Time to bid farewell

A while ago I set up a website and blog using the WordPress commercial package.  The idea was to set up an online gallery.  Well I felt quite exposed and a bit lonely out there.  And the set up was more work than I had expected.  So I came back here.

William Horwood wrote a heart-rending book  ’Callanish’, about eagles in a zoo and a keeper who had survived Sobibor.  The eagles long to be free.  They stare up at the unreachable sky with longing and hope.  But one old eagle cautions them to be aware of how huge and frightening the sky will be if they ever get out.  One eagle does escape by attacking the keeper and slipping past, out of the cage.  But he soon returns and confirms how scary it was.  That is kind of how I felt.

Well now I am ready to spread my wings.  My site is pretty well set up though there is more work to be done.

Please come and visit and drop me a note.  I have run the two sites in parallel for a couple of days.   Tonight I posted the first entry for that site only, another watercolour of the Family at The Pipe.

So – see you that side…

Urban Retreat

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

This is painted on a half sheet of Arches Cold Pressed (560 x 380mm).

I would like to do it again, with a little more aerial perspective, softening the background hills.  But there it is.

Touw River in July

I was up in George with clients over the last weekend.  I had a meeting on Friday afternoon and spent the morning on the Giant Kingfisher Trail painting the river.  It was a beautiful blustery morning following a night of hot dry winds in front of an approaching cold front.  I had a great morning filming my walk-in, set up and painting process.  All this work has been lost but here is the painting:

Family at The Pipe

Last week I had a great surf with my boys and stole a few minutes after we had packed up to take some photos of the closing day.  There was a family playing on the beach and I took some shots to paint in the studio.   Here is the first watercolour:

This has also been posted on my website as part of a parallel run.

JAFEATP

heh heh – well I hoped that it would have made something more pronounceable.   But it was really was just another evening at The Pipe (Friday).  Well no – I had two magnificent waves.  Wunderbar actually.  When this happens I get just an inkling of why people kick their day jobs to surf.  Man!

Anyway…

I left the water when it started getting to busy with people coming from the office.  And I set up on the beach.  For some reason I wasted a lot of time drawing and fiddling with gear before I got down to it.  But with the time in hand it was not a problem and I had time to chat with passers by.  Eventually I got going and decided to put in two figures.  One chap marched past and I was able to capture something of his walk.  Later two girls walked past arm in arm and I gave my chap a companion.  It was all so pleasant.  A friendly local couple agreed to take some photos of me painting, for my website.  Here is one:

Sweet kid came out of the water and spent a long time watching my painting.

And here is the painting:

I hung around and chatted and put in some finishing touches till it was almost dark before packing up.

Here is a photo of the view looking the other way just before I left:

that is the fence over the pipe with Table Mountain in the background.

Pampoenkraal – on a sunny afternoon

This afternoon I had to be in the area again and came prepared to paint the same scene.  I found a perspective which incorporated a view of the oak trees lining the main road.  It was a bit close to the main road but I thought it would be worth it.   As I set up I idly wondered whether the testosterone charged locals who roared down the road in the luxury german sedans and their streetsmart 4x4s also felt the magic of that short length of road in the shade of the gnarled oaks.

And then it was to work.

I had been reading Alvaro C who says we need to focus on warms and cools and paint with passion – mmmm – I can do that.  I wanted to paint the far end of the field with a bluish tint to create some space.  However when I looked in the afternoon sun it was bright, sparkling yellowy green – with a very hard line between the grass and the dark trees.

But

As I packed to go I saw the shadows lengthened for 30 seconds and then the sun dissapeared behind the mountain.  Anyway based on that info I softened the edge.

Also

Just as I was loading my brush for the first wash a chap came wandering up the farm road with two little kids.  I said hi and he took an interest in the painting and asked if he could watch a while.  Which is also OK.  He said he was on his way to the taxi-rank in Durbanville town to catch a minibus to Fissantekraal (which I suppose is like Pheasant Paddock – (o:) .  Then as I put brush to paper he asked if I could give then all a lift.  I said OK but said the painting would take a while.

