Sanlam Portrait Award 2015

The wait is over - the organisers have announced the Top 100 and the Top 40. Congratulations to those people! Unfortunately for myself, my portrait was chosen. But that is okay, I know there were many more than 100 that were absolutely stunning and the judges must have had a very difficult task in deciding which ones to choose.

One of the rules of this competition was that the artist should know the model. Whom better to choose than one of the few people that I've known for my whole life - my earthly father. When I saw him sitting in their sun room relaxing with my cat, Pablo, peacefully asleep on his lap, I just knew that is my portrait. I immediately got my camera and took a few pictures.

My "model" was not posing for this portrait. He was there - in the moment. That was real. That was his life at that moment. And that made my portrait so very special for me. That was personal.

When I started painting, I enjoyed every second. I enjoyed it more than any other painting that I have done!

Am I disappointed that my painting didn't make the top 100 and the top 40? Yes. Am I disappointed that my painting did not win? Yes. It would have placed my art in a whole new category. My name would have appeared in many magazines and all over the web. It would also have been nice to walk away with R100,000 as prize money. Yes I am disappointed, I am human.

Am I going to allow this to let me think less of my self and my art? No. I will work harder. I know God is in control. He is the author of my life and He will reward me at the right time. I will try again, and again and I will get better and better until one day that award will be mine!