SA Artist magazine Issue 34

Issue No.34 R50.00 incl vat

FEATURED ARTISTS: Eben Beukes • Aviva Maree Brian Garcin • Carl Roberts Helena Wagenaar • Jonel Scholtz Louis Stroh vd Walt • Olivia Maritz

• marketing your art online • 2018 Rotary Portrait Award • watercolours for beginners

Issue 34 ISSUE 34

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Note from the studio…

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Quick Art Quiz

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What’s Happening? Exhibition News

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FEATURED ARTIST: AVIVA MAREE

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2018 Rotary Portrait Award

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FEATURED ARTIST: HELENA WAGENAAR

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What’s in store? Product giveaways

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Business of art: Marketing online

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FEATURED ARTIST: OLIVIA MARITZ

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Overcoming artist’s block: DAVID JOHNSON

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FEATURED ARTIST: EBEN BEUKES

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30 Minute Warm Up: DEODANDA BROWN

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BEGINNERS GUIDE TO: Watercolours

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Framing: Frame design part 2

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Plein air painting: The colour study part 2

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FEATURED ARTIST: LOUIS STROH VAN DER WALT

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Big Challenge No.5: win a hamper worth over R3000!

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FEATURED ARTIST: BRIAN GARCIN

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FEATURED ARTIST: JONEL SCHOLTZ

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The life of an artist: ANA DE VLIEG

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FEATURED ARTIST: CARL ROBERTS

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Q&A 74 Guide to 2018 workshops and classes

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Above: Soek en vind 60 x 50 cm; oil on linen

Above right: Erica 50 x 40 cm; oil on linen

inspiration &

imagination

Painting from her imagination, Knysna-based artists Aviva Maree is a keen admirer of Vincent van Gogh. “For his art, his perseverance and his compassion with people. From van Gogh I am still learning the use of colour, and I credit him with my understanding of composition. As Van Gogh did, I choose subjects which are close to my heart, but I keep in mind his saying: ‘Do not become the slave of your model’.”

Other great artists who have inspired her painting style are Irma Stern from whom she learnt to use the brush with confidence; and Francois Krige. “I admire the way in which he established himself as a great artist without seeking the limelight. I focus on my own work in order not be influenced by popular trends.”

By the time she starts painting at the easel, a lot of work has already been done in her head. She is constantly imagining themes and planning scenes even before picking up a brush. “Starting on a new canvas is very exciting for me. I work only on stretched Belgian linen, custom made to size by Winsen’s Canvases in Johannesburg.”

Planning the composition and getting the proportions of the figures right, is most important. She spends many hours fine tuning this stage, which is done in Burnt Amber acrylic paint directly onto the canvas.

“I always stand at the easel while painting. This makes it possible to view the sketch at different lengths and angles, making sure that every 9

Below: Dream Flower 40 x 30 cm; oil on linen

by Amy van den Bergh

2018 Rotary

Portrait Award

This year’s Rotary Portrait Award competition, held as the main event at the Rotary Arts Festival in Rosebank, was nothing less than spectacular. The award is proudly sponsored by GTC, awarding the winner with R20,000.

The judges of the competition were Gordon Froud (UJ Lecturer/ award winning artist), Douw van Heerden (award winning artist, and RAF18 Centre Court artist), and Veronique Hoog (two time Sanlam Portrait Award finalist, and BP finalist). The opening evening was full of festivities, hosted by Mugg & Bean Rosebank and GTC.

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All paintings oil on canvas: Above left: Waiting for Daddy; 50.8 x 60.9 cm Above: Little ballerinas; 40.6 x 50.8 cm Below left: The lump; 40.6 x 50.8 cm Below: Well then we’ll just wait; 40.6 x 50.8 cm Oppposite page left and right: Stage 1 and completed versions of “Cousins”; 40.6 x 50.8 cm

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THE BUSINESS OF ART

by Malcolm Dewey

MALCOLM DEWEY is an artist and art teacher based in the Eastern Cape. He paints landscapes, seascapes and figure studies.