So off we went.  Stephen gave a running commentary on how amazing he thought the painting process was, especially mixing the colours.   I asked him what he did and he said he was a carpenter.  Well… I said I can’t cut two pieces of wood the same length so I admire anyone who can.  I left out that I usually end up throwing something when I do woodwork projects.

This Stephen and his two boys, Keach and Lynch.

It was a nice warm afternoon and they played around the area.  But as the sun went down I had to pack up as I felt the chill and saw they were not particularly warmly dressed.

Here is the painting, I may have to take another photo tomorrow in natural light:

This is also on a half-sheet of Arches 300gm (149lb -I think) 560 x 380mm.

We packed up and I drove the guys to the taxi.  It was very far for the kids man.

Pampoenkraal

Durbanville, where I do quite a bit of work is right on the edge of ‘town’.  One second you drive between houses and scho0ls and next thing you are in between vineyards and wheatfields.   I had some time this evening and remembered a place called Pampoenkraal where I have often wanted to stop and paint.  I guess that roughly translates to “Pumpkin Paddock”.  The main road is lined with Oak trees and the dip is full of poplars and gums – not an indigenous tree in sight but still beautiful with a big field of what looks like wheat.  I found a place to stop just as the sun disappeared behind the clouds over hills of Bloemendal and set up my kit.   There was a chilly wind blowing and I did not have a beanie – which is an essential for me.  Here is what I finished just as it was getting too dark to see:

This is on a half sheet of Arches 300gm rough – 560x380mm (22.5×30 inches)

Definitely a place to visit again if possible.

woman at the Pipe

This is more or less what I want to do – from a photo.

A misty day

It has been a very strange day in the Cape Flats.  It was bright and sunny at dawn but low cloud moved in and hung around all day.  I had a meeting in Cape Town and had time for a 20 minute surf at the Pipe which was brilliant.  The waves had this beautiful shape and the sea was glassy.  And in the thick mist I could not see the shore at all.  A bit disorientating really.  All too soon I had to rush up the beach wash my hair in the cold shower (I usually rinse off with my wetsuit ON in winter) and roar off through the traffic completing my dressing process.

When my meeting was over I went back to the Pipe to complete what I had started.  I put on my wet wetsuit (eeeeee) and trotted down through the mist.  The sea had turned big sullen and a little brutal (for me anyway).   I had a couple of waves but after an hour or so I saw something dark in the water which I thought was a seal and decided that was enough.  As I was getting dressed some guys came out saying they had seen a 2m long shark.   mmm – anyway.

I had my stuff and went down to the shoreline and set up.  The mist cleared around the mountains but it was still so damp that the paper got this big conkle while I was still fiddling with my brushes and stuff.   I tried to keep each part of the painting separate with some success.  However I wanted to add some darks to the mountains – but (hold your nose and go “eeeeee” – ja that sound) it was not to be .   The paper would just not dry enough – so I did what I could.

I had seen someone walking down the beach when I came up from surfing and I added them to the painting.  And while I was painting I met a whole lot of friendly people – which is always fun.

It was almost dark when I packed up and the moon was up.  What a beautiful evening.

The painting is on a half size Arches 300gm cold pressed (560 x 380mm) – what do you think?

Du Toit’s Kloof Pass

Yesterday I had business in Paarl and went up the N1 north into Du Toits Kloof pass to paint a scene I have wanted to do for ages.  I parked at the hotel and crossed the highway and walked up the hill a short way to set up.  I used a full sheet of Arches (560 x 760mm) which was a new experience.   It was so nice to stand there with a big squirrel hair mop, splashing the colour on.  Man! it felt good.

Eventually I had leave the painting half done because the paper would not dry and I had to get back.  This is how it looked when I left:

and this afternoon it looks like this:

On reflection I reckon I would like to have achieved something like this with the first wash.  Bold!  I need to go more bold with those first washes.

And I want to do something about how I carry stuff.  I carried these ungainly boards and sheets of paper with my art box slipping off my shoulder.  mmmf – time to get organised.

I plan to complete this painting here in the studio as I am not sure when I will get out there again.