Urban Retreat

Posted by Stephen Quirke on July 14, 2010 under Art, en plein air, landscape, painting, watercolor, watercolour | 2 Comments to Read

Here is a painting I did in the Little Karoo, taking a different route home from George.

Sunday morning dawned freezing and wet in Ebb and Flow.  I prepared everything in my tent, rushed around in the rain to get it packed then struck  the tent and dumped in the back of the bakkie (a pick-up).  After a shower I hopped in and drove out.  The main route to Cape Town was very busy with people returning from school holidays, extended to allow for the Soccer World Cup event.  I thought this would be too dangerous in the rain so headed up over the Outeniqua pass towards Oudtshoorn.  There was sleet falling in big blobs as I went over the pass and the higher peaks were covered in snow.  It was very beautiful.   Oudtshoorn was the center for the Ostrich industry a couple of centuries ago, where massive fortunes were made.  The town has some of the most magnificent homes.

Anyway I did not tarry and headed on Route 62, through the Little Karoo.  On the way through Ladismith I took a diversion to drop in friends of mine who runs a guest farm on the border of the Anysberg, halfway between Ladismith and Montague, Urban Retreat.   Clever name hey?  Urban is Jane’s husband.  It was very beautiful and I had time for a quick painting before hitting the dirt road to Montague and home.