You can view his gallery, sign up for FREE art lessons and more at his website.

In this series we are going to explore ways to start your art business, promote and grow it. It is a dream for most artists to either start an art side hustle or dive into full time art business. Very few take the plunge despite having plenty of talent. This is not surprising.

marketing online to

your ideal audience ’s Malcolm hop rks next wo lfred: in Port A 4th 23rd & 2 18 0 August 2 22

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4 STEP 1: Reworking a painting that I’m not happy with, I’ve turned it upside down and drawn into it with a thin solution of oils and a rigger to allow spontaneity and freedom. It’s important not to cover an old painting with white paint, but to allow the underpainting of the old work to pop through.

Should you need to sand down thick layers of paint remember to wear a mask to avoid inhaling toxic airborne particles of paint - especially Cadmiums.

STEP 2: Quickly block in large darker areas to conceal the painting underneath.

STEP 3: The new painting is beginning to take on a life of its own. I continue to fill in colour working from my darkest darks to lights. Darks need to be applied in a thin layer so that they don’t reflect light this can be tricky especially if the underpainting has a thick layer of paint. Try not to destroy areas where the old painting is showing through successfully.

STEP 4: Knowing when to stop is as important as the whole painting process. I often find these pieces happen quicker than work started from scratch.

Don’t be afraid to overwork a piece completely. If you’re not happy with a painting pack it away and rework it at a later stage.

STEP 1: I’ve drawn the image with charcoal into wet acrylic then allowed it to dry completely. Before sealing the layer of acrylic with an acrylic sealant I pasted strips of scrapbooking paper in areas of the background then sealed the whole painting. Once dry I’m ready to paint. Backgrounds can sometimes be challenging, for this reason I like to add as much as possible to the area, which can be deconstructed once the work is complete. It’s important that the work exits as a unified whole.

STEP 3: Still working with dark and mid values the painting is relatively dark. Just because the textures of the paper is quite dominant it doesn’t mean I will keep them. You will notice I’m working background and subject with the same intensity. They form a whole, not separate entities.

STEP 2: I block in the darks first, then the mid tones. Lights and whites are left till last. Taking a huge risk I also add stencil to the baby’s blanket - keeping in mind that I can always scrape away at a later stage.

STEP 5: While the background is still strong it created the illusion that the figure is leaning against fabric which I was happy with. The emotion of the figure holding her first grandson was my focus.

STEP 4: I’m beginning to define the lighter values while destroying some of the stencilled parts

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Pastels

overcoming

artist’s block

Struggling to find the inspiration for something to paint?

Here are some tips for finding a ‘hook’.

by David Johnson

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30 Pastels

minute warm up

with Deodanda Brown

Starting off your painting session with a short study is a great way to loosen up. These paintings need not be saleable, and although you could turn out some little gems, this is not the end goal. Painting with this kind of freedom means that you will be more experimental and it will help to ‘get your eye in’ and develop your hand-eye coordination to a reasonable level.

Start the clock...

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Besides warming up these quick exercises are ideal for experimenting with specific aspects such as creating expressionistic atmosphere in your work or improving a painting’s design.

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I often choose one of my small oil paintings as reference photo for my pastel studies.

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If you use a photo as reference remember that simple colour schemes such as complementary schemes can be very effective for these quick paintings.

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Use different types of strokes to put down colour such as circular and flat, short and long, thick and thin.

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Work with different lengths of pastel pieces and vary the pressure to create different marks.

Deodanda’s Tips: • Use a reference photo with a simple but interesting design and avoid too much detail • Think colour impact by playing with warm and cool notes in the shadows, mid tones and highlights • Vary your goal with each warm up exercise to keep it interesting and meaningful • Don’t criticize yourself, remember there are no failures with these exercises.

e-mail: Deodanda.brown.fineart@gmail.com | Facebook: Deodanda Brown

ESSENTIALS

beginners guide to

watercolours

If you’ve never tried watercolours, it can be difficult deciding exactly what equipment to buy. This guide to watercolours explains everything you need to get started.

