Vanuit die argiewe

Pasella skietdag vir GYA

GYA (Green Your Art) verskyn 23 November 2011 op Pasella, waarin ons vir die kyker wys hoe om papier, rysmeelgom en kleursel vanaf plantmateriaal te maak... Hier is 'n paar foto's van die skietdag wat by Doodle Creative Space in Vredehoek plaasgevind het.

Pasella-aanbieder Crystal-Donna het hierdie kunswerkie gemaak na my en Nicolle se demonstrasies

 

Mede-kunstenaar Nicolle Marais, Kunstenaar en eienaar van Doodle Creative Space, Elzette, en ekke

Nog foto's

Meer oor GYA

En kom ons slaan oor na Engels vir...

More about the space:

Last week I dragged hubby to the Space for a session of working with clay. Pierre made a small bust, and I made a very organic-looking flowering container. They're still on the drying rack at the space, which explains the lack of photographs of these pieces. Doodle Creative Space is very well equipped for painting, ceramics, pottery, mosaics, and almost any other arty thing that you could think of save for metalwork. The prices for sessions, classes, space and materials are incredibly reasonable, and the atmosphere is comfortable, creative and wonderful. Bring a bottle of wine and snacks to enjoy while you create, and make use of the balcony to take a break and take in some fresh air. Here's the contact information for the space:

Illustration for Greenpop

Illustration that I did on Monday for Greenpop's Good Things Happen When You Plant a Tree campaign. This is printed on the Assembly's latest line-up brochure, as the collector's poster on the flip-side. It is also used in the flyer for their third COOL AS FOLK party: ecojunki.blogspot.com/2011/10/greenpop-cool-as-folk-party-at-assembly.html

Ink in water: the essence of substance

Dew drops on a leaf of my small cherry tree

Die November 2011 uitgawe van Sarie!

Ek is ingesluit in 'n artikel oor vroue wat 'n deel vir die natuur doen, saam met Riana van Nieuwenhuizen wat bewaringswerk vir jagluiperde doen, en Natalie Rowles wat in Kwazulu-Natal reeds ongeveer 3000 bome verskaf het aan skole. 'n Uitreksel uit my stuk:

"...Maar enigiets wat die moeite werd is, verg vasbyt. Uitdagings bring groei. Elke groen kuns-oorwinning is 'n oorwinning vir die aarde."

Een van die groot redes waarom ek deelmaak van hierdie artikel, is a.g.v. GYA (Green Your Art) wat ek saam met Nicolle Marais as deel van ons Atelaya Art Collective aan die gang hou. Lees meer oor GYA by www.gya.withtank.com.

A fine balance

Emotion bubbling and boiling over the edge
Anger blinding the eyes of compassion
Love forgiving and nurturing all pain
Apathy has no place in a world full of passion

Nearly almost tipping over the ledge
Simply never releasing the hold of age
And always to be washed away by rain
Is the remnants of yesterday's rage

Feel. Heal. Aspire.

Koekenaap workshop: part four

The open day was held at the Wesland Kunsvereniging building in Vredendal, and in almost record-breaking time we managed to hang and display all the artworks for viewing. These are the artworks that I have created in 10 days' time in Koekenaap:

Koekenaap: Seedpod, acrylic on found paper, 148 x 95mm, 2011.

Koekenaap: Transpirasie II, wine and ash on paper, 320 x 230mm, 2011

Koekenaap: Kliphard, watercolour & pencil on paper, 400 x 290mm, 2011

Asem, leafprint on paper, 148 x 100mm, 2011

Blare in 'n ry geplak - sketsboek werk

Work in progress

My Koekenaap work, laid out on the floor of the hall.

Detail: Bound to Earth, mixed media on wood, 590 x 155mm, 2011.

The workshop was an incredible opportunity for creative experimentation and growth. The people I met have all in some way taught me something about myself, themselves and about art.

Koekenaap workshop: part three

 

Losing track of time and my ability to keep a diary of the workshop, time flowed and snaked like a river. We took some more walks, and watched How Art Made the World, the Bob Marley documentary, and listened to Kathy Coates' Lagos, my Lagos. We also did blind contour drawing, portrait drawings as a group - using each other as models - and an incredibly fun exercise where we expressed the sound of music snippets onto a large-scale paper surface (basically musical chairs with drawing materials!)

Harriet, Mariam and George all busy with clay sculptures

It's not just about the art.
It's about the people, about connections, collaboration, community and supporting each other. And how fitting that I would regain an enjoyment for figure drawing during the workshop - thank you Nico & Leeu for the life drawing session, it was incredible and very supportive!

Sulandi Hunter

Helping each other, encouraging and giving constructive criticism - this created a space of respect and understanding, in which I felt an absolute freedom to create and express. I want to bring that feeling into my everyday life - we all need a comfortable and supportive space to live and grow in, not only artists.

Just some of the incredible, inspiring artists that I was privileged to meet. From left to right: Miranda Kruger, Nico Eilers, George Meyer, Jarrett Erasmus, Wanda Bester and Donovan Stevens

Koekenaap workshop: part two

 

3 October, Monday

 yoga after sunrise

breakfast and painting

meeting a new friend

land art raking leaves

taking photographs

documenting

delicious lunch

talking, inspiring, absorbing

explorative guided tree walk

building a booklet

constructing

dinner

share, talk, discuss, read, enlighten

write, draw

smell the leaves and berries

sleep

 

Kuier om die vuur, snags na 'n dag se werk. Die life of the party: George en Adri - albei met pittigste sêgoed en grappe. 

Stappies in die omgewing, laataand kuiers om die vuur en kunsmaak-sessies met toewyde konsentrasie - en soms konsternasie - vleg inmekaar in, sodat minute ure raak en ure sommer vinnig-vinnig in dae verander. Die tyd vlieg verby.

Die natuurlewe, landskap en self murasies was 'n visuele fees, en net soos wat die heerlike kos elke dag ons gevoed het, het dit ons kunswerke inspireer en gelei.

We went to Doringbaai, and I could've sat on the beach for HOURS just listening to and looking at the sea - words can't even begin to describe what I felt, heard and saw!

From chaos beauty can grow, just as life grows from decay in nature. Too often we perceive things (experiences, objects, people, events, etc.) as 'bad' without realizing the value and potential within it to grow and transform into something better and exquisite (making you a stronger person; an ugly duckling turning into a swan; someone learning from and helping others because of their worst mistakes and 'bad' experiences). And from the chaos that most of the time made it hard to find things in the studio, we created artworks that inspire and celebrate life.