Posted by Stephen Quirke on June 26, 2009 under Art, en plein air, landscape, painting, seascape, watercolor, watercolour | 
Today was not a particularly dynamic day but this afternoon I took my boys for a surf and also went out although the sea was still a bit wild from the storm we have just had. I had couple of good waves. Then I got out and packed my stuff away and sat on the dune and painted the mountains across the bay. It was rather chilly and I had just got going when the sun went down. I started the red peaks and when I looked up they were blue grey. This was a bit of a rushed painting. I wanted to show how the leaves on the seaward side of the bushes were all burned brown from the saltwater spray coming off the waves in the storm.
I cropped the picture of the painting to show the tiny pieces of masking tape I managed to tear off my paint box which I used to stick the watercolour paper to my sketch book because I did not have my usual kit with me. I really would like to get more organised. Maybe tomorrow I will have another chance there.
Posted by Stephen Quirke on June 21, 2009 under Art, en plein air, landscape, painting, seascape, watercolor, watercolour |
Professional surf competition returned to Cape Town after a break of 21 years (apparently) and we went to Misty Cliffs on the West coast of the Penninsula to watch. It was a grey day with threatening rain later as a new cold front came in. But the sun broke through now and again this morning. These events are fun and I wanted to have another go at capturing they buzz. I wanted to paint at least one watercolour. I have been hopping from one consulting job to the next for the last two months so it was great to just sit on the bank, tune out the crowd and paint. So here is the first watercolour:
While I was doing this painting I heard the announcer tell one of the surfers in the water that it was a “lekker” wave. He had to explain that it means “good”, which I have had to explain on this blog too.
And I did another one. I went back to where we had parked and had a cup of coffee (Yirgacheffe – which has the most amazing aroma when it is freshly brewed). Then I took my fold up chair, which lay on the ground next to me as I sat on a convenient rock. heh heh. I had also brought my studio brushes and used a nice #12 sable round for this. So I didn’t have to keep pulling loose hairs out of the brush. Here is the watercolour:
The settlement at Misty Cliffs is round the corner and the Kommetjie crayfish factory is just off-screent to the left. By the time I had finished there were excellent, huge waves rolling in and my sons told me that there was some excellent surfing. I packed my chair and got back to the event as the family were heading back.
Misty Cliffs is a great name – and apt for the area. This morning I phoned my mate Andy to find out where they were competing and he told me they could hardly see the guys out on the water. And so is Kommetjie. A “Kom” is a bay and the “tjie” suffix is a diminutive. So it is a town called “Little Bay” which a bit more creative than Scarborough, just up the drag which is another (admittedly evocative) name borrowed from Britain (or was it Simon and thingy – (o:).
Posted by Stephen Quirke on June 12, 2009 under Art, en plein air, painting, seascape, watercolor, watercolour |
Tonight while my boys were surfing I sat at the path down to the pipe and painted this watercolour of the mountains across the bay. There was no rush and I began my painting while the light was still stable. I was finished before the mountains turned orange, then blue and then sank into the haze.
Posted by Stephen Quirke on June 7, 2009 under Art, Drawing, en plein air, figure, pencil sketch |
Here is a sketch I did in church this morning of the couple sitting in front of me. I was listening to Gavin talk through Psalm 13. Old David really battled with aflicition and depression. What a guy!
I captured the chap OK but his wife was moving around quite a bit so it was a bit more difficult – and I jotted down more notes than usual. I would love to be able to have my paint set out. I will find other opportunities to do this. I read a blog a while ago of someone who paints people in coffee shops. Eeek – that is a bit scary. But the time is coming for this.
Posted by Stephen Quirke on June 4, 2009 under Art, en plein air, landscape, painting, seascape, watercolor, watercolour |
Today when we had finished our workshop in Port Elizabeth I shot down the the beach to paint a quick watercolour. It was lovely and fresh and some of the locals were enjoying the surf. This is really such a beautiful city. Here is the painting:
