SHARING THE CREATIVE MOMENTS OF MY LIFE #2

STILBAAI – translates to ‘quiet bay’

Stilbay on the coast of the Western Cape is one of my family’s favorite places to unwind, especially for a year-end summer holiday. The thing is, this quaint little town is not so quiet in summer though!!

Despite the influx of inland holiday makers, and I mean a lot of them (us)…Stilbay has everything an artist can dream of for tons of inspiration:

Two beautiful sandy beaches, surfers, little children playing in shallow water, colorful beach umbrellas, kite surfers, a lagoon, fishermen, a row of colored houses, a small forest, even a lily pond and off course…the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

I literally take hundreds of pictures, some of them just seconds apart. At sunrise and sunset, colours in the sky and in the reflections change faster than I can type!

There’s a myriad of these moments that I still want to (need to) paint, but I’ve started with a few seascapes…or rather, ‘water’scapes.

My husband John is a keen fly fisherman and he loves the peace and tranquility of his quiet time in or on the water. (I promise he applies the ‘catch-and-release’ method).

I captured him in a moment of solitude in the lagoon.

LONE FISHERMAN 245x203 mm Oil on board — LONE FISHERMAN 245x203 mm Oil on Board

We love having our first coffee of the day on the beach, waiting for the sun to peep over the horizon across the ocean. It is probably the only time that Stilbay is ‘still’…meeting only the occasional jogger or a dog and it’s owner. It really is very early, just after 5 am, but the reward of watching the change of colors, the stillness of the ocean and the peace and quiet is truly worth it.

On one such morning, it was so cloudy that there just wasn’t a chance that the sun could will it’s way through the clouds. I was still in awe of the soft pastel hues in front of me when suddenly hundreds of birds came from behind, adding to the magic of the quiet early morning, then disappearing in the distance….

EARLY MORNING FLIGHT 254 x 203 mm OIl on Board — Early Morning Flight

ORANGE GLOW SUNRISE 150 X 100 mm OIl on Board — Orange Glow Sunrise

It is at dusk, however, that the true magic of Stilbay happens.

The sun sets behind a hill, but the hues that is on display both in the sky and in the water’s reflection is just beyond words. It is spectacular. And the show goes on for about two hours!

We normally go for long beach walks, sit on a bench and sip some wine or meet up with friends for sundowners (and a braai afterwards, off course!).

This most definitely, absolutely is my favorite time of the day!!!