their skins are now used to produce high-end fashion accessories. Ostrich meat has become a popular alternative to beef or lamb. As a result, Oudtshoorn continues as an active ostrich farming town, boasting the largest number of ostriches in the world.

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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
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Original and Unique

2/6/2022

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I completed this piece: "Copper Milk Churn" in 2018. It's a special piece, being created on copper-coloured metallic scratchboard, which seemed perfect for this one-off artwork. Most of my creations are also available as prints in a variety of sizes on both high quality papers and on stretched canvas, but however hard I've tried, this piece has proved impossible to reproduce satisfactorily and so it remains as an original only. A true one-of-a-kind!

Visit my 
online gallery to view all my available work.
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Place your order
by phone/whatsapp on +27 79 247 7532
by email to gutmansolly@gmail.com
contact me in the comments box below or inbox me on Facebook: Solly Gutman Scratchboard Art

Other prints and a range of lifestyle products are available from Fine Art America - worldwide shipping available.
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    Author

    I started my 'journey' with Scraperboard or Scratchboard Art in 1968. Since then I have been working exclusively in this medium.

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Scratchboard / Scraperboard Artist