Welcome to my seasonal Letters from the Valley.
These letters are a gentle, heartfelt reflection on the season that has passed, a glimpse into new art collections, countryside moments, product launches, and a little of what lies ahead.
May these pages feel like a gentle breath between seasons. Perhaps something here will spark your own quiet inspiration.
Summer ended with an absolute scorcher and a glorious dusk swim. Autumn followed close behind, carrying cooler breezes, some stormy days, softer light, and countryside colours that feel gathered from the earth itself.
As the cooler months draw in, I’m looking forward to more studio days. Painting through winter light, quiet, cozy moments, and nature’s softer palette.
In this newsletter you will find:
Website launch,
new pattern collection,
valley moments, and more.
Keep Reading!
New pattern collection:
Between Tides
The timeless charm of Witsand inspired my next collection.
There is something deeply special about this coastal town - the soft hues of sunset resting on the water, the rhythm of the tides, and the quiet sense of community where fishermen share the day’s catch.
It is a place that feels peaceful, grounded, and rich with simple beauty.
The sea settles into soft shades of blue and sea-glass green, while warm peach light lingers across sand and sky.
Along the bay, pink flamingos wade through the shallows, moving with an elegance that feels almost dreamlike. Fishing boats glide out at dawn, leaving thin ripples that catch the pastel colours of the water. Mussel shells, driftwood, and traces of tide lines gather along the shore - small reminders of how the ocean changes, yet always returns. This collection captures the stillness between arrivals and departures - a moment of calm, nostalgia, and gentle return.
Valley Whisper website launched
This past season looked a little different, with less paint on paper and more quiet building behind the scenes. A brand photoshoot, many digital hours, and slowly, carefully creating a home for my work online.
Built piece by piece between the rhythms of everyday life, this space was created to gather my artwork, creative services, and the stories woven through them. Not perfect, not finished, but here - and that feels worth celebrating.
I hope that it becomes a place where brands, small businesses, and homemakers can find something beautiful, meaningful, and rooted in nature to welcome into their own spaces.
I’m so excited for what lies ahead for Valley Whisper.
New product now available
Fresh bread, soft fabric, and the kind of simple moments that make a house feel like home ☺️
These 100% cotton fabric bread bags were designed to bring a little beauty to everyday routines - whether you’re picking up a fresh loaf from the market, baking at home, or gifting something thoughtful to a friend.
A countryside-inspired piece made for slow mornings, shared tables, and warm kitchens.
Now available through my online gift shop.
Valley Friends
Feathered & Wild
No season is complete without news from the creatures that share this place with me:
The Little Daytime Mouse with Painted Stripes
Most people spot a small rodent and think pest. A quick blur in the grass, something to fear or chase away. But the four-striped field mouse is a little different.
Unlike many rodents that move under cover of darkness, these tiny striped mice often go about their day in the sunlight - gathering seeds, nibbling grasses, searching for insects, disappearing between tufts of veld with surprising confidence. Their backs carry neat dark stripes, almost as though someone painted them with a careful brush.
And they are more than just small creatures trying to survive.
They scatter seeds. They feed owls, snakes, and other wildlife. They help hold together the quiet, often unseen threads of the ecosystem.
Perhaps the four-striped field mouse asks us to look again at the creatures we dismiss too quickly. Not every small rodent is a nuisance. Some are simply tiny, striped participants in the larger story of the landscape.
A visit to Soetmelksvlei
Sometimes you need to step away for a day to remember that it’s the little things that means the most.
Soetmelksvlei feels like stepping into another century, where everything moves a little slower and a little softer. The wide, open views stretch endlessly with the beautiful mountains in the distance and fields that seem to breathe. For a moment, you forget the rush of modern life. And then Hannah the goat appears, quietly adopting you, following you from one view to the next, gently nudging for a head scratch like she’s part of the experience. It made me realise how much beauty we miss when we’re always moving too quickly. An experience that we so needed to quiet the overwhelm of trying to fit too much into our days 🌿
Follow along on instagram
@valleywhisper_art
for behind-the-scene glimpses, new artwork, and little moments from the valley.
Thank you for being here, for reading, and for supporting this evolving journey.
It means more than I can say.
See you in my Winter 2026 edition!
Warm regards, Amanda Scheepers