Are you ready to engage as PATCH and SJQW create the Local Stories Watercolour Calendar 2022?

Work is well underway on the watercolours for the 2022 Local Stories Watercolour Calendar. The scope for the design is ‘scenes in the Helderberg Basin’.  Here is a candidate painting from our selection for Radloff Park:

The stump at Norman’s Rapid – I painted this as my “painting of the day” project in 2016 – The stump was swept away as the river rose in 2020

This year I am working with PATCH Helderberg Child Abuse Centre to create a calendar for 2022.  The work they do is so very important.  Child abuse is a heartbreaking issue and PATCH are actively dealing with situations and supporting victims. See the PATCH website to find out more.

We are giving everyone an opportunity to support the work of PATCH and to be involved in creating the calendar. Here are three ways in which you may engage in the project:

Option 1:  Sponsor a painting

The first way you can be involved is by sponsoring a painting for the calendar.  We have designed each month in the calendar to include one, two or perhaps three paintings.  Each painting will have a space in which you as sponsor can insert a message. Sponsor messages can advertise a business, remember someone special or recognise an act or deed. We can be creative about how you wish to show your sponsorship in the calendar.  Here are some examples of how we can lay out a page:

We have a portfolio of paintings for selection

Amanda (my contact at PATCH) and I have selected a portfolio of watercolours suitable for use in the calendar. If you would like to sponsor a painting you may select from this portfolio. The portfolio includes scenes from around the Basin including Clarence Drive, The farms at the head of our valley, Strand Beach Front as well as scenes around The Helderberg. Below are some of the watercolours from the Radloff Park folder:

In October 2020 I cycled over to Radloff Park for a day of watercolour. It’s what we watercolourists do! I painted these three watercolours and met some of the locals. As I worked on the 4th watercolour my good friend Albert came past and we had a chat. As he left I realised I was hungry and in need of a good cup of butter-coffee. So I packed up and headed home.

The ‘morning locals’ all remember Norman. He used to ride in every morning on his bicycle where he would sit on the same bench and wish all the passers by “Top of the morning to you”. One day I asked him if I could paint his portrait. He kindly acquiesced and I took one photo of him from which I painted this portrait.

Here is the rapid behind Norman’s bench. I always think of it as “Norman’s rapid”. It is such a pleasant place to sit and paint. The stump washed away a couple of years after these paintings.

Sometimes the watercolours want realistic

Other days they just want to be more abstract.

There is therefore a body of work from which you may wish to choose.  And here is how the sponsorship fee is handled:

How the sponsorship fees are handled

Sponsorships are payable directly to PATCH Helderberg Child Abuse Centre. They will issue a Tax Exemption certificate for the amount.  

All the watercolours included in the calendar will be on sale online, in the launch exhibition or by arrangement with the artist (me).   Proceeds from the sale of watercolours will go to the artist.

If you are interested in taking up this opportunity send me a reply to this newsletter or send Amanda a note at info@preciouspatch.co.za

Option 2:  Suggest topics for watercolours

A second way in which you can be involved in the design of the calendar is to share your favourite scene.   We will evaluate all requests and I will let you know if I can take on the work to render your suggestion in watercolour.  As I work I will publish my response to requests for topics for watercolours.  To hear more about how this can be done contact Amanda at info@preciouspatch.co.za

Option 3:  Pre-order your calendars

A cursory search indicates only 250 shopping days till Christmas – and counting down!  

The third way to support the 2022 Calendar project is to pre-order copies of the calendar.  I learnt important lessons from selling my 2021 Radloff Park Calendar.  I started marketing and selling the calendar very late in the year.   The prints arrived on 06 December and that is when I got going.  The reason for this was my lack of experience in the whole design, printing and delivery process.  I was not keen to pre-sell a product before I knew I could create it.  As a result there were many people I could not reach with the offer. I still meet people who never heard about the 2021 Radloff Park Calendar.

Yes – and I know – this is basic marketing.

For the 2022 Calendar Project however, we are starting as early as possible to publicise the idea, get people involved and collect orders for the finished product.  We want to create enthusiasm for the calendar.  Really!  We live in such a beautiful area.  And watercolour is such a cool way to point to this beauty.  

If you would like to pre-order calendars please copy and paste the order form below and send it to Amanda at:  info@preciouspatch.co.za

• Name: ……………………………………………………………………………………
• Contact Number: …………………………………………………………………..

The way forward

I will continue to post on my blog and will send out a newsletter showing the progress in the paintings.

We are also planning an exhibition to be held at the end of June to show the watercolours to be included in the calendar. 

After the exhibition, the calendar design will be finalised for printing.

I look forward to having you along for this journey. Please contact me through my website, at stephen@sjqwatercolour.com or contact Amanda at info@preciouspatch.co.za for any further information.