Comments on: Goodbye 2009

By: Stephen Quirke

Stephen Quirke — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:37:38 +0000

Hey Rae – A sunny moment – ouzo for breakfast (o: – it is nice to see you here

By: Stephen Quirke

Stephen Quirke — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:06:30 +0000

Hey Rae – it is so nice to have a note from you here – what a time hey?

By: Rae

Rae — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:01:13 +0000

… it’s perfect, capturing the moment just as it was. I had forgotten that day somehow, what a delicious reminder of some of the quality time we have managed to spend together – thank you for sharing yourself with us in this way … I just love the detail on the table, of course these are all things we use every day (cups plates, glasses etc) – it’s such an affirmation of the minutiae of our lives, and done so lightly and lovingly – truly appreciated, emotionally and aesthetically!

By: Stephen Quirke

Stephen Quirke — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:50:40 +0000

Yep – they are great
it is great to be in this blog community too
but sitting drinking ouzo in the morning and shooting the breeze is – well – just so civilised – though usually coffee will do fine

By: Isabelle

Isabelle — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:36:37 +0000

WOnderful to have friends that support you in your passions !

By: Stephen Quirke

Stephen Quirke — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:47:21 +0000

Ai! – thanks Leslie – high praise indeed – and very encouraging. I love your turn of phrase about life giving us the vivid – isn’t that just how it works. A week after leaving the safety of employment to start my own business, I developed appendicitis and had to have the it out. In fact, my friend Rae pointed out what you have just said.
Your commentary on the composition of the painting is so uplifting

I hope you are managing the cold OK there.

By: Stephen Quirke

Stephen Quirke — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:42:56 +0000

thanks Carol – sounds like a difficult start to the year – bellwether is such a cool word – I had to look it up. Thanks for that.

Yes – lets get painting. I see you are up and away already. I feel for you in the cold – ai – we had a heat wave today. The whole world went to the pipe – the 15 minute drive took me an hour almost. But I had a good surf to cool down. Not what you want to hear I suppose. S

By: Stephen Quirke

Stephen Quirke — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:32:58 +0000

Thanks June – here we are in the next decade. I tried to capture the details in all the stuff on the table but started moving faster as it all started taking too long. I found a brilliant book in our local library in which 23 watercolour artists present their technique and talk about their turning point. Man – there are some good painters out there – Something to which I aspire. thanks for the positive comments. S

By: Leslie White

Leslie White — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:43:25 +0000

I laughed so hard when I read about you cleaning the sewer drain and comparing it to clearing out old clutter so you can move forward. Sometimes life brings us the vivid when we can’t figure it out for ourselves. Know that you are an incredible artist and that I learn from what I see posted here. Your paintings look so effortless and filled with brushstokes and color that I am hoping some of my viewing them seeps into what I do.
I like how the back of the chair in the foreground leads me to the right and Marc, the greenery off his right shoulder points me back to the table, and all the stuff sitting on it, and WHAM! there’s Rae as the center of interest! Your composition in this piece is “spot-on” and I admire the loose relaxed feel it gives off.

By: Carol King

Carol King — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:23:00 +0000

Hi Stephen, Lovely sketch of your friends. I agree with June that it conveys a comfortable, amicable friendship with them. (While you and your friends were sitting out on a veranda we were freezing our butts off.) The shot of the bright green leaves in the painting contrasts nicely with the other calmer colors.

I laughed (sorry) at what you spent New Year’s Eve doing, but it also crossed my mind that it may be a good harbinger of 2010 for you.

I hope my first day of 2010 isn’t a bellwether of what I will expect in the new year. My home phone didn’t work, my computer went berserk, I dropped a stitch in my knitting and still can’t find it and I already broke my New Year’s resolution to eat better.

Oh well, Let’s hope there’s lots more painting for both of us (and all of your other faithful blog readers)in the new year.