interview

shortly after the exhibition opening i was 

interviewed by the Tonight section of the Daily News Durban,

i thought i would share it with you ;)

here is the unedited version: 

1. How did your journey in art begin?

i was introduced to art at an early age by my grand-mother who was an art lover and my uncle who was an artist and cartoonist.  

they introduced me to the work of masters like Joan Miro, Paul Klee, Picasso and Hundertwasser whom i admire. 

my life took many different turns and careers until 6 years ago when i decided i needed more playfulness and creativity in my world.

i started going to art classes and taking a lot of online creativity courses, i've explored many different style, mediums and techniques since then 

and those explorations are steadily taking me to my own voice and style. 

2. What does the exhibition, Lied Behind represent/symbolise? And being your first solo exhibition, how are you feeling at this point?

lies behind, my first solo exhibition, is all about faces. to me they represent the many faces/masks we "wear" daily to fit in, to belong, to be accepted... 

my faces are playful yet they give a glimpse into other emotions, they invite the viewer to pay attention, to take a deeper look at what may lie behind the masks and the lies we tell ourselves and others. 

this year i mostly worked alone in my studio at home so that i wouldn't get too influenced by others opinions. so when i put my work out there for the exhibition i didn't really know 

what to expect. all i knew was that i had done all i could, that i had had a good time producing that body of work and that i loved what i had painted. yet i also feel like i am at the beginning of 

the journey, i still have so much to learn and explore. 

3. It's a very interesting concept of painting a face a day for 365 days. How did this concept come about?

last year i went to Italy for an art workshop with american artist Misty Mawn in Orvieto. we painted mostly faces for a week. being in that environment, surrounded by others artists, was incredibly inspiring and stimulating for me. 

while i was there i wondered what it would be like to paint diligently every day for a year and where it would take me. so a few of us decided we would take up the challenge from the 1st of january 2015 for 365 days. 

on the first day of 2015 i was still doubtful whether i should take on this big challenge or not and then decided to give it a go, wondering how i would feel by the end of the year if i had tried and how i would feel if i hadn't tried. 

my artist friend Jeanne Marie Webb www.flowrsinherhair.co.za (whom i met in Orvieto) decided to jump in with me and off we went, that was 322 days and 322 faces ago! 

4. Can you tell me more about your creative process and where you get your ideas from?

i always start a painting with a colourful busy background, i use collage and mixed media to get started, getting rid of the intimidating blank canvas and adding interest and layers to the piece. i work form my imagination, 

often finding a face in the pre-prepared background. i get ideas from observing people, their features and behaviours. 

5. Were there any challenges that you faced as an artist over the years?

i think most of my challenges as artist have been about confidence. being a self taught artist i'm never really sure about where i am at with my work and whether i am "good enough and also about finding my own unique style and 

painting "voice". 

6. What can art lovers expect from attending the exhibition? 

hopefully they will smile! they can expect many faces to be looking back at them and they might even find glimpses of themselves in some of them. 

7. Any additional comments?

i want to thank Roz Cryer, my art teacher and friend for pushing me to have an exhibition, artist Dee Donaldson for her wisdom and guidance, artSPACE Durban for the opportunity to exhibit in their gallery and people close to me for their love and support on this journey (you know who you are! ).