SJQ Coaching Research

Trek fishermen waiting for the signal to launch

Stephen — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:08:36 +0000

Here is my studio take on the trek-fishermen at Smitswinkelbaai. Most of the artists in “The watercolor Landscape Techniques of 23 International Artists” recommend doing a value sketch before starting a new painting. My value sketch is usually my first full scale attempt. So I decided to try doing this. Here is the value sketch:

Actually it is really two but anyway.

Here is my drawing which was supposed to be more detailed than usual but actually wasnt:

The cactus in the background is my Christmas gift from Ethan. One well armed dude!

And here is where the painting is right now. I have tried to do the rocks in one go – without glazing and glazing. However my first go was last night when I was tired and not daring enough. You can see the result of that one in the rock on the far right – I have done the others again. These are quartzite boulders from the Table Mountain Sandstone mountains surrounding the beach. The outcrops are granites (Cape Granite I think – I should know but was not listening much in these lectures in my first year of Geology – long long ago)…

I am hoping the sea will take life when I put in the surrounding darks. I have also defined the detail a little more carefully. I painted the rocks to the music of Donna Summer – yeh – a blast from the past – heh heh – could it be magic – and I posted this to the music of the Doobie Brothers…

Here is how it looks at the dinner break, with the beach in place:

I thought I would do a few studio projects this holiday but this is the first time I have felt I have had the energy. But there we are – this feels so good. Oh and yesterday the gallery phoned to say there were people who wanted my rock pool paintings but were quibbling about the price – my first reaction was to suggest they go and look at the local furniture mart where they have huge poster stands full of chocolate box posters. But I didn’t and I sold them. I am keen to make space for new work now.

Well here is the next piece – I did this listening to Paul Harrison – All things must pass:

Time for bed and here is how it looks:

I must review the values. But it is time to give this a break and see how it looks in the morning.

Smitswinkelbaai

Stephen — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:16:06 +0000

Here is a painting from Smitswinkelbaai, just outside of the Cape Point Nature Reserve. There is a bit of a hike down to the beach which keeps it fairly uncrowded. There must be a story behind the name (‘Smit’ – a surname, ‘winkel’ = a shop and ‘baai’ = bay) the official looking site has a description. Anyway, the trek fishermen were lounging on the beach when I arrived. As I stepped onto the sand they got a signal from their lookout up the hill that a shoal of fish (I guess) was coming into the bay. They all leapt up and pushed the boat, on a trailer down to the water line – then sat back. While they waited I did this watercolour of the boat and the rocks. The unfinished foreground is a testament to the immiscibility of watercolour painting and family outings.

This calls for another visit…

Helderberg in the wind

Stephen — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:44:57 +0000

This morning I had a wander around the Helderberg Reserve. There was a light breeze but it was baking hot. I sat under the Keurboom (what is that in English? - Kigelaria Africana) and sat contemplating the mountain. There was a terrapin the size of a matchbox sunning itself on a lily pad but it scooted off before I could take a picture (or a sketch heh heh). I was attracted by the lilies which are all flowering. So I painted the lilies rather than the whole scene. mmm – what do you think?

This is how they looked:

You can see the reflection of the sky and the mountain. When the water is still I could see all the detail and colour of the mountain in the reflection. And the reflection is much darker than the lilies. Look at all the yellows and greens! Definitely something for the studio. While I was painting a group of people came to see the painting and chat. They were speaking an Eastern language and I learned that the father of the wife of one of the couples had come out from Taiwan to visit his daughter and – well – I just felt it would be good for him to have this painting so I caught up to the couple and asked her to give it to her father.

When I sat down again I did this painting:

Still not what I want to achieve but there it is. While I was painting I chatted with another local couple to whom I gave another painting and also to a lady who also paints in watercolours. So – a nice friendly morning – very lekker.

Later I wandered up to the forest (where the wedding had taken place last year) where I painted this watercolour:

Also another place I would like to paint again. Pine forests are so therapeutic. There was a raptor flying at the edge of the forest calling with a plaintive cry and the wind blew through through the trees with a rushing sound. I remembered the nights when I used to sleep in Newlands Forest when I studied at the University of Cape Town. A little bit of magic.

Goodbye 2009

Stephen — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 21:25:28 +0000

On new-year’s eve eve I dropped a painting off with my friends Mark and Rae. We have a long and colourful history together which included the development of a personal mastery programme together – phew! Anyway they bought one my paintings of the surf competition at Misty Cliffs and I gave Rae the other one for her birthday. They have both been so supportive of my painting.

Rae had a pounding migraine but offered me a fruit juice, then Mark offered an espresso and we agreed that the occasion warranted a shot or ouzo too. And then they hauled out all this cheese and biscuits. So we sat on the verandah and shot the breeze and had bid our farewell to 2009. I had realised that I was totally burnt out from the year and it was just so good to sit with these two supportive people. So I wanted to capture something of the moment. I had to leave so we had a weekend’s conversation in a couple of hours and I took a photo from which I painted this watercolour. mmm mmmmmm – well there it is.

