Uitkyk stroompie
The night before we hiked up to Spout Cave last weekend we spent the night at Uitkyk cottage with friends. It was Jacqui’s birthday the next day and I had time to sit at the stream below the house and paint this water colour, just before it became to dark (and cold). So this is her birthday gift. I forgot to take a photo of the watercolour and have only just managed to get that done – which is why it is a little dated here.
It was great sitting on the edge of the stream hearing the water splash down the rocks and watching the colours change. As I sat down the last ray of sunshine shone out through a crack in the crags in the background.
A new site
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Visit my gallery
at
SJQ Watercolour
This is the site I launched at my exhibition at the end of 2009
Quite how the two sites will interrelate is still under consideration
waterfall
Here is a painting of the waterfall I did in December.
In the original posting I showed each step as I completed it. Here are the steps:
the drawing and the first wash
here I start building in the detail. Is it just me, or are these early versions better than the final?
22 December project
Here is a painting of a waterfall near George.
I have had a couple of attempts and this morning I did a careful drawing of the facets in the rocks.
And here is the first wash. I am already wishing I had used 300 gm paper rather than 185 gm which conkles and feels like it will tear easily.
Here is the next wash. I started at the rock at the top of the fall and worked my way down and around. Of course working up the other side got me into trouble as water ran down the picture so I had to work upside down a bit. Like the Joker in Dark Night, when he says “Do I look like a man with a plan?”
Well some detail here. The water got bit out of hand and I should have taken a break. Now I am feeling tired and have lost my concentration a little. I am going to go and help Donovan dig holes for his kid’s Jungle-Jim. When I get back I will see if it can be redeemed.
OK now it is way past my bedtime and I have been working this past hour and a half on my picture. It is probably time to put it aside for a few days and then finish it and decide whether it is a keeper or not. Perhaps I am still working too big. The size is 56×38 cm. And the washes use a LOT of paint. I get the feeling that my pallette and the paper is fatigued. There really is a pool in the middle of the rock – with green water in it though perhaps I need to tone down the green a little.
Time for a snooze. I have such a lekker idea for a new painting and want to start now but – “more is nog ‘n dag” as they say in the local venacular.
24 December:
Last night I wrapped presents then found myself drawn to the picture. The lights and darks were not pronounced enough so I worked on them a bit. And this is what it looks like now:
I would like to say this is it but I think the rocks need more definition. How long did they take to assume their character? And now I want to find a quick and easy way to portray this? It is not right it seems.
Anyway – it is almost done AND I started on my new project – it is about butterflies and it is going to take a long time – watch this space. I have also progressed on a figure painting that is almost ready for publication here. Now it is time to cycle (to avoid the jam) to the mall for a final purchase.
