Comments on: Helderberg in the wind http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/helderberg-20090104 Stephen J Quirke watercolour blog and online gallery Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:04:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Stephen Quirke http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/helderberg-20090104/comment-page-1#comment-1494 Stephen Quirke Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:00:22 +0000 http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/?p=1243#comment-1494 mmmmm yes - I would like to buckle down on this subject soon. mmmmm yes – I would like to buckle down on this subject soon.

]]> By: artiseternal http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/helderberg-20090104/comment-page-1#comment-1490 artiseternal Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:58:03 +0000 http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/?p=1243#comment-1490 The photo of the waterlilies is so lovely. I'd love to see a studio version of this painting. K The photo of the waterlilies is so lovely. I’d love to see a studio version of this painting.
K

]]> By: Stephen Quirke http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/helderberg-20090104/comment-page-1#comment-1461 Stephen Quirke Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:28:36 +0000 http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/?p=1243#comment-1461 Hey Sonya - nice to hear from you. I have a dead carpenter bee that I wanted to sketch - maybe later. They are about 15mm long and have big jaws. The bees or the larvae chew large tunnels in dead trees I think. Not a very scientific description I know. I shall find out more from my entomologist friends. It is hard to imagine cold and damp weather from the paintings of your area but this is the Mediterranean winter I suppose. I have to say that I am summer person. Winter is refreshing and all that but give me a heat-wave any day. I remember long ago sitting under a camel-thorn tree in the Namib desert, too hot to move, with cicadas shrieking and an Gemsbok (Oryx) stepping slowly across the flats through the shimmering heat in the distance. Ai! Hey Sonya – nice to hear from you. I have a dead carpenter bee that I wanted to sketch – maybe later.
They are about 15mm long and have big jaws. The bees or the larvae chew large tunnels in dead trees I think. Not a very scientific description I know. I shall find out more from my entomologist friends.

It is hard to imagine cold and damp weather from the paintings of your area but this is the Mediterranean winter I suppose. I have to say that I am summer person. Winter is refreshing and all that but give me a heat-wave any day. I remember long ago sitting under a camel-thorn tree in the Namib desert, too hot to move, with cicadas shrieking and an Gemsbok (Oryx) stepping slowly across the flats through the shimmering heat in the distance. Ai!

]]> By: Stephen Quirke http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/helderberg-20090104/comment-page-1#comment-1460 Stephen Quirke Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:17:50 +0000 http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/?p=1243#comment-1460 Hey June - Pine forests have a special magic - thanks for the note. heh heh heh - that Carol... Hey June – Pine forests have a special magic – thanks for the note.
heh heh heh – that Carol…

]]> By: Stephen Quirke http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/helderberg-20090104/comment-page-1#comment-1459 Stephen Quirke Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:16:56 +0000 http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/?p=1243#comment-1459 Sorry Carol - what can I say - (o: Sorry Carol – what can I say – (o:

]]> By: sonya chasey http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/helderberg-20090104/comment-page-1#comment-1457 sonya chasey Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:35:11 +0000 http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/?p=1243#comment-1457 Hi stephen, You're making me so envious of sunshine & open air with these descriptions, photos & watercolours. What a beautiful lake. Also what an amazing piece of coastline in that other photo. Here in SW France it's cold ,damp & miserable. Not very inspiring, but at least it gives me an opportunity to catch up with some blogs I like to look at! By the way, what are carpenter bees like? Hi stephen,

You’re making me so envious of sunshine & open air with these descriptions, photos & watercolours. What a beautiful lake. Also what an amazing piece of coastline in that other photo. Here in SW France it’s cold ,damp & miserable. Not very inspiring, but at least it gives me an opportunity to catch up with some blogs I like to look at!
By the way, what are carpenter bees like?

]]> By: June Malone http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/helderberg-20090104/comment-page-1#comment-1455 June Malone Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:20:08 +0000 http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/?p=1243#comment-1455 I think all three of these are refreshingly different in that they aren't of broad landscapes...which you do beautifully, but it's good to zoom in on the details as well. They give the impression that you were very relaxed and carefree when you painted them. As Leslie said, magical! I enjoyed your written description of the scene and love that you gave two of them away. That Carol, discussing her underwear ...she has no shame! I think all three of these are refreshingly different in that they aren’t of broad landscapes…which you do beautifully, but it’s good to zoom in on the details as well. They give the impression that you were very relaxed and carefree when you painted them. As Leslie said, magical! I enjoyed your written description of the scene and love that you gave two of them away.

