Posted by Stephen Quirke on September 27, 2010 under Art, en plein air, Kogelbaai, painting, seascape, watercolor, watercolour | 
I spent a morning at Kogelbaai on Saturday. I have been engaging in a conversation with Linda Crank who wrote a posting on Facebook about the importance of the abstract structure of paintings. Kogelbaai always blows me away because there is so much to paint so I picked a view and started. I used a full sheet of Fabriano rough so there was a lot of paint to put on. And the light changed, as usual, as the sun came over the mountains. The view I chose looks to the South East so the light and the colours on the slopes changed a lot. And as the shadow on the beach crept back the foreground rocks changed too.
Fabriano rough 300gm – 560 x 760mm – still to be completed
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Posted by Stephen Quirke on September 20, 2010 under Art, Drawing, en plein air, figure, sketch |
Last night the lights came on in a small corner of the universe. I was listening to Donovan, our minister who is a graphic artist, preaching from Ecclesiastes chapter 11. The ‘Teacher’ in the book is investigating the meaning of life. In this chapter he says that if we wait for the perfect timing or all the information, we will get nothing done. ”No” he says “Get out there, live life, take risks, get your hands dirty, do what you love. But just take heed. What you do will be judged. So do right.” For me a liberating message. But the part that I found really exciting, me who is wrestling with synthesising my desire to paint with my love for assisting people with their work, the part I loved was in verse 6 of chapter 11. ”Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, this or that, or whether both will do equally well.” heh heh – phew! – just do both. And enjoy them both…
And while I listened I sketched my friend Andre, also focusing and taking notes, I don’t think he was sketching.
Posted by Stephen Quirke on September 18, 2010 under Art, en plein air, landscape, painting, seascape, watercolor, watercolour, Wilderness |
Last week I went up the Garden Route on a consulting outing and had a short time to catch up on watercolours. The first was yesterday morning in Wilderness where I had a short time at sunrise on the beach below the town before shooting into George for a meeting.
Mmm this is very yellow. The sun came up to the left of the painting as a big red ball in the mist and went behind the dark clouds. There were massive swells rolling from the South and the sea mist hung over the headland at the end of the beach. All too soon it was time to pack and rush off…
I did not not take my watercolour box but had small cut-sheets in my sketchbook. It was interesting going small again. This is 190 x 280mm on 185gm Arches Cold Pressed.
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Posted by Stephen Quirke on September 12, 2010 under Art, en plein air, landscape, painting, watercolor, watercolour |
This weekend Aura and I were invited to celebrate the 70th birthday of a great friend of mine at the Leipzig Country House in the Nuy valley near Worcester in the Little Karoo. What a great occasion. The sort of event at which Hercule Poirot would have felt right at home – though fortunately there were no intrigues.
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Posted by Stephen Quirke on September 11, 2010 under Art, Exhibition, painting, watercolor, watercolour |
This morning I drove through to Rondebosh to submit three watercolours for the selection day for the annual SASA (South African Society of Artists) Exhibition.
They were very well organised and friendly gentleman offered to help me carry my paintings to the queue. The checking ladies made sure the paintings were labeled and forms signed, the acceptors took the paintings and gave me a number and a cheery old fellow took my entry fee. Very slick, very friendly – well done SASA.
These are the paintings I submitted
Shire River transport – Malawi
760×560 on Arches Cold pressed
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Posted by Stephen Quirke on September 8, 2010 under Art, en plein air, landscape, painting, seascape, Strand Pipe beach, watercolor, watercolour |
Tonight I had a surf on the way home from seeing a client. I was very pre-occupied but the waves were OK and I had a couple of great rides. I chatted with my bud Leith, on the waves, who I had not seen for a while. I was keen to paint so I went out and changed.
This is 760x560mm on 300gm Fabriano
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Posted by Stephen Quirke on September 5, 2010 under Art, en plein air, Kogelbaai, landscape, seascape, watercolor, watercolour |
This is one of my favourite places. There is a walk through the coastal fynbos, over a little stream and down a rocky slope to get Caves Beach. Each step along the way seems to open new beautiful views. The sea here is usually clear and blue, maybe it is because there are no big rivers flowing into this part of False Bay. And the waves are bigger and somehow less constrained. From the top of the rocky walk down you can see the beach, the rocky points and far in the distance, table mountain. I have painted this view a few times and will find the referrence.
Caves Beach – 300gm Arches 560x760mm
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Posted by Stephen Quirke on September 3, 2010 under Art, en plein air, landscape, painting, seascape, Strand Pipe beach, watercolor, watercolour |
Well it has been a beautiful calm sunny day – high light clouds. I took some time for a quick surf just before midday and noted the beautiful cloud patterns above the Gordon’s Bay mountains. And I decided it was time to go BIG. A full sheet. This afternoon I took Ethan to his surf class and did not take my board or a wetsuit – so as not to be distracted from my course. I also took a big board and luscious sheet of Fabriano 600gm rough (NB 600gm – its thick!) I have been keeping it for ages for a suitable subject or occasion. Well tonight was it.
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I spent a morning at Kogelbaai on Saturday. I have been engaging in a conversation with Linda Crank who wrote a posting on Facebook about the importance of the abstract structure of paintings. Kogelbaai always blows me away because there is so much to paint so I picked a view and started. I used a full sheet of Fabriano rough so there was a lot of paint to put on. And the light changed, as usual, as the sun came over the mountains. The view I chose looks to the South East so the light and the colours on the slopes changed a lot. And as the shadow on the beach crept back the foreground rocks changed too.
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