PAINT TUBE PAINTS: The paint in tubes is a thicker liquid and can be used straight out of the tube or thinned with water. Tube paint colours are more concentrated than that of pans. 93 out of 96 Winsor and Newton tube colours in the Professional Water Colour range are classed as “permanent for artists’ use”, rated AA or A for archival permanence to ensure that these colours used today will appear the same for generations to come.

WATERCOLOUR MARKERS: These are watercolours in pen-form.

Blending varies depending on the paper you use, but they’re designed to make gorgeous washes when combined with water. Because they have dual nibs, you can also use them for fine detail and sweeping line thicknesses.

BRUSHES Buy the best synthetic or synthetic-blend brushes you can find in a variety of sizes and types: Brushes with soft absorbent fibres like golden taklon or sable. Start with a 25mm flat brush for background washes; a small selection of round brushes from number 4 to number 14; and a rigger which is useful for fine lines. Avoid using stiff hairs such as hog bristle. Look after your brushes by cleaning them with mild soap and cold water after each session, and store them in a tube or roll.

PAN (OR CAKE) PAINTS: These are concentrated blocks of paint.

When water is added, the colour becomes activated. One drawback is that colours can become contaminated when moving from pan to pan without washing your brush.

GOUACHE: Some consider gouache to be its own form of paint, but it is really an opaque form of watercolour. It can produce results similar to acrylics or oils, or can be thinned to mimic watercolour. It can be used in conjunction with watercolour to strengthen highlights or intensify colours.

PAPER COLD PRESS: The paper is rolled on cold cylinders during the manufacturing process which produces an irregular dimple pattern.

An ideal palette of transparent pigments consists of: French Ultramarine, Phthalo Blue, Hansa Yellow Light, Hansa Yellow Deep, Quinacridone Red, Quinacridone Magenta or Rose, Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna.

HOT PRESS: A bit smoother in texture since the paper is rolled on hot cylinders during the manufacturing process. Brush strokes are usually visible on hot press papers.

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Words and photos: Pieter Jacques Krugel Paintings by RenĂŠ Snyman

plein air painting:

the colour study part 2 47

Top left: African Veld; 100 x 80 cm; oil on superwood

Top right: Skyline; 40 x 45 cm; oil on superwood

Above left: Next to the Line; 40 x 30 cm; oil on superwood

Above right: Clouds over Overberg; 120 x 100 cm; oil on canvas

values and at the end lighter colours cutting into the darker ones. At this stage I concentrate on texture, line and light.”

I moved to Andrew Rabie High School in P.E., thereafter the Hugo Naude Art Centre In Worcester and finally De Villiers Graaff High School in Villiersdorp from 2012 to 2015”.

Louis has no set routine but prefers to work in the early hours of the morning between 1am and 6am. Classical music fills the air of this relaxed space: never too organised or too tidy. “Canvas or Superwood is attached to the walls - all depending on what I decide to use. I only use my easel when I work on glass, metal or thick wood. I don’t want to worry too much about messing paint on the walls and floor.

My palette is an old buffet on wheels that I can manoeuvre wherever it is needed.” Using his pc screen, he paints mainly from his own photographs.

His work has been included in the collections of SANAVA – Jean Welz Gallery Worcester, Spier Stellenbosch, Sun International, Nandos UK, Special Forces Headquarters Pretoria, the Dutch Reformed Church Head Office Pretoria and Mooifontein Reformed Church Kempton Park, as well as private collections in SA, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Denmark and China.

His advice for beginners: “You play music or an instrument, ‘play’ referring to pleasure and joy. Think of your art in the same way: playing with your material. Keep it simple in the beginning. If you paint, use mostly primary colours - you can easily get lost in a muddy grey brown if you use too many colours. Do not be afraid to destroy your work of art and rework it. You are in charge!”

