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Word paintings & botanical sketches

inkspill

Welcome to my little collection of word paintings. Here you'll find childhood memories, animals with more personality than good sense, family stories, and the things I notice when I'm supposed to be doing something else. Make yourself comfortable. The ink is still wet.

From the margin notes

Some pages contain secrets. Others contain relatives.

Retha Olivier

Read the story
Read the story
Read the story
Latest vignettes

Recent dispatches from the valley

Paws & Claws

The Philosophy of the Ginger Tom

The ginger tom across the yard believes he is an ancient philosopher, though his decisions regarding wet paint suggest otherwise. Barberton dust settles comfortably on every page.

Childhood & Mischief

Linen, Terriers, and Truths

My grandmother could mend a linen tablecloth, quiet a barking terrier, and deliver a devastating truth in fewer than four words while the kettle boiled.

Artist's Eyes

Washes in the Barberton Light

Barberton valley light has a habit of shifting just as the ink dries, giving every afternoon sketch an honest sense of place and a few unexpected shadows.

Browse all stories

Another story is always waiting between the pages.

Explore the complete archive of illustrated memoirs and bilingual dispatches.