cast your bread upon the waters

Posted by Stephen Quirke on September 20, 2010 under Art, Drawing, en plein air, figure, sketch | 4 Comments to Read

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.

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  • Leslie White said,

    Maybe Andre is working on his first Novel! Good drawing, Stephen and interesting post. Balance…I think you have achieved balance. :)

  • Stephen Quirke said,

    Hey Leslie – I keep thinking about deer wandering over the field as you paint. Isn’t it great painting outdoors?
    Last week I drove up to George with someone who loves the bush and wild life. While I was composing paintings in my head he pointed out the game in the fields next to the road, that I routinely miss. The farmlands on route are full of it! Duiker, Springbok, Impala, Bontebok, even Elephant, in a Game Reserve near Mossel Bay – though we did not see them this time. On the way home we stopped and watched a small family of fallow-deer. Fallow deer were introduced by Cecil Rhodes and have integrated into our world of wildlife.
    Heh heh – who knows what distractions are hidden by a look of concentration?
    I chatted with a friend on Saturday about my quest to balance art and consulting and he said the latest thinking is that ‘balance’ is so old. I like the idea that we should consider how we review how we spend time in four areas; work, leisure, learning and giving. Nice thought hey? Then we should design how we want it to be. Perhaps that is why Sunday night struck a chord.

  • Carol King said,

    Stephen, You are success no matter what you do.

  • Stephen Quirke said,

    Yoooo hoooo – you back????!!! Great stuff – you got some paintings of lamas and stone walls???

    thanks for this vote of confidence Carol – the focus is coming slowly – (o:

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