When he received the Maggie Laubser Bursary for painting in 1993, he studied Fine Art through the University of Stellenbosch. He also studied History of Art through Unisa and received a Diploma for Higher Education from Normaal Kollege Pretoria. After many years of teaching, Louis began painting professionally in 2002. “I started teaching in 1988 at Wesvalia High School in Klerksdorp. Then in 1994 53

Watercolour

FEATURED ARTIST: BRIAN GARCIN

Arches 3 0 0g sheets are onl y R

189.00

attentive

at The Italia Artsho n p

hyaena

Description of work involved in painting “Attentive Hyaena”.

1. I paint on d’Arches 300gsm (140lb) rough paper which is made in France and is 100% cotton. I soak the paper in a tub for between five to fifteen minutes before I staple it onto my painting board. The board is substantial, about 16mm thick. Thinner board will become distorted as the stretched paper shrinks back into position.

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The paper when laid out on the board before stapling should be dried (patted dry with a towel until no wet shiny bits remain) this is to stop the paper from buckling. I use staples because butchers tape, the 50mm wide brown gummed paper that I used to use seems difficult to find in present times.

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light to dark, allowing the lightest painted areas to dry and then applying the darker colours. I keep the paper wet by spraying with my spray bottle. Once the paper has dried, it is “dead” and will not work as you need it to. It should only be allowed to dry when you choose to let it.

As can be seen, I work “alla prima” this means that I work at the painting in one session until it is done.

3. I consider myself an impressionist wild life watercolour painter. I see no reason why oils or pastels should be considered superior to water colour, the pigments used to manufacture each of the mediums is the same, it is merely the medium which differs. Watercolour is transparent, the other mediums are not and because of this, watercolour does not allow mistakes to be corrected as with the opaque mediums with which mistakes are merely painted over. More care therefore has to be taken with the preparation and planning of the painting with watercolours.

I start my works with as accurate a sketch as I can. I use photographs as a reference. In this case I have decided to do an Hyaena which has just come across a carcass, over which its peers are fighting.

A white dinner plate faithfully serves as my palette. I do not wash or clean it from one painting to the next, as paint is paint and to wash it away is a waste. I merely work with and around what is there.

4. I have continued applying colour to the body of the hyaena. Being an impressionist I wish/strive to capture light and movement in my paintings. I keep changing the colours that I am applying to avoid monotony and hold the viewers interest. When mixing colours, I try to mix only two, sometimes though I have to mix three together. I never

2. My work is done very wet, so I wet most of the area to be painted with clean water- with either the large mop or the hake brush. I then lay down the darkest areas as I am able to. This is contrary to normal accepted watercolour practice, where one is expected to work from

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Above: Zigga (Mauritius painting) 60 x 50 cm oil on canvas

Above right: Saffaye 60 x 50 cm oil on canvas Right: Gypsy 100 x 50 cm oil on canvas

foreign

inspiration

“Have you ever thought about making your ART on a tropical island? Getting AWAY from the grey, cold of winter and out into the SUN!” This tempting invitation popped up when Jonel Scholtz decided to do an internet search for an artist residency in Mauritius. The Tamarin Arts Centre in Black River is a venue for artists to come together to share ideas and create works of art in a special and creative environment. Their website states: “We envision The Tamarin Arts Centre becoming a catalyst for new ideas & creativity - a vibrant working space for local artists, art groups and members of the local community; a home for art events, art classes and lectures; a welcoming environment for tourists and visiting artists from abroad. Our mission at Tamarin Arts Centre is to create a place where the local arts community can thrive and share their ideas and teachings”. Jonel needed no further encouragement. She submitted a portfolio of work and was accepted.

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THE LIFE OF A WORKING ARTIST

Warm up’s occur

by Ana de Vlieg

while life happens

Ana Pereira de Vlieg is a practicing South African Artist born in Mocambique. Having studied Fine Art and Post Graduate Education and managed and designed for a Furniture Creation company back in the 80’s, Ana now runs private art sessions , teaches, trains and encourages the therapeutic benefits of Art. Her passion is Colour Mixing and Meaning, Art as Healing, and developed a Drawing course called “Draw your way to Seeing” to learn skills of formal art and to determine one’s own signature within the safe environment of her studio.

