Author
Stephen Quirke
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Author
Stephen Quirke
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“Light is Sweet and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun”. Ecclesiastes 11:6
2022 draws to a close and the projects look like they will keep me going till the opening bars of Auld Lang Syne.
- The calendars are almost sold out.
- I am exhibiting in a last pop-up exhibition
- The project for next year is resolving in my mind
But before we get into all of that why not:
Stop all you are doing.
Set aside your work
Close the podcast or the video running in the background.
Close the player – you can open it again when we are done.
This edition of Light is Sweet will take you about 4 minutes to read.
More or less the timing of the piece recorded for me by my brother Mike.
So…
turn it all off
Sit back.
Close your eyes.
Take a deeeeeep, breath.
Feels good hey?
Now
Open the mail.
Download the pictures
and read on…
The 2023 Lourens River Calendar
Last month after writing the newsletter I completed the first step in launching the 2023 calendar. I finalised the watercolours and completed the design of the calendar for the clients who had ordered branded copies. After considerable quality checking the calendars were printed and I delivered them to the clients. It just felt really good to hand over the work. So thank you to Navig8r, GEOSS, and LA Health for your support for this offer from SJQ Watercolour.
In this process I gained a whole new respect for design and designers. The whole thing has to work from the other side of the room, at arm’s length and under the editor’s scrutiny. Of course each client has rules for how their branding is to be used in the finished work. It is all very absorbing. Thankfully I have Aura here to help with that detail.

Here is the sketch I did from Aura’s old photos of her first communion.
I also want to thank Christoff at Diverso who as usual has shown his experience (especially dealing with non-design trained artists) patience and generosity in bringing the product to delivery.
I used the margin from those contracts to design and print the calendars for the Lourens River Conservation Society. This was another editing and branding exercise. The calendars look so good. And they are out there. It is appropriate to give Jonathan Griffiths of Jam Grenade a shout out. His input significantly lifted the impact of the design. He also designed the new banner for Light is Sweet.
I am selling the calendar on my website and in some local coffee shops here in the basin. You can buy your calendar from:
- The Coffee Station over the road to Cop Shop in Somerset West where you can pick up your calendar with your drive-through brew.
- Sage and Thyme at the Circle Centre who again have laid out the calendars for sale.
- The Haven Art Café in Bizweni Campus where you can enjoy your coffee under the trees
- Pro-vide in Strand – just off the circle at the bottom of Main Road.
So there is a place near you. I am also out there selling the calendar and meeting the customers. Last week I set up a stand at The Pipe on Strand Beach. So many nice people stopping to chat leave their email addresses and buy a calendar. I would like to welcome all those who signed up for “Light is Sweet” from these meetings on the beach. I was down there a few days ago but the North West was pushing through – with a promise of rain – and everything was blowing away – so I did not stay.

Another satisfied client walks off with his calendar
I also put up a table at Radloff Park. It was great to meet old calendar customers as well as some new people next to the river. Today as I write the South Easter is blowing hard which would make it hard to keep everything in one place AND be polite and friendly. What can I say – being a somewhat disorganised introvert brings its own challenges. But welcome to all of you who are new-comers to Light is Sweet.

Here is my shop on the river. Notice the river pebbles holding everything down. These were returned to the river when I left.
Last year I remember talking with a couple who said they were artists who left paintings on stones along the river. Since then I have seen little gems in the forks of trees. Such a cool form of art. While I was talking with people I noticed this on the rock where I stood:

Neat hey? A little kid also noticed it and asked his mom what it was. She said “Dis a kersfees mannetjie” and that was that. (a Christmas little man – suppose an elf or a gnome whatever they call Santa’s minions)
A Pop-up Exhibition
My friend Naulene has had a surge of entrepreneurial enthusiasm and has rented a space at 33 Bright Street to hold a two day pop-up exhibition. Though this is short notice I have framed some good work and am ready to hand in this morning. The opening will be at 18:00 this evening.
Here is the invitation:

Calendar 2024
I have also been thinking about the topic for my 2023 calendar project – Calendar 2024. Here are some watercolours from the possible subjects. Can you guess what they could be?




You get the drift?
I have also been asked to consider:

But first to finish the year well.
As this is likely to be my last newsletter this year it is my opportunity to thank you all for tracking along with me through this year. There are some of you who read and respond to almost all of my newsletters and I am most grateful for your feedback.
To all of you. May God enrich you with a time of rest and prepare your hearts for a great start to 2023.
SJQ