Welcome to this August 2022 edition of Light is Sweet.

“Light is Sweet and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun”.  Ecclesiastes 11:6

August has come and gone, September is almost over.  I have been able to complete one more painting for the calendar.  And another, for the cover, is on the board.

Who knows, perhaps if I can focus for a few days, I can still produce a legitimate September newsletter.

But first

Why don’t you pause.
Stop what you are doing.
Step awaaaay from the grindstone.

This edition is short read.
It is after all mostly pictures.
A small chunk out of your month.

So

As usual:
Sit back.
Close your eyes.
Take a deep, breath.

Now

Open the mail.
Download the pictures.
Enjoy the read…

Oh!

And here for your listening pleasure is a piece of music by my friend Mike.

The 2023 Lourens River calendar

Here is the watercolour I completed of the pool not far below the source of the Lourens River:

The slopes up here were a little unstable.  To get down here I had to scramble across a scree of jagged quartzite boulders.  Very different from the lovely rounded boulders downstream.  I wanted to create a watercolour highlighting these lovely round rocks.

Here is a quick peek at the start of the watercolour I want to use for the cover of the calendar:

I wanted to show a scene to highlight those lovely, rounded river boulders as a contrast to the shattered quartzites up in the mountains.

The 2023 Lourens River Calendar is almost done.  I have promised to have it on sale by the end of October 2022.  It looks amazing!   – and should be distributed far and wide.  Marketing!  Is the word!

AND – you can brand a calendar for your organisation

I have also finalised my sponsorship offer.  The three options seem so obvious – which I think is a good sign.  Please forward this note to anyone you may know who may be interested  in 

If you have enjoyed this note and are not yet subscribed, please hit this link to my website to subscribe to stay in “light” touch with this slice of the world of watercolour.

Working on the roof

Our power supply utility continues to battle to keep the lights on for 24 hours in each day.  I get the impression that the CEO is doing the best anyone could.  But this is likely to continue for a while.  However there is an upside.  We have nights where, going out in the street we get to see the stars without so much light around.  And this morning instead of settling to work in my studio I took a laptop and sat on the roof, under the canopy of white stinkwoods which I planted long ago.

One day I want to submit a proposal to the chancellor of the exchequer to build a little deck up here.

The power came on just in time for me to make my morning dop.  What’s in the mug?

• 50gm butter
• ¾ milk
• Two tablespoons Coconut oil
• Cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• A small shot of strong yirgacheffe (coffee)

Jet fuel for the day

Posting from the past

The republished post comes from 2009, from a hike in the Hottentots Holland.  The whole area had suffered a veld-fire.

You can read the post on my blog.  << https://sjqwatercolour.com/landroskop >.  When I posted this one of my blogo friends from Vancouver said she really liked the painting.  We agreed a swop and I sent her this painting and she sent me one of her works which I had said I liked.  I thought that was quite cool.

All the very best
When I have completed the last painting I want to send out a short “Light is Sweet” edition.