Enthusiasm
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​c. 1600, from Middle French enthousiasme (16c.) and directly from Late Latin enthusiasmus, from Greek enthousiasmos "to be inspired or possessed by God, be rapt, be in ecstasy," from "divinely inspired, possessed by God" "The dominant focus as I work is the quality of my thoughts and the connection to the refinement of emotion during my creative process. I try to create from a place of inspired action or enthusiasm. The process of art creation can be a deeply cathartic experience and painful thought patterns are often evoked. Dwelling on unpleasant thoughts is weirdly addictive and hard to be aware of and avoid. Solitude also evokes deeply held memories and emotions., therefore, keeping my focus clear, honest and joyful is a discipline similar to meditation. My subject matter is either figurative or abstract representations of the ‘dream or unseen’ world, filled with versions of South African flora and fauna.In a sense, I am painting an altered state, a liminal world between here and the plane of thoughts and dreams”
Born in the USA
A white South African artist and an African American/Navajo musician made love and music in a New York apartment in the 60's. She never saw him again. Nine months later, I arrived. That's a story for another time...
Born in California and raised in a little town in South Africa, my twin sisters and I grew up eating my mothers wholesome organic garden produce and running wild with the creatures on the mountains of Pilgrims Rest. Having witnessed the struggle of my highly creative, yet economically challenged mother as a child, I ran away from my obvious vocation - vowing I would not become a "struggling artist" by the age of 12. Despite that vow, I have been a crafter, artist and maker of things ever since, driving my dear mother batty with my penchant for cutting up my clothes as a tenager to re-make them in my own style. I sold my first art and craft works at age 10 - papier maché animals, rag dolls and Barbie doll outfits. I enjoyed packaging them as much as making them. Apparently, people bought them to frame as little artworks.
Vintage markets. Botanical art photography. Fashion. Japanese art movies. Spiritual philosophy. Chilean writer Isabel Allende’s novels. Patterns. They are EVERYWHERE. I’m obsessed with them.
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The curvilinear era, Art Nouveau, and all its artists; Klimt, Mucha, Mackintosh from the Arts and Crafts Movement, African & European Folk Art. The romantic, stylized artistic expression of that period. Feminine whimsy - boldness in shapes and vivid colours.
