OK – the purpose sounds great – but what does it mean and how does it work?
Here it is again
My purpose is to collaborate with watercolour to create paintings to resonate with memories of our yearning to return to the Garden.
Let’s take it one step at a time
- Purpose: Of course, Purpose runs deep. Our purpose drives all we do. Therefore it is a great blessing to understand our purpose before God. Luther asserted the possibility that one can ‘serve God within one’s calling. Calvin took the thinking further when he said “one can serve God by one’s calling”.
- Collaborate: The four components of watercolours are Colour, Water, Paper and Brush. All of these affect the watercolour process. ‘Four’ is too many degrees of freedom to control what happens in the painting process. However, over time and practice the artist can make a deal with the medium. An agreement in which the artist goes after his or her chosen design and Watercolour does what it will. The whole process is infused with mystery.
- Watercolour: The work from this studio is fine art watercolour. The term “Fine Art” comes from metallurgy. For metals to be usable they must be refined – by Fire – a fitting metaphor. With each watercolour Stephen holds the tension between: “creating the best work in history of mankind” (Quote: Warren Louw) and “A thing worth doing is worth doing badly” (Quote: Stuart Briscoe). This is the narrow path between loose watercolours and a mess, between tight, well placed detail and stiff, over-controlled, rigid work.
I combine impressionism and detailed realism to create images to reach beyond what we see to touch these fleeting memories. - Memories: Sometimes sights, sounds or smells stir transient but deep feelings. As if stimulating lost memories. Well – I paint watercolours to do this
- Yearning: Ecclesiastes 3: 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
- The Garden: this was more than just a lawn and some trees. This was a place of indescribable peace, intent and skill. A place of effortless creation. Oh how we want to get back there.
The Concept
The SJQ Watercolour business concept is to paint fine art watercolours at the high end of the craft – making the work accessible to fine art tastes through the highest quality print process.
Based on the work of Jim Collins, the business concept (what he called “The Hedgehog Concept”) is based on three questions. Long ago I ran this standard thought-model on my Watercolour endeavour.
The first question is “What is your passion?” The moment I asked this I was filled with a sense of joy and relief. It felt like the heavens had opened and angels were singing. The one passion I know about is this: I love to paint in watercolour. It makes no sense and has no connection with realistic thinking. And there it is.
These are the questions and this is how I answered them for SJQ Watercolour:
What are you passionate about?
Painting in watercolour is my raw passion. This is what I want to do more than anything else I can think of. Not oils or acrylics. Watercolour (with some pencil). This is as close to my “Why” as I can get.
What can you be the best at in the world?
I can be a collectable South African watercolourist. This is a mild goal. But also requires focus and application. “If you are fascinated by watercolour, you can make fascinating watercolour paintings”. Nita Engle
What is your economic denominator?
My key economic measure is “Profit per Collector”. I want to nurture a group of people who want to add my work to their collections. This is why I enjoy the process to design and create my monthly newsletter.