A Timid Grey And A Lonely Green

There are four psychological primary colors - red, blue, yellow and green. It is said that they relate respectively to the body, the mind, the emotions and the essential balance between these three. 

By mixing the primary colors eleven other basic colors can be derived. But for an artist's eye there are hundreds more. Call them shades. Their psychological properties are powerful.

Green strikes the eye in such a way as to require no adjustment whatever and is, therefore, restful. Being in the centre of the spectrum, it is the colour of balance - a more important concept than many people realise. 

When the world around us contains plenty of green, this indicates the presence of water, and little danger of famine, so we are reassured by green, on a primitive level. 

Negatively, it can indicate stagnation and, incorrectly used, will be perceived as being too bland.

Pure grey is the only colour that has no direct psychological properties. It is, however, quite suppressive. A virtual absence of colour is depressing and when the world turns grey we are instinctively conditioned to draw in and prepare for hibernation. Unless the precise tone is right, grey has a dampening effect on other colours used with it. Heavy use of grey usually indicates a lack of confidence and fear of exposure.

You can not escape the Colors of Life.

The Eternal Bond

The eternal bond, that was born with the creation of the universe

and that can never cease to exist

Coastal Impressions On A Grey Day

Grey, love making between black and white 

On a day, when the color grey reigns everything else is absorbed.

Green Eyed Crab Beauty

There have been some serious complaints lately that no more stories, pictures and other weird things have been published on this blog. The reason is the never-ending and ever-lasting, growing project "The Mdantsane Way".

To soothe the nerves a little bit ( especially the ones of my mother ) I am posting some nice shots of a green eyed beauty today.

Seen, stalked, captured and shot ( with camera of course) at the Wild Coast in the Transkei.

I Want To Ride My Bicycle

The Nguni - A Mighty Tribe

The Cattle Of The Wildcoast

The Wild Coast is one of South- Africa's still undiscovered jewels situated in the Transkei. 

There are miles of unspoilt coastline and the rolling green hills of the Transkei descend down to endless white beaches. The famous local Nguni cattle, a strong, tough and disease resistant African breed, come right down to the beach.

This is in fact the only place in the world where I have seen cattle walking on rocks at the beach during low tide, lying in the sand and enjoying the misty sea breeze for hours.

 At the end of the day they walk up the mountains to higher greener pastures.

The Transkei is a place of great, wild and rough beauty. 

This is a piece of Africa where livestock roams free at will and to see these stunning cattle frolicking on the beach is a memorable sight.

A Nguni cow hide used as a carpet or wall decoration achieves a considerable price today and is sought after by designers for their wealthy clients. I just love them for their beauty.

Summer at the Wild Coast means reading on the deck, spending time with friends, swimming or surfing in the " cold " ocean. The water can be icy sometimes.  River or rock fishing is a favourite past time as well. 

But you have to cross rivers to get there.

The natural beauty and cultural heritage of this region offers a really unique experience to visitors. And if you have a horse you can ride on the beach. If you have none borrow one from the locals. They are more than happy to get a little additional income, in an area where there are basically no employment opportunities.

 I spent my childhood and youth in Namibia on a cattle farm and have always loved cattle.

Here in the Transkei they have no problems walking on the slippery green mossy rocks, balancing  their way through rock pools in which little fish and crabs are hiding.

I like these catte so much that I have created a greeting card set with some of their images I have taken during my last stay there.

During low tide mussels can be collected off the rocks of the pools for a delicious dinner for humans ( and if you like mussels of course)

A WEDDING GIFT FROM NATURE

A while ago I came into contact with an elderly woman who was born in the Transkei which was one of the former homelands in South-Africa under the Apartheid Regime. I met her at a traffic-light corner in my town selling her hand-made reed and grass brooms. The brooms were beautiful but she had another item which caught my attention.

She had a bracelet woven of reed grass - woven with a grass-species originating from the area around Coffee-Bay at the Wild-Coast were she usually lived. Africa is a continent with a long tradition in basket and mat weaving. And many other items have been created by Africans from this amazing material with a durability that is simply astounding. 

I asked her : " Why did she have only one ? "

And she replied : " Only old women in the place where I live wear it . Not many are sold in town. " 

The bracelet she had with her did not look like the ones in the picture but these are the occasions I am looking for. This is what gets me all excited. These are the processes I want to get engaged with with my business.

To find and discover crafts and crafts techniques and the people who are still able to do them is a permanent quest of mine. 

To realize my personal vision concerning design means for me to marry old valued techniques with new modern design and to be as creative as possible in this process from a view-point of materials used and re-used well as the functionality and the symbolic meaning of a product in our time.

Since then I have started to work with her and our collaboration is an on-going process. 

I asked her if she could do some of my very simple designs and she has created amazing bracelets with great skill and precision. The wonderful thing about them is that a cycle has been fully closed. 

A century old technique has been used to create a modern design item that is completely organic, non-treated and natural. And its is compatible with the aspirations of  " Modern Design " in our world as well. 

Additionally a person who can be considered as a representative of a marginalized group is able to earn income and receives recognition.

I have uploaded big photos so that you can see the incredible detail and the different styles of weaving. 

During the time I have worked in the International Development Sector for non-government-organizations and other projects I learned that to create and design an item that sells it has to be absolutely desirable to at least a group of people, a target market or a niche. The item or product must incorporate characteristics that make it desirable to give it a long life cycle.The person must want your item and not feel tempted to buy it because of you who has made it. Then you are a good designer.

People do buy out of charity because they feel compassionate about a certain group or organization. But they buy only once and then what was bought sinks into a drawer.

Not only has this been an amazing creative process for my but I did AGAIN learn at lot.

During traditional Xhosa weddings certain gifts were given to the bride representing parts of her future life. The broom is one of them. I will write more about this interesting topic in another post because it is a whole tale that can be taught. 

We thought after our designs have been received so well that these organic bracelets would make beautiful and surprising small gifts for the female guests of weddings in Europe, America and elsewhere as well. 

Instead of giving a chocolate truffle that is consumed immediately or something that can not be used after the wedding the bracelets make for a fashionable accessory and remind your guests a long time of this special moment. 

We have started marketing them as such and have equipped several weddings with them last year.

It is worth thinking about this if you are getting married or if you have a friend who is getting married and is looking for creative ideas to make her wedding special. 

Chocolat Negro gives great wholesale discounts. And a woman in Africa who is a fantastic crafter will be empowered financially by weaving your wedding gifts for you.

If you are interested you can contact me on Chocolat Negro: