watercolour from africa

This blog is moving again

swatch — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:55:52 +0000

I now have an integrated blog and website

with a gallery

You can see it at

SJQ Watercolour

Hagen the Über Web Designer has transferred all but the last five postings (and this one) from this blog and my previous blog to the new

This is the site I wish to launch at my exhibition

I will be transferring the last few postings at a later date

Please add your comments to the new site

Brandberg #2 Final

swatch — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:47:36 +0000

Well – this is what I am taking for framing tomorrow:

Painted on Arches 600gm cold press – 1530 x 1020 mm – phew – what a mission.

This is from the road between Uis and Brandberg West, looking across one of the dolerite dykes in the plain, North towards the Brandberg.

Brandberg #2 – update

swatch — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:07:03 +0000

I like viewing my work in this way. As soon as I saw the photo of the painting, some problems popped out. There is work to be done on the foreground rock, and the mountain is fraught with difficulties. I have some time to deal with all of this and would like to keep the painting in view of the next little while before sorting them out.

At least I am over the dreadful lassitude that gripped me a couple of weeks back (how is that for an oxymoron). I am sure this has something to do with the good painting board I bought for this work. I was fiddling with silly little bits and pieces. And I have made progress in some of the tasks required to be ready for 27 November. What do you think so far?

Reflections for further work:

I need to soften the whole mountain to push it back a little
The lines between sections of the foreground rocks can be softened.
The distant middle ground could do with some more layering.
The sand in the foreground on the left could use some texture. The whole desert floor is scattered with tiny chips rock from the dolerite dyke.

the wedding

swatch — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:22:18 +0000

I spent the morning preparing for the wedding project and arrived in the reserve will all my stuff packed up neatly. And just as well – the forest glade had been transformed with chairs, flowers and a bower. And the position I chose no longer worked so I moved back a little and other side a tree. When I set up I had a Metalasia (Metalasia muricata) bush prickling my back – but OK. I started the painting about an hour and half before the ceremony and after the first wash help attach the last few rows of cushions to chairs – and then the guests began to arrive. I adopted my “focus on the job at hand” attitude and people came in and settled down.

It was a beautiful wedding, short and simple. too short to finish but I stayed for another hour, completing the painting. It started raining and I escaped under a ‘Bedouin tent’ where they had signed the register. Here is what I gave them:

This is on Arches 300gm Rough 570x780mm (the 600gm sheet was Fabriano rough and I was not keen to take chances).

I suggested they crop the paint to something like this:

or this:

wedding practice

swatch — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:40:54 +0000

I have been asked to do a watercolour painting of a wedding. Cool project hey? I have spent the afternoon up at Helderberg Reserve with Phil and Lara and family, practicing the scene. This is Phil talking to his father, who will be marrying them, in the spot where they will hold the ceremony.

I did this painting and took some photos to prepare for Saturday:

This is 22×30 inches which is a lot of paint to put down. That is a little sketch of the mountain and trees at the bottom. I have to think quite carefully about the strategy for the painting.

I will have a little more time on Saturday to do the whole painting. And I have lovely sheet of Arches 600gm Cold Press waiting for just this occasion. It will be interesting painting through a service – but wait – that is what I have been practicing (o:

Brandberg #2 continued

swatch — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:07:33 +0000

Here is how my latest Brandberg painting is looking – still lots to be done but this is a nice way to look with a different eye.

What do you think?

The sky is way blue – I will have to find a way to tone that down. But it is slowly taking shape.

these big paintings are a mission – 1500x1020mm