Tracy Algar

Karoo Series

2024 – present

Oil painting by Tracy Algar: 'Tandjiesberg from the GR Golf Club', a Karoo landscape with green veld and distant mountains, 24x24cm.
Leeb Street, Adendorp - original oil painting by Tracy Algar

My Karoo series is an exploration into the heart of South Africa’s vast, semi-arid landscape. Through the medium of representational oil painting, I strive to create a convincing portrayal of this unique environment, focusing on its profound atmosphere – the deep silence, the resilient beauty, and the ancient, enduring spirit – rather than mere visual accuracy.

The Karoo is often perceived as stark or empty, yet it holds an incredible subtlety and a powerful sense of place. I am drawn to the quality of light – how it sculpts the rugged terrain, reveals the intricate textures of the veld, and paints the expansive skies with dramatic intensity. My process involves careful observation, aiming to translate these moments onto canvas with honesty, capturing the essential details that evoke the Karoo’s character. Oil paint, with its richness and depth, allows me to build layers of colour and texture that echo the complexity of the landscape itself.

In these paintings, I invite the viewer to look closer, to move beyond a fleeting glance and appreciate the tenacity of life in this seemingly harsh environment. Each work is a meditation on solitude, resilience, and the quiet majesty of a landscape that speaks volumes in its stillness. It is my hope that these representational depictions convey my deep respect for the Karoo and offer a moment of connection to its timeless, elemental beauty.

Oil painting of Graaff-Reinet and Spandau Kop from Hope Street, South Africa, by Tracy Algar.
Oil painting by Tracy Algar: 'Tandjiesberg from the Graaff-Reinet Golf Club', a Karoo landscape with green veld and distant mountains, 24x24cm.
Leeb Street, Adendorp - original oil painting by Tracy Algar
Old Barn, Dalham Farm, Graaff-Reinet - by Tracy Algar
Spandau Kop and the Valley of Desolation original landscape painting by Tracy Algar
Oil painting, "View from my window, Adendorp" by Tracy Algar. Square format, 24x24cm. Depicts Spandau Kop behind a foreground of blooming purple jacaranda trees against a light blue sky
Oil painting by Tracy Algar, "View from Paddock Cottage, Dalham Farm," Karoo landscape with a mountain silhouetted against a pink and blue sky, framed by dark green trees.

Sketchbook Pages

Here are some of the value studies that I do pre-painting to plan out my compositions. Click on the image for a bigger view.

Graphite value study sketch of a Karoo scene, showing buildings, trees, and strong shadows. Mid-tones and highlights defined with pencil on white paper. Framed within a drawn rectangle on a sketchbook page.
A pencil drawing value study of an aged barn situated on Dalham Farm near Graaff-Reinet in the Karoo, South Africa. The sketch uses different pencil pressures to illustrate the tonal values and create a sense of depth and form for the barn, which is partially obscured by trees and foliage.