Audacia Farm is a great venue for Route 44 Market.
People would come from all over Cape Town for food, crafts and entertainment on Saturday’s and Sundays. The vendors did good business. And to add to the fun, Chris and Torrin Visser established a Parkrun on the farm.
The route of the run wound 5 kms through vineyards, up a hill under some Spanish pines and down through a ploughed field. It was all so pretty. Aura and I would sometimes go out for the run. And when Sinead was at home she would join us.
One morning I sat near the start of the run and painted the scene of the route.
The route ascends along the edge of pine forest at the top of the painting. We run up to the left around the trees on the corner.
I wanted to get the shape of the pines right. Each tree has a curve set by the position of the tree in the copse. This requires a fine line and careful observation. The angle and curve of the branches are so characteristic to these trees. I practiced them in the studio.
And I have since painted the same scene quite often
And here are some more
After the run, Aura and I usually went to the farmers market and had a cappuccino. She would sometimes go and look at the plants and food for sale and I would sit, finish my coffee and sketch the people around me.
I find it interesting how quickly it is possible to capture the essence of a likeness in a sketch.
Here are some more
And finally here is a lady who sat chatting with a friend while she smoked a cigaretted and drank her frozen coffee through a straw.
And here is a pleasant view of our route – from The Thirsty Scarecrow (and that is thirsty).
Stephen J. Quirke 