DIALOGUE

Global Dialogue on Art

This Global Dialogue on Art features fellow artists (professional and amateur) and writers, their experiences and takes on art. Artists featured in the Global Dialogue on Art since 2010 are: Candice Breitz, Beezy Bailey II, Wayne Barker, Strijdom van der Merwe, Nicholas Hlobo, John Eppel, Beezy Bailey, Aidan Bennetts, Catherine Christie, Cyril Rolando II, Stephen Lasker & Aidan Bennetts, Cyril Rolando, Craig Hilton-Barber, Michael Wyeth, Gavin Rain, Victoria S Botha, Joan Peeters, Michael Poliza, and Lynda Soutar. To apply to be featured in this section and for more information please email info@sketchbooktrails.com.

Beezy Bailey, Artist & Social Commentator

Dancing Jesus
Artist: Beezy Bailey
15cm high Dancing Jesus [Hava Nagila] cast in pure 18ct gold . ed. 12.

"If you remove the cross from behind Jesus, He looks as if He is dancing. Comprising my recent performance in Copenhagen were sculptures, paintings and drawings. While working on the theme I came about the realisation that when Christ returns to our world, when the Messiah comes, He won't be a rockstar, Mandela-like individual - it will rather be a worldwide, universal awareness within each one of us, of the God within each of us, of our unlimited potential of an eventual heaven on earth." - Beezy Bailey

Biography

"I feel somewhat like a conduit... people ask where I get my inspiration, and I say, from above. I don't really feel personally responsible for the work I produce - it is rather something that flows through me. I am something of a walking paintbrush. I believe in all forms of creativity and indulge in painting, drawing, sculpture, performance and video as a means of my expression. I live for beauty." – Beezy Bailey

Beezy Bailey (William James Sebastian Bailey) was born in 1962 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He received a fine art degree from Byam Shaw School of Art in London in 1986. Beezy's work is represented in several art collections, including the South African National Gallery, SASOL, Durban Art Gallery, BIDVEST, ABSA, Investec, BZW Bank London, Standard Bank Collection, David Bowie Art Collection, the Getty Family Collection, the Oppenheimer Art Collection and numerous private collections around the world.

Vote for South Africa
Artist: Beezy Bailey
April 1994 performance

Performance work at the SA Association of Arts in Cape Town to mark the first democratic elections in South Africa.

"Performance was introduced to me by performance artist Siliva Zaranek who came to speak at our school in London. I recognised it then as an important form of expression and in tune with my showman nature. I have used it since art school, where I did my first performance. In "Vote for South Africa" in 1994, I appeared naked and was painted with images of a heart and doves which I then printed with my body onto a pre hung piece of paper. The performance was four minutes and the piece (paper and video) was sold immediately to an important collector." - Beezy Bailey

Beezy has had numerous exhibitions around the globe over the past 24 years and has collaborated with a variety of artists, from fellow South African artist, Zwelethu Mthethwa to David Bowie.

Exhibitions in recent years include Being Blown Backwards into the Future, a group exhibition with alter ego Joyce Ntobe, at Everard Read Gallery Johannesburg, 2008; the exhibition of 'Fallen Angel' at the Johannesburg Art Fair, 2009; Notes from the Empire, a collaborative work with Zwelethu Mthethwa and curated by Christianne Mennicke, at the Kunsthaus, Dresden, 2009; and Beezy organised and curated the 'Art for Africa Fundraiser Auction' comprising 40 top South African and British artists which was held at Sotheby’s Bond Street London in September, 2009.

'Gugu and Child'
Artist: Beezy Bailey / Joyce Ntobe
Oil on canvas, 1700 x 2500mm, 2007

"I invented my alter ego Joyce Ntobe in response to political correctness where artists are chosen on their skin colour in an attempt to rewrite our sad history. I regard this as racist and hence, Joyce Ntobe. In 1992 I submitted a series of three linocuts to the Triennale, a prestigious South African competition, under the name Joyce Ntobe. Joyce's works were promptly bought by the National Gallery, causing a heated controversy about the inverted racism of art world institutions when I - whose own works were rejected by the gallery - revealed that I was the artist and that Joyce was my 'black woman alter ego'." - Beezy Bailey

On where he is now and where he is going:
"We are based in Cape Town (as I have been for a number of years), having two children and living the wonderful life that Cape Town offers. Next year I am showing my Mandela work that I am currently working on at the Nelson Mandela Museum in Transkei, Umtata and then the Everard Read Gallery Johannesburg in May. I am also having a one man show in China while trying to find venues in Germany and England to stage my Dancing Jesus Project which I am currently also working on." - Beezy

'War and Peace'
Artist: Beezy Bailey
Oil, charcoal and enamel on canvas, 91.5 x 122cm, 2010

'Aviation Pioneer'
Artist: Beezy Bailey
Oil and enamel on canvas, 90 x 170cm, 2009

This year has also marked Beezy's arrival on the blogosphere. Describing the internet, Beezy says, "It seems the WWW is a night sky and all the people are stars and I want to touch them all. And have several to keep."
Follow Beezy Bailey’s Blog here.

