My work begins in small adventures from which I create watercolours for discerning collectors.
Trees take decades to unfurl curves and cool shade. Boulders take form from centuries of rolling in floods and storms. Each creature is unique. Each person fearfully knit together and showing the wear of their journey.
When I honour what I see – when, with a brush, I release the magic of colour, water and paper – sometimes the sublime unfolds. The work presents itself independent of yet congruent with my intent.
I like to paint new topics. But I have some favourite views I like to paint often. One day I will get one of them right. But in the meantime I am recording a story of each place.
Therefore this site is not a place for bargains. Though I sell High Resolution prints of the originals in my shop.
And I do commissions.
My watercolour journey began in Swakopmund, Namibia, in a class painting desert scenes, listening to “Autumn Leaves” and enjoying the smell from the brewery over the road. I remember mixing colours in my dinner plate and creating that first swatch on the sheet of Arches taped to my bread-board. This was powerful magic.
Later I exchanged the ochre, sienna and umber of the Namib for the vast range of greens of The Fairest Cape. While I pursued a corporate and later a consulting career I painted in watercolour in all the free time I could carve out.
Then in mid-2020, everything stopped. I stopped. My consulting work with teams depends so much on being face to face. I decided I did not want to do this online. I asked God to be with me, I contracted with my wife and focussed my attention on SJQWatercolour.com. And here we are with a body of work, a plan and a long list of things to be done.
I am married to Aura and live with her in Somerset West. My three children are now working in their chosen fields.
