Tuesday, January 6, 2009

166 - SOLD

As anybody who knows me would know, I am an avid cricket fan. It sometimes gets so bad, that when we were playing against Australia (who are the World Champions) in Melbourne in this last test, I would set the alarm for 1am and spend the rest of the night watching cricket. Absolute madness I know. But it was worth it when we won and, even better, for the first time ever, South Africa won a test match series IN Australia. Unfortunately we are struggling a bit in the last test in Sydney, but tomorrow's the last day and anything can happen!

The absolute hero of the Melbourne test was a young Western Province cricketer, JP Duminy who got his debut century and went on to make 166. This portrait is of him batting during that century with Brad Haddin, the Aussie wicketkeeper behind the stumps.


Now I know that cricket is a complicated game if you haven't been brought up with it. A while ago I sent an explanation of cricket to V ... Vaughn and thought that I would include it here as well. It's called the "Tea Towel Explanation of Cricket" - just for a laugh!

The Famous Tea Towel Explanation of Cricket.

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game.

HOWZAT!

21 comments:

THEARTBRUSH said...

Hi Liz,
don't know a thing about cricket, but in Baseball,it's a Strike!!. Good job getting it a crossed.
Happy Brushing,
Pete,Theartbrush

Unknown said...

Don't understand cricket but I've always loved the uniforms. Great painting Liz!

Anonymous said...

Great painting. Wish I could paint people as well as this. My husband misses cricket. Americans really don't get the enthusiasm for this game.

Dianne said...

Hi Liz, well done with the painting! You have a knack for portraits and figures.
Glad you are enjoying the cricket!
Love Dianne x x

Art with Liz said...

Hello Pete. There sometimes is a tendency to compare baseball to cricket but believe me, there is NO comparison. I've watched lots of baseball games and a strike is when the player swipes and misses (or hits). In cricket a strike is when the bowler hits the wicket and the batsman is out.

Gosh Marian, didn't you understand the explanation ????? The 'Tea Towel' explanation is typical of the British sense of humour! I thank you for your kind comment on the painting. (Does your husband understand cricket having lived in Sydney?)

Hello again Sheila. Thank you for the comment. I think there are very few Americans who understand cricket even though they have a national limited overs team. And if you like the uniforms, have you seen the coloured ones they wear in the 50 over games?

Thank you Jean, and I'm waiting for those portraits of your grandchildren. From what I've seen of your work, you more than have the ability to do portraits.

Gosh Di I did battle with the proportions at first - I think it was the perpective, but it eventually came right. And if you'd been watching, we only just lost this last test!

sanjeev joshi said...

Hi liz, this is another crazy cricket lover across the globe.I also get up early when india tours abroad.your story is nice and humourous!
We say one ball chased by 22 idiots and watched my billions of idiots for 5 days!! is called cricket.What a national timepass!
Inthe end sometimes there is no result...
I am mourning with you today.

Marian Fortunati said...

Hi again Liz,
I read your post to my husband and now he's blathering away about bowling a six stitcher and having played... When I watch him "bowl" it looks just like a pitch to me...

Oh well guess you can't teach this Yank anything...
Gotta get off... now I've got to Google it so he can cherish his old memories.
(How do you say... sorry I asked...)

Carol Schiff Daily Painting said...

great action filled painting, and TWO figures! Brave Woman!! You pulled it off.

Art with Liz said...

Hello Sanjeev. I was thinking of you when I posted this. Was wondering if you would see it. So from one idiot to another - 2 out of 3 isn't bad!

Keep watching, Australia are coming here at the end of February/March for a return series and it will be more in your time zone frame! Maybe I'll be brave enough to do a few sketches at Newlands when they play here. Let's see.

Art with Liz said...

Marian you do make me laugh! I'm trying to figure out what a six stitcher might be?? 6 balls in an over? Once you've googled it, get him to explain the game.

Art with Liz said...

Hi Carol, thanks for visiting. I keep a close eye on your blog and really appreciate the comment coming from an artist such as yourself.

JudyMackeyart said...

Hi Liz, Thank you for visiting my blog and your nice comments.
And wow I like your blog too. And I learned how it is to play cricket - and I still don't understand.

Thanks,
Judy

Ramesh Jhawar said...

Hi Liz!Thank you for your nice comment!In India,people are crazy for cricket.I don't follow cricket much, sometimes watch 20-20 whenever it happens.Nice painting of players in action!

Art with Liz said...

Hello Judy, thanks for visiting me as well. As to understanding cricket - check Sanjeev's comment about the idiots!

So nice that you're back Ramesh and painting and blogging again. Thanks for the comment and you're definitely not a cricket lover if you only watch 20-20!!!

Anonymous said...

I love the compostion in this one, you must of made many sketches to make it look so amazing, I don't know any thing about cricket but the painting has so much movement I feel as though I am there watching. x

Barbara Pask said...

Wonderful painting Liz, very interesting and well done. So painting isn't your only passion?

Art with Liz said...

Hi Carolann, I need to confess that I didn't make any sketches. Is that what one is supposed to do? Ooops. Thank you for the compliment though. (Don't you follow the exploits of the English cricket team?)

Gosh Barbara, I was practically brought up in the sports arena. My mother played bowls for her country and also played badminton for Western Province, my second cousin captained South Africa at one stage in cricket, I've played league tennis, hockey and basketball - so there you go. I had to love sport! And what better way than combing the two - sport and art. Thank you for your lovely comment.

Cathy Gatland said...

Another avid cricket fan here... the only effort about holidaying in Arniston was waking up in the wee hours to watch (but fortunately could catch up on a ziz in the afternoon!). Isn't Duminy terrific? You've captured him beautifully in action here.

rob ijbema said...

cricket is not my thing but i do understand you staying up all night for it,i do it with the racing cars,to see it life is so exciting and nobody to disturb you...
i like the tension in your painting and the whites are nice off white

Cathy said...

I've just discovered your blog and this painting stopped me! It's terrific! And the other one you did about cricket was quite striking too!! Maybe you should do lore of them! Maybe also they are stunning because your passion shows through!

Marian Fortunati said...

You sold it!!!!!!

TERRIFIC, Liz!! That is wonderful!