For more on Beezy Bailey, please go to www.beezybailey.co.za.

Don’t forget to vote for Beezy Bailey on the Sketchbooktrails page on Facebook if you like his work!

Aidan Bennetts, Artist / Designer

Untitled Artist: Aidan Bennetts Reclaimed cardboard tubes, sprayed in yellow paint. 800mm (length) x 600mm (width) x 500mm (height)
Inspiration: Many underprivileged individuals wander around our Woodstock streets, collecting cardboard tubes to sell to recycling companies. This prompted us to help improve their lives by buying the recycled material to create a meaningful art piece.
Biography Aidan Bennetts was born in Johannesburg. As a child, Aidan was an analytical thinker who would make his own toys, often dissecting them and combining them with others. His father, a chemical engineer, allowed his young son into his workshop on the weekends and as he grew up, he fostered within him a passion for quality workmanship, deconstruction and reconstruction. Beyond Art and English, in his scholarly years, he also excelled at trigonometry and practical science. Aidan went on to study fine arts with a focus on sculpture and attained his Bachelor's Degree in Fine Art, from the University of Cape Town. It was during this time he learnt to three dimensionalize forms, to understand the feasibility of product design and how different materials could work together. He opened the Aidan Bennetts Design Studio in 2005 upon completion of his studies and within 4 months secured a valuable contract to develop the interiors for Haiku. Over the few years since starting the studio, it is clear that in every item receives the same commitment to a lifetime of striving for excellence. This high level of commitment flanked with an idiosyncratic sensitivity to environment and community has been reflected by the mainstream media. Aidan Bennetts has become a household name in South Africa. With weekly appearances on Top Billing as a presenter, and extensive radio and print coverage, Aidan has made a well-deserved name for himself with his product and interior designs.

Heart of Gold Artist: Aidan Bennetts Cast polyurethane base that is gold-leafed and fastened with a chain with the Aidan Bennetts' logo. 200mm (length) x 200mm (width) x 300mm (height)
Inspiration: The Aidan Bennetts logo fastened around the heart is a reminder that design is meant to be selfless. We should not design selfishly. Instead we design to better our environment and our future.
For more on Aidan Bennetts, please go to www.aidanbennetts.com. Don’t forget to vote for Aidan Bennetts on the Sketchbooktrails page on Facebook if you like his work!

Catherine Christie, Artist

Butterfly Series
Artist: Catherine Christie

Biography

"The enjoyable, fascinating part about my work is the alchemy - the alchemistic essence. This is the essence of how substances react when they meet and meld / flow together, and what is produced in the interaction. The proverbial alchemist, whose studious efforts eventually lead him/her to turn base alloys (the path of the soul) into gold (becoming conscious), is what inspires my day to day painting. I feel that my work reflects that beautiful yet arduous journey." - Catherine Christie

Christie is based in Hout Bay, Cape Town where she also runs her own gallery. She completed a Bachelor of Art degree at the University of Cape Town in 1989 and is today recognised as one of South Africa's leading contemporary abstract artists.

True to her appreciation of Natural Law, the nature of her style is process driven. The artist uses gravity, chemical reaction and evaporation as her allies. When handling the syrupy paints, she spills, heaves, rubs, sands back, dilutes and drips. Layer upon layer of shear and translucent earthy glazes create an ambiguity of depth and floating form.

Christie's work captures the beauty of Nature. She explores and reveals the weathering effects of exposure and time - unpredictable, yet certain. There is a sense that change is constant - creation, growth, weathering, erosion, repair, decay and rebirth…The rich surfaces on her canvases reflect the cyclical processes of Life.

Catherine Christie's works have been sold to large corporate companies such as Old Mutual/Discovery, Fin Source House, Irish & Ashman amongst many others. Besides taking the corporate and private world by storm, Catherine exhibits her work internationally in Cape Town, Dubai, Germany, Holland, Johannesburg, London, Miami, New York, Perth, Spain and Sydney.

"For the chemical wedding to take place Mercury needs to be present. This is the sacred metal of the alchemist. This is the marriage between light and dark; male and female; yin and yang. It is the search for the Philosopher's Stone; the Holy Grail. We all search for this in our daily lives. When the chemical wedding occurs - the union of male and female - enlightenment is achieved. Balance. Mercury must be present. My work is full of this sacred silver element. The alchemists never underestimated its great importance, especially not Hermes! The Greek God Hermes was the messenger of the Gods to the humans. He straddled both worlds – the physical and the metaphysical. He interpreted the hidden meaning of art." - Christie

Acknowledgements: Leinino K. Haasbroek, Home to Life

Butterfly Series
Artist: Catherine Christie

For more on Catherine Christie, please go to www.catherinechristie.co.za.

