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!

Winter Winelands Art Exhibition

The Tank Gallery, Stellenbosch Hills

The opening of our Winter Winelands Art Exhibition last night was a huge success. I would guess that at least 50 or 60 people attended in spite of the very cold weather. Once inside, each received a welcome drink. The tasting area was open for wine tasting and we had some delicious platters. The fireplace warmed the whole interior and created a very warm and relaxed atmosphere.

We are a total of 8 artists who are exhibiting there for the whole of June. If you missed the opening, gather a few friends and drive out there, you will really enjoy it. You can book a wine and biltong tasting which you can enjoy with the beautiful art. Maybe you get inspired to also buy one or two art pieces.

A total of 4 art works were sold last night which included one of my own. For those who are not near Cape Town, I have prepared a page on my website, Painted Canvas, with pictures of all of my paintings which are on display. If you wish to buy one, please send me a mail with your details. I will then check with the gallery if it is still available and we can take it from there.

Here follow a few pics of the event:

Rose of Sharon

When I was asked if I am willing to do a painting that can be auctioned at a women's day event in August, I immediately thought of flowers. I always think of roses first, since they are my favourite flowers. However the more thought I gave to it, the more I wanted to do a flower that is not only beautiful but also symbolises something deeper.

In the book Song of Songs in the Bible, Solomon talks about the Rose of Sharon. He says: "I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valley." Because that passage actually points to Jesus as the rose of Sharon, for me it symbolises purity and beauty. I therefor decided to do the painting of the rose of Sharon, since it also fits with the woman Solomon describes in Proverbs 31 of noble character and whose worth is far more than that of rubies.

Although there are different opinions as to which flower was described as the rose of Sharon, most wise people say that it is the Hibiscus.

Not only is it a very beautiful flower, but the play of light and shadow makes this a very beautiful painting.

New Beginnings!

It's been more than a year that I have last posted anything on this blog. My apologies. The thing is just that I took a break from painting the greater part of last year. I felt like my art wasn't improving and together with a lot of other stuff happening I just felt I needed a break.

Looking back I realize that it was a good decision. All of a sudden it feels as if things are moving forward and falling into place. There are possibilities of doors opening at galleries - nothing concrete yet, but at least people (other than my mother) is showing interest in my art!

Over the next week I will mention more about that. What I can say is that I have to / want to do at least 7 new paintings before June that will be exhibited at a group exhibition on a wine farm near Stellenbosch. I am also working on 3 paintings that will be auctioned for different charity causes later this year.

Hopefully I will have time to post regularly every week on this blog. Here are pics of a few of my latest paintings.

The Story of Koos Hout

It was a couple of years back that my sister and I visited the small fisherman’s village of Velddrif on the west coast of South Africa. Velddrif is well known for its bokkoms (small sundried fish). Among other things we spend quite some time in the Bokkom lane. It is a short gravel road on the banks of the Berg river. It is there that you find thousands of bokkoms hanging in the sun to dry. It is also there where you can watch pelicans and many other bird species from the banks of the river or from a boat. It is there that you can enjoy the best ever calamari steak at the Vishuis. But it is also there that you can meet the local fisherman and enjoy their dialect which is so unique to that area.

It was during that visit that we met Koos Hout, just an ordinary fisherman busy at work, hanging out bokkoms in the sun. He made such an impression on us with his unique and strong facial features. We stopped and spoke to him. We asked if we could take photo of him. We chatted some more, and then went our way and Koos went on working.

Last year when I wanted to enter the SPI Portrait Competition and I had to decide of whom I am going to paint a portrait, the first face that entered my mind was that of Koos Hout. By that time I had forgotten his name but I had not forgotten his face. I did the painting and while I was doing it I have decided I was going to give this painting to him as a gift.

Yesterday a friend and I went to Velddrif with the painting in the back of my bakkie. Our mission was to go to the Bokkom lane, find the man and give the painting to him. We arrived there and looked and asked around, but no one knew the man I was describing. Then I saw a young man at the smallest bokkom house. I showed him the painting. He said he is not sure, it looks like Oom Koos, but maybe it is Gert! There was another larger building and he said I must take the painting there, maybe they will know. I showed it to them and as one they said: “Maar dis mos Kosie”. Yes it was Koos Hout. 

The young man took us to the humble house of Koos Hout. I cannot say for sure if he recognised me. Maybe he did, because when I shook his hand and gave him the painting, if felt like we knew each other. Never in his life will he forget that moment that someone blessed him with something that he did not expect. I do not think that the thought of obtaining an original oil painting would ever have entered his mind. Never in my life will I forget that moment when I had the privilege to witness such gratitude.

Painted Canvas Website Make-over

Finally! Our Painted Canvas website has undergone some major "cosmetic surgery"!

After hours of intensive hard work our brand new, bright and colourful website is online with a freshness like the morning dew on a new spring day. I am so poetic about this, but I am so excited about the new look. It just adds to all the new and exciting ideas we have for our creative careers. I don't know about you, but I am excited about next year. I believe it is going to be the best year of my life so far!

Here is the link to the website:
Painted Canvas.
You can bookmark it as one of your favourites and there is a Facebook button on the home page that you can click if you like it.

Other news is that we are on a roll with our commissions. We have already finished about 16 of the 33 commissions we have received after the exhibition and last night we have received 6 more commissions, 3 for me and 3 for Simonette.

I have just realised during the last few months how true these words are:
"Where there is focus, there is expansion."

Enjoy our new website!

Cacti and succulents - small paintings

Its been a while since my last post. I have been very busy with all my commissions. It seems that a lifelong dream is finally making its way towards reality. That dream has always been to make and create art, not only as a hobby but as a way of life and living.

I do not know all the answers - I do not even know all the questions! - I do not know all the secrets of famous artists, but I have learned a few things:

• Two is better than one- the wise Solomon has told us that many moons ago! Since Simonette and I have joined forces, both our careers have seen tremendous growth.
• Technology should be used - how else will be able to show our work to so many people all around the world.
• Facebook has a purpose - I think we all know how important networking is.

I also believe that our fortune is just God's way of rewarding hard work. And for those who don't know it - painting is hard work! But I love every minute of it!

Two of my commissions consisted of 11 small cacti and succulent paintings. People really seem to like this a lot.
Here is a pic of the whole lot of them together.