Masquerade Sunset

ART PROFILE

I am a self-taught artist with no formal education in Art but have a natural born talent and keen interest in different kinds of art mediums with a National Diploma in Tourism Management,  Human Resources Management and an Masters in Business Administration (MBA) completed 2016.  However educated in the academics, my love for practicing art has always driven my being.

From an early age, growing up on a small-holdings in Sundra (a small town in the East Rand of Johannesburg). I showed interest in art at a young age and believes this comes from both my Mother and Father who were good at art.  Humble beginnings with sketching and water paint ensured that the fire for painting burned continuously.

After my 3 years studies in Tourism Management, I started working in the Human Resources field.  With my first salary I bought myself an oil paint set, brushes and canvas.  Mainly painting for myself and my family, the love grew bigger and as a self-taught artist, became better at it with every try.  To artistically express myself is the most rewarding experience and not something I would mind doing all day. 

In 2009 I discovered Encaustic Art.  Encaustic Art is the art of painting with wax with special low heat equipment.  Upon discovering this, I have grown to love this media of art more than any other art before this and simply cannot stop doing it.

Juggling a career, own recruitment business, further studies and family becomes tricky and many times my hobby had to fall to the waist side.  Finally, I have come to a point in my life where I can incorporate my love for art, my hobby, into my life and am having extreme fulfillment as I create new ideas constantly.  Encaustic art is exceptionally versatile and would rarely try oil or other mediums again.

In 2012 I was contacted by Bloemfontein War Museum who asked me (and other artists all over South Africa) to create and donate them a painting of the Anglo Boer War to be exhibited in their museum.  I created two paintings and donated them to the museum – it is now with their collection.  A great privilege to work amongst great artists.

I plan to do art exhibitions to promote Encaustic Art and my work in the future.  I am part of a selective group of Encaustic Art Teachers teaching in Encaustic Art part time throughout SA and am also a reseller of the encaustic art products and equipment which originates from Holland, and imported by a sole importer, Jann Visser, situated in Cape Town.  My wish is to own a small art shop & gallery where I can create and sell art and teach this special art to others.

I love to create any kind of art but nature scenes, especially trees and landscapes are my favorite. 

Encaustic Art (Art created with coloured bees wax and low heat equipment)

As previously indicated, my main medium is Encaustic Art which is art created with coloured bees wax and low heat equipment.  I use the wax directly onto canvas (with encaustic art low heat iron, stylus and with hot air gun), can be formed in different ways (with encaustic art rubber tools and paint scalpers) and sometimes mix it with other materials (such as sand, sticks, wool or just about anything you want to use) to give texture.  The paintings can be buffed lightly with soft tissue which gives the wax a 3D effect and makes it shine.  Because wax sets fast, it cuts the time on a painting about 50% and just as with oil, it can be mixed to get the correct colours and effects.  Even after weeks (that is if you have not sealed it as yet) you can still melt wax and make changes if necessary.  When satisfied that no more changes are necessary, it is coated with wax sealant (also an encaustic art product).

The exclusivity of this type of art lies in the fact that no-one else for that matter will never be able to create a similar image with wax.  This is a unique selling point for a Gallery and also gives the owner reason to bump up the price of the item – selling it as an exclusive piece.

PAST EXHIBITIONS & EXPERIENCE

I never had the opportunity or enough art work to do an exhibition, but have attended various markets selling my collections, doing demonstrations of this unique art form in order to introduce it to the public.  I am however now working on various pieces which I plan to exhibit soon.

One of my highlights, the Bloemfontein War Museum invited myself along with 19 other amateur- and 80 famous artists to each do a painting for the Museum relating to the Anglo Boer War since it was the 100 year commemoration of the Women’s Memorial in October 2013.  The paintings from all artists were donated to the Museum.

I did research on the Anglo Boer War (1906) and decided to do two paintings for them with encaustic products & equipment; ‘Hartseer Moedeloos’ and ‘Aanval op Berghuis’  which were graciously accepted and can now be seen at the Museum (Letters of Receipt and acceptance of the donated paintings can be provided upon request).

“It is here with the spirit of the wind that I will find my soul”