Don’t forget to vote for Catherine Christie on the Sketchbooktrails page on Facebook if you like her work!

Cyril Rolando II, Digital Artist

Cupido Digital Artist: Cyril Rolando Time: 20 hours Software: Photoshop CS 2 Tool: Wacom tablet Graphire 3
Cupido It was just... A look to the moon... ...Desires to explore new lands, to caress tenderly new sands, with hands. Wasn't my fault.. It's the light, it was so... ...Affections for the golden eyes, to reach the heart and devise, new skies... The distance.. I couldn't stand more... ...My strength is hard to manage, Mars and Venus in backstage, Bang. I shot the moon.	Cupido C'était simplement.. Un regard vers la lune... ...des désires d'explorer de nouvelles terres, de caresser tendrement de nouveau sables, avec mes mains. Ce n'était pas ma faute.. Sa lumière, c'était si... ... De l'affection pour ses yeux d'or, d'atteindre son coeur et découvrir, des nouveaux cieux. Cette distance.. Je ne pouvais plus supporter... ...Ma force est difficile à maitriser, Mars a rencontré Venus en coulisse, Paf. J'ai buté la lune.
La Biographie "Je suis un psychologue clinicien et je travaille en libéral. J'ai 26 ans et je dessine depuis sept années à travers une démarche autodidacte dans le cadre de l'art digital. Je souhaite travailler avec des concepts originaux, empruntant les voies tracées par Tim Burton et Hayao Miyazaki. Le dessin est un loisir. J'essaie de partager des émotions, de jouer avec les couleurs et de mettre l'accent sur la nature humaine." - Cyril Rolando Biography "I am a French clinical psychologist, working in private practice. I am 26, and have been drawing for seven years after teaching myself how to do digital art. I wish to work with "otherwordly" concepts, borrowing influences from Tim Burton and Hayao Miyazaki. Drawing is my main hobby. I try to share emotions and play with colours to emphasize the human nature." - Cyril Rolando
I don't come from a forest Digital Artist: Cyril Rolando Time: 22 hours Software: Photoshop CS 2 Character: Marlon LostRoot
I don't come from a forest The goat was born on a Canadian meadow, Green and fresh like an emerald sea, A land adorned with maple rubies, Perfect, quiet and enchanted forests, Boring and foreseeable jade paradise, He left to understand what is life. " This is a place where you will find peace, Just stretch yourself out and feel the sun, Rocked by the the chilly northern wind, Trees offer us food, shelter and rest, You will easily take root on this earth, and write the last chapter of your quest. " For the first time Marlon was wondering, what if the goat was right ? the end of the trip... It seems to be the place he was looking for, But this quest... he decided to lie to them : " Thank you, but I don't come from a forest, let's go... " As soon as Marlon has finished his sentence, The three birds were proposing a new place...	I don't come from a forest La chèvre était née dans les prairies canadiennes, vertes et fraiches comme une mer d'émeraudes, Une terre ornée par les rubies d'érables, Parfaites, calmes forêts enchantées, Ennuyeux et prévisible paradis de jades, qu'il quitta pour comprendre ce qu'est la vie. " Dans cet endroit tu trouveras la paix, Detends toi et sens le soleil sur ta peau, Caressée par la fraiche brise du nord, Les arbres offrent nourriture et abris, Tu prendras facilement racine ici, et écris la dernière page de ta quête. " Pour la première fois Marlon se demandait, et si la chèvre avait raison, la fin du voyage... Il semble que cet endroit soit le bon, Mais cette quête... et il mentit : " Merci mais je ne viens pas d'ici, allons y " A peine cett phrase fut finie, Les trois oiseaux ouvrir la voie à un autre voyage...
Deviant Insanity Digital Artist: Cyril Rolando Time: 11 hours Software: Photoshop CS 2 Tool: Wacom tablet Graphire 3
Deviant Insanity God is a perfect Santa Claus, be happy. Or the perfect father of the perfect familly. Death doesn't exist, enjoy love endlessly. Dad tells you every war is insane. Obey and impose your thougths Extra terrestrial life is a shame. See the power of the creation. No place for imagination. The doubts are rude temptations. Every prayer to get a favor. Xmas gets a delirium savor. If humans need to believe. Silence your deviant thoughts. Time is running out.	Deviant Insanity Dieu est le parfait père noel, soit content. Ou le père parfait, le meilleur des parents. La mort n'existe pas, vie la joie indifiniment. Papa t'a dis que les guerres étaient démentes. Obéis et impose tes pensées sur le monde. La vie extratesrestre est une honte. Seul le pouvoir de la création compte. Aucune place à l'imagination. Les doutes sont de grossières tentations. Chaque prière pour obtenir une faveur. Noêl est le délire de l'attente du sauveur. Si les humains ont besoin de croire en lui. Fais taire tes pensées deviantes et prie. Le temps fuit.
For more on Cyril Rolando, please go to http://six.inside.free.fr/. Don’t forget to vote for Cyril Rolando on the Sketchbooktrails page on Facebook if you like his work!

