ARTIST STATEMENT
My desire when I paint is to create works that instill within the viewer a deeper sense of calm and appreciation for nature. My objective is to draw people into my artworks so that they can find the creative spirit within themselves. I believe that we are all artists; we may not express it in paint, clay, or charcoal, but we have the power to create beauty in our own environments and share it with others. I have a deep love for nature and animals. My deepest desire is to use my talent to bring the viewer closer to experiencing flora and fauna within their own homes - a relief from the concrete jungle we live in.
I cannot say for sure where my love for oil painting came from, but one of my earliest memories was when my mother would take me to the art store once a month on her payday, and she would buy me ‘paint-by-numbers’. I would fall in love with the smell of those little tubs of paint and the distinct scent of the linseed oil contained therein - every time. Growing up in South Africa, the African landscape and its rich colors embedded themselves within my spirit. Irma Stern, Vincent van Gogh, and Claude Monet are the three artists whose work I resonate with the most. I love their use of texture, emotion, and dominant brushstrokes. It makes you feel like you are observing a painting, not a photograph. Your eyes dance across the canvas, trying to understand what the artist did and what they saw and felt.
As a self-taught artist, I have been guided by my intuition, the medium, and the artwork itself. It is my personal experience that I am only a conduit - the artwork creates itself through me. While in the USA, I had the privilege of meeting Pino Daeni and Howard Behrens - contemporary masters who have inspired me in both genre and technique. I have returned home to Africa, Cape Town, after residing in New Zealand, and am so very happy to be here! I look forward to immersing myself in the infinite natural wonders unique to Africa to render artworks that inspire, calm, and tell stories, which allow our minds to be soft and hearts warm.
