Only through art can personal visions be translated into wonders of the canvas.
The Koekerasie Tea Garden was a delight of artistic flair on Saturday and Sunday, October 8 and 9. Hosted by Susan Allin, several artists graced the quaint venue with dashes of colour and canvas-based treasures to inspire the imagination. The art exhibition allowed the eight artists the platform to share their stories, discuss the hidden meanings of their work and entice collectors to make additional room on their walls.
Pierre Terreblanche was one exhibitor who is more a crafter than a painter. He makes functional art of recycled materials and also sells a moulding and finishing products. Thabisile Dlamini considers herself a beginner but in her three years of committing work to canvas has developed a talent for bringing animals to life with superb details and vivid colour. Harare native Learnmore Masawii, is inspired by his father’s love of art and creates portraits that beautifully capture the expressions of the human face.
A love of contrasting colours and themes are a staple of Kim Paxton’s work while Charleen Burger uses her 50 years of brushwork to bring to life the landscapes she has passed by on her journeys. Varied in themes and versatile in application, Julia Groenewald uses multiple materials and textures to exude the passions that fuel her personal desires as Cornelie Wolff matches her with a pleasure in telling the stories of her subjects.
Sharing a little something with each of her fellow artists, Susan leans mostly into her embrace of water. Whether a child running on the beach, the tranquility of a city canal or the undisturbed splendour of a countryside river, Susan describes her work as “hopes, dreams and memories”.