I spent a good part of New Year’s Eve clearing a blocked sewerage drain before joining friends to see in the new decade. I am not one for omens but I had a sense that clearing the blocked drain had something to do with letting go of all the negative build-up – yes I have thought of the more graphic metaphors. It crossed my mind too that this should not be a harbinger of what I will be doing in 2010. Ai! – well – we shall see. My task now is to rest and recover.

A good start to 2010 – in watercolour

Stephen — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 19:48:05 +0000

Well the year is off to a good start. I have started working through “Walking in this World” by Julia Cameron to try to deal with the frazzle of last year. Three pages a day, an artist date once a week and a walk. Well today I went out to the coast just this side of Koeel Bay for a walk and to take some photos. There was a hot dry wind blowing and the sea sparkled in blue and green. A great stroll.

AND

I sat and painted a watercolour of view looking towards Rooiels before walking back to the car. Here is the view:

Isn’t it just stunning? I consider myself so fortunate to have this on my doorstep. And here is my set up:

Here is the drawing:

It was really hot and dry so I motored through the washes and did not take an interim shot. Here is how it looked before the finishing touches:

And here is the final version:

So there we go. I am pleased with this as a start to 2010. I am not big on new-year resolutions but I am keen to put 2009 behind me and prepare my soul, my body my business and my watercolour world for this new year. And just for that here is the view up the coast towards Gordon’s Bay, from the path down to the sea from where I parked – mooi ne?:

I have painted the rocky bay in the lower foreground a few times and tucked away in the shadow on the right there is a fresh water fall which fills a small pool. There is a couple fishing and crayfishing on the rocks.

another llandudno watercolour

Stephen — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:49:10 +0000

Here is tonight’s studio version of yesterday’s scene:

Llandudno

Stephen — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:32:42 +0000

This is a beautiful beach tucked away on the Atlantic coast South of Cape Town. We all went down there on Christmas morning to relax a little before a family lunch. I had time for one small painting:

There was no time for the people on the beach – next time maybe

pipe 20091223

Stephen — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:08:08 +0000

Today I had my final coaching session for 2009. This was good. Intense! And exhausting. When I returned home Calvin wanted to go for a surf. It was overcast and windy and I was too tired to think of surfing. Dr Richard Restak suggests the only worthwhile course in this state is to sleep. But I took my art-box down to do a painting. I was not thinking clearly and spent a whole long time setting up the three legs and this really fiddly sliding arrangement for holding a board which was too high when I sat. When I stood my water was too low. And there was nowhere to put my palette which almost fell face down in the sand. Eventually after a frustrating half hour of balancing and juggling, putting things down and picking them up again I decided I needed to paint something. So I took out my squirrel mop and did this watercolour of the mountains at Gordons Bay.

mmmm.

In the interests of starting the process and showing what I have done here is the painting:

I don’t know how the blot in the sky got there but there it is. The blot to the left of the poles appeared while I was fiddling with all the stuff. I have just taken the easel apparatus off the box. Part of the problem is also that my palette only just fits in the handy drawer and when that is in there – nothing else fits in. So there is some planning to be done here. I have seen Alvaro Castagnet’s work on his website – he just uses squirrel mops of various sizes. Amazing work! I am also pre-occupied with my visit to the gallery this morning to take my work in. Ai! The margins in this game are so slim to be split in two. Anyway – this is all good reason to get my own marketing up and about. Now I am off to snooze.

Off to the gallery

Stephen — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:25:26 +0000

A gallery owner has asked me to supply paintings for his gallery in Strand and in Hermanus where he says he sells well. Yesterday I took some of the paintings from the exhibition and today I am taking these down to him. He says his customers are looking for figures so I have put in the work I have done from a while ago. I still have a way to go before I can get my D90 and XR520 so it is time to put it all out there.

I was thinking that there was more to do on this painting but I think it is finished.

I have strengthened the foreground based on feedback from the last submission for the last juried exhibition.

I had this, framed in a gallery for a while but have taken it out of the frame and cropped the painting.

This is from my sunbather exercise at the beginning of this year. I still like this set.

This is a small sketch on some dimpled paper that I found – I am not even sure what it is.

I loved the light on this girls body. I have glazed a lot on this painting. Any more will hit overworked land.

And this was the other submission for the juried show.

I got a RA!!

Stephen — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:58:42 +0000

Carol has sent her trusted friend Kaiya over with a special surprise:

Thanks Carol – I will treasure this and consider the next recipient carefully..

BTW – check out the short note I dashed off on this subject at:

http://www.amazon.com/Cult-Ra-Sun-Worship-Ancient-Egypt/dp/0500051070

Now – how about that????