That Carol, discussing her underwear …she has no shame!

]]> By: Carol King http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/helderberg-20090104/comment-page-1#comment-1453 Carol King Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:33:04 +0000 http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/?p=1243#comment-1453 Oh sure RUB IN THE FACT THAT YOU'RE SWELTERING while I now have to go put on Silk thermals, pants, socks shirt, fleece, coat, hat, scarf and gloves to walk my dog. Oh sure RUB IN THE FACT THAT YOU’RE SWELTERING while I now have to go put on Silk thermals, pants, socks shirt, fleece, coat, hat, scarf and gloves to walk my dog.

]]> By: Stephen Quirke http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/helderberg-20090104/comment-page-1#comment-1451 Stephen Quirke Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:37:52 +0000 http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/?p=1243#comment-1451 Hey Carol Thanks for the description of keurboom - they have such fragrant blossoms in spring. The carpenter bees seem to love them too. My little tree at the dam, alas, is still too small to provide shade but they really do grow fast - so.. They are actually pioneer trees. We find them on the outskirts of indigenous forest here where they provide shelter for the young giants like yellow-woods and black stink-woods. As far as the date goes, I put it in just to make the posting easy to trace. Wordpress seems to save it in the first name used. I have changed the heading to something more interesting. Actually the date works for me in the way I save documents - when I get the date correct (o: - I am sorry about this I will try to remember to change the heading sooner. By all means go ahead and use the photo to paint. I intend to go up there again soon to take some photos of the trees and shadows and will let you have what I take. mmm I love trees. We are in the middle of a heat-wave here, the temperature sitting over 35 deg C. And our house is fairly cool in the shade of the forest I planted here years ago. Calvin used to sit on my lap on a rock next to the trees (White Stinkwoods) at our front door when he was 1 year old. I had to stop him from pulling the top leaves off. Now he is 18 and can climb onto the roof using the tree. Well - he would not be seen climbing a tree now - but he used to... Actually this would make a good painting one day, my forest. Hey Carol
Thanks for the description of keurboom – they have such fragrant blossoms in spring. The carpenter bees seem to love them too. My little tree at the dam, alas, is still too small to provide shade but they really do grow fast – so.. They are actually pioneer trees. We find them on the outskirts of indigenous forest here where they provide shelter for the young giants like yellow-woods and black stink-woods.

As far as the date goes, I put it in just to make the posting easy to trace. WordPress seems to save it in the first name used. I have changed the heading to something more interesting. Actually the date works for me in the way I save documents – when I get the date correct (o: – I am sorry about this I will try to remember to change the heading sooner.

By all means go ahead and use the photo to paint. I intend to go up there again soon to take some photos of the trees and shadows and will let you have what I take. mmm I love trees. We are in the middle of a heat-wave here, the temperature sitting over 35 deg C. And our house is fairly cool in the shade of the forest I planted here years ago. Calvin used to sit on my lap on a rock next to the trees (White Stinkwoods) at our front door when he was 1 year old. I had to stop him from pulling the top leaves off. Now he is 18 and can climb onto the roof using the tree. Well – he would not be seen climbing a tree now – but he used to… Actually this would make a good painting one day, my forest.

]]> By: Stephen Quirke http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/helderberg-20090104/comment-page-1#comment-1450 Stephen Quirke Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:25:04 +0000 http://www.sjqwatercolour.com/?p=1243#comment-1450 Hi Leslie - thanks for this - you help me look at my work in a new light. Painting in the heat is so different from the cold and wet (not that this should be surprising). The colour dries so fast. I was unable to photograph the bird but will be going up there again soon I hope. S Hi Leslie – thanks for this – you help me look at my work in a new light. Painting in the heat is so different from the cold and wet (not that this should be surprising). The colour dries so fast. I was unable to photograph the bird but will be going up there again soon I hope. S

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