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Top left: Thorn in my Foot; 76 x 71 x 19 cm Left: Escape; 55 x 40 x 20 cm Above top: Paradise lost; 46,5 x 25 x 11 cm Above: Yoga Man; 109 x 97 x 16 cm Opposite page top: Swimmer; 39 x 344 x 18 cm Middle right: Icarus; 230 x 200 x 30 (Pretoria Art Museum) Bottom right: Avatar; 120 x 130 x 40 cm

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YOUR GUIDE TO 2018 WORKSHOPS Whether you’re keen to start painting; or you’d like to brush up on your skills; learn to use a different medium or experiment with a new style - there is a workshop here to suit everyone.

Use this guide to plan your creative fix for the rest of 2018

GAUTENG

JULY 2018 Koi & special effects: Nicky Thomson 19 July; 09:30-16:00;Fourways/Kyalami Contact Nicky 0828824791; nickythomsonart@gmail.com/val@pinet.co.za Watercolour pencils with Helena vd Nest 21 July. Waverley, Pretoria Contact Helena: 0848601610 Pastels: Landscapes with David Johnson 28 to 29 Jul. Kempton Park.

Contact: David 0838785588 davidjohnsonartsa@gmail.com Abstract mixed media 28 July. Purple Palette: Mall@Reds; Centurion Contact Rene: 0826911288 Ceramics Demo with Martin Swart 28 July. 14:00 to 17:00 The Pottery Studio, Bryanston Gillian Clark: ceramicssa@icon.co.za 074 782 2640 French Food, Wine and Art 29 July. Kempton Park. Contact Ajay: 011 972 8557 / ajay@ajaysart.co.za AUGUST 2018 Mixed Media with Helena vd Nest

4 Aug. Waverley, Pretoria Contact Helena: 0848601610 Mixed Media portrait: Nicky Thomson 9 Aug; 09:30-12:30;Fourways/Kyalami Contact Nicky 0828824791; nickythomsonart@gmail.com/val@pinet.co.za Ladies night - Music in a glass 10 Aug. Purple Palette: Mall@Reds; Centurion Contact Rene: 0826911288 Creativity Workshop with Helena vd Nest 18 Aug. Waverley, Pretoria Contact Helena: 0848601610 Palette Knife with Ina Van Schalkwyk & Petra Stiglingh 20 to 24 Aug. Krugersdorp.

Contact: Sarel Barnard 0116605548 or 0715413909 sarel.barnard01@gmail.com Atmospheric Seascape: Nicky Thomson 23 Aug; 09:30-16:00; Fourways/ Kyalami. Contact Nicky 0828824791; nickythomsonart@gmail.com/val@pinet.co.za Flower Power 25 Aug. Purple Palette: Mall@Reds; Centurion Contact Rene: 0826911288 Pastels: Landscapes with David Johnson 25 to 26 Aug. Kempton Park.

Contact: David 0838785588 davidjohnsonartsa@gmail.com 76

Oils: Darks and Lights with Elaine Marx 25 to 26 Aug. Benoni.

Contact: Elaine 0845816340 elaine@artalive.co.za SEPTEMBER 2018 New Beginnings with Helena vd Nest 1 Sept. Waverley, Pretoria Contact Helena: 0848601610 Live Figure Drawing with Ajay 2 Sept. Kempton Park. Contact Ajay: 011 972 8557 / ajay@ajaysart.co.za Expressive Flowers: Nicky Thomson 13 Sept; 09:30-12:30; Fourways/Kyalami Contact Nicky 0828824791; nickythomsonart@gmail.com/val@pinet.co.za Ladies night - It is Spring!

14 Sept. Purple Palette: Mall@Reds; Centurion Contact Rene: 0826911288 World inspiration with Helena vd Nest 15 Sept. Waverley, Pretoria Contact Helena: 0848601610 Landscapes: Nicky Thomson 20 Sept; 09:30-16:00; Fourways/Kyalami Contact Nicky 0828824791; nickythomsonart@gmail.com/val@pinet.co.za