An artsy affair in the KNP’s bakkie dust
As the dust settles in the Kruger National Park, the youngster Brent Gademan gathers an ear bud, a toothbrush and mum’s hairspray to produce some windscreen art.
This 15-year-old’s art surfaced on the Facebook group KNP – Best Place on Earth, after he “sketched” a hornbill on their family vehicle, and his dad, Tony, decided to share his son’s creation with other nature lovers.
The Gademan family lives in Pietermaritzburg and Brent has been drawing enthusiastically since he was in grade four; he has all but limited himself to windscreens, though.
Brent said the hornbill took him about 45 minutes to complete.
“I decided to draw it, because a few days earlier I had taken a photo of a hornbill tossing a bone around. I liked this idea and got a picture off the internet.”
This was his second time drawing in the dust on the back of their car. “My first time was two years ago when I attempted to draw a lion. Looking back now, I can see that I have come far since then.”
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Aside from the feedback on Facebook, a lot of campers came by to compliment and to take photos of the now somewhat famous dust hornbill. “One man even suggested that I create a business and stand in the Afsaal picnic site parking lot and take requests.
“It was exciting when a game drive vehicle stopped to congratulate me, and when we went on an evening drive everyone was talking about it without knowing it was me.”
Even though the hornbill made it into the dust, when it comes to his most loved creature, Brent prefers them a bit bigger and less feathered.
“My favourite animal is the elephant. My past few drawings were elephants, because I love the texture of their skin and enjoy paying attention to all the smallest wrinkles.”
Of the cats in the park, his favourite is the leopard. He is currently busy with an oil painting of one. “My love of drawing started when I noticed my ability to see space and texture become easier and I often look at things and say, ‘That looks so fun to draw’.
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“I see inspiration in everything. I have a love for it, because I live a very busy life, and listening to music and drawing for hours on end is a way to block out the busyness of my life.”
Brent said dust is not the easiest medium to work with, because there is little room for error, but when he sees a blank canvas, he has a need to fill it.
Graphite, charcoal and oil paint are some other mediums he enjoys, and he is currently busy with an A1 oil painting of an octopus.
Mum and dad said they have always been supportive of Brent’s work.
“When he says he has an idea for a drawing, we always know it is going to be special. There was never any issue with offering up the back windscreen for art; we knew it was going to be far more beautiful than the slight scratches we may have incurred.”
