braai stories – my weber NOT

Posted by Stephen Quirke on September 13, 2009 under Art, braai, en plein air, painting, watercolor, watercolour | 18 Comments to Read

here is what I braai on – braaing is like barbequeing I suppose. Braaing is taken very seriously in some circles here. It is the cooking the MEN do. My system is wheelbarrow filled with sand, with bricks to elevate the grid. The wheelbarrow was a wedding present from Geoff and Denise Sissons, friends of ours in Swakopmund. When we came to Somerset West the barrow came along. When they developed around us the developers dug up beautiful river boulders. I thought it sad that they would just be pushed back in the ground so went out in all weathers to collect the rocks with the wheelbarrow. The little wheel was usually so mud-logged that I just dragged it along.

Eventually the front bracket broke so I retired the wheelbarrow, resting on one of the rocks it carried. The planks on which it rests are railway sleepers I redeemed from the rubble of the old Cape Town powerstation when it was demolished. So… there it is.

this is another watercolour I would like to do again – but I think I got the values about right. The dark values above the pot hide the problems I had in drawing the pot. The bar is held on with wire.

And here is a braai story:

My parents were such gifted musicians. They would take choirs they had trained, overseas to sing in Europe. Before they left they would take their choir to the Kruger Park, a massive game reserve in the North of South Africa, as a reward and to practice. One evening my little mother, who was so friendly and sweet, and naive I suppose, walked past a group of men braaing and drinking beer. So she said “My, your wives have you well trained” – And they said ” ” – Nothing – they just glared at her. And that is how serious this business is…

napabelle said,

mmm… do I get this right ?? You make a fire on the sand between the bricks, then put you pot on top ??? Why the sand ??
swatch said,

sorry – that was not that clear – the sand raises the level of the floor of the wheel barrow and also protects the bottom from more corrosion ( at bit too late for that actually). Then I make two little walls with the bricks and put meat on a grill on the bricks. I will do another painting to show this maybe.
Cheers hey Isabelle
butterflyhands said,

Nice. The painting. (And the braai.) The pot is so realistic. Potbrood in there?
lesliepaints said,

Stephen, this painting is so cool! I like the fact that your paintings always show your brushstrokes and that you can always include drybrush in them. Your hand appears very active in the foliage and controlled while painting the objects for us to view. I like the overall feel of this painting and it is a plus to have a story with it.
Carol King said,

Oh you men and your BBQs or braaing! God forbid you cook IN THE KITCHEN. But give you men some open flame and meat to cook outside and you’re good to go!

Loved the story and the painting. I never heard of braaing before nor have I ever heard of cooking over a wheelbarrow, but I guess whatever works, right?

Love the purply colors under the wheelbarrow and the greens in the foliage. Love the pot. What’s in it?
napabelle said,

Yeah… what’s for diner ??
lookingforbeauty said,

Good story, good painting. I like the limited palette of colours. It marries everything nicely together.
swatch said,

Hey Cecily – that would be good – but I put some coals under the pot and throw the braai into it when it is done so that it stays warm while I round up the rest of the family. Cheers hey
swatch said,

Hi Leslie – I realised when I thought I was finished that I had to go a whole lot darker in the darks so there is some reworking in the painting – I am keen to give it another try to go for the colour I want first time. Thanks for you nice comments. S
swatch said,

heh heh – I also cook in the kitchen sometimes – though I have to admit – not as much as would make an impact in Aura’s workload.

the pot contains the stuff I just cooked – or it did – it was all out by then – those pots are good practice subjects.
swatch said,

hey Isabelle – it was boerewors – which means farmers sausage and it is made in a coil with no twists – no individual sausages
swatch said,

Hi K – thanks – this is great input – S
InkSplodge! said,

Stoppit I’m drooling for a nice juicy boerewors sausage *licks lips*.

You’re so right about men and their braais – we used to use half an old oil drum with holes in it which my dad had attached to some pipe legs, but I’ve even cooked on an old shovel head resting on bricks. Somehow bar-b-ques in England just aren’t the same. Lovely little picture.
swatch said,

mmmm hm – I like to braai it till it is still just squirmy and juicy – heh heh – We sometimes have chicken which I marinade and boil in the black pot then take out pieces to braai and put them back – puts a bit of taste into the poor things.

Yeah braai technology has gone over the top here too with all sorts of clip-on and elevated platforms and stuff which are actually very useful – but I never think of them when I go shopping. I used to braai by poking a stick through a sausage and sticking it in the ground next to the fire – getting a grid was a major step in sophistication.
wrjones said,

Looks like fun. I’ll bring a beer and eat with you. A wheelbarrow for a wedding gift? You have to love the practical side of it.
swatch said,

Hi Bill – yeh man – pull up a chair
Probably not the most usual but it was what we needed then and so…
Barry Coombs said,

The male passion for barbecuing must be universal. It certainly holds true here in Canada. Great story about your Mom. Nice watercolour, too. I love subjects like your wheelbarrow.
Stephen Quirke said,

Hey Barry – I suppose cooking over a fire captures just a little of the sense of the wild outdoors. Thanks for the comments – I never did the painting again though I did take a few photos of the barrow set up. Eventually my son tried to step off it to reach a branch to do pull-ups and the whole systems collapsed and fell apart. The end of an era in so many ways. Now we have a weber that sits smugly on the sleepers. And we have had some great feasts. Enjoy your summer over that side – we had our first winter storm over the last couple of days.