Stephen Lasker & Aidan Bennetts

Aidan Bennetts & Stephen Lasker
Aidan Bennetts Design partners with Stephen Lasker! Our friends at Aidan Bennetts Design have just partnered up with Stephen Lasker and the collaboration promises to bring the WOW factor to design. By now, we all know Aidan Bennetts - Industrial Designer, porduct designer and artist, actor, Muay Thai fighter, model and Top Billing presenter. And Stephen Lasker? Stephen Lasker is a Zimbabwe-born designer and stylist who made his mark in Miami and Los Angeles. From judging Project Runway to designing and consulting some of the edgiest hotels, bars, homes and workplaces, Stephen is a creative force wherever he goes. And now he's right here in Cape Town.
Aidan Bennetts & Stephen Lasker
Stephen says on his new partnership with Aidan, "Aidan and I balance each other in what we bring to the table. Together with our dedicated team, we offer a comprehensive creative space where any product or space is possible. Our catch phrase describes our service best, 'A solution looking for a problem'. The collaboration was the brainchild of Steven Harris, of Furnspace. With Furnspace's powerful 3D rendering software, Intericad, we use this as a visual communication and design tool to present our ideas. Located in the epicentre of Cape Town's East City precinct, the Fringe, we are proud supporters of Cape Town's World Design City Bid for 2014. Let's make it better, together."
Aidan Bennetts & Stephen Lasker
For more on Aidan Bennetts Design and Stephen Lasker please go to www.aidanbennetts.co.za. Don’t forget to vote for Aidan and Stephen on the Sketchbooktrails page on Facebook if you like their work!

Cyril Rolando, Digital Artist

Blowing bubbles Digital Artist: Cyril Rolando Time: 18 hours Software: Photoshop CS 2 Tool: Wacom tablet Graphire 3
Blowing bubbles Too much water, But you can't stop the flow, Getting absorbed in your work. Too many desires, But you can't stop the walk, Flooded by the law and order. Sometimes, you feel like a goldfish, Blowing bubbles in a tiny bowl, But you can't stop. Dream on. Beaucoup trop d'eau, Mais tu ne peux arrêter le flux, Submergée par ton travail. Beaucoup trop de désirs, Mais tu ne peut arrêter la marche, Inondée par la loi et l'ordre. Parfois, tu te sens comme un poisson rouge, Faisant des bulles dans un minuscule bocal, Et tu ne peux t'arrêter. Tu peux toujours rêver. La Biographie "Je suis un psychologue clinicien et je travaille dans l'univers psychiatrique. J'ai 26 ans et je dessine depuis sept années à travers une démarche autodidacte dans le cadre de l'art digital. Je souhaite travailler avec des concepts originaux, empruntant les voies tracées par Tim Burton et Hayao Miyazaki. Le dessin est un loisir. J'essaie de partager des émotions, de jouer avec les couleurs et de mettre l'accent sur la nature humaine." - Cyril Rolando Biography "I am a French clinical psychologist, working in the psychiatric universe. I am 26, and have been drawing for seven years after teaching myself how to do digital art. I wish to work with "otherwordly" concepts, borrowing influences from Tim Burton and Hayao Miyazaki. Drawing is my main hobby. I try to share emotions and play with colours to emphasize the human nature." - Cyril Rolando
It will come off with soap Digital Artist: Cyril Rolando Time: 22 hours Software: Photoshop CS 2 Tool: Wacom tablet Graphire 3
It will come off with soap Armless spectator, I never wanted to take a stand, History outlines require tools to stretch my mind : Finally politically correct, unfortunately not blind. Loin de la violence mais au plus près des images, La guerre déclare sa flamme et au 20 heures sa rage, Des corps à terre décorent la terre des reportages. Inevitably, watching the TV news is a daily grind, It makes no sense, I thank you for being so kind, I've got something in my eye since you are in a bind. Dans le miroir d'un ciel de cendre s'égarent les messages, Et déjà, sur mon écran, pointe un lourd fusil sans visage : Chaque éclat de bulle renvoie la balle dans l'autre cage. That's why, j'éteins.
Save our souls Digital Artist: Cyril Rolando Time: 25 hours Software: Photoshop 7
Save our souls Many are floating on the ocean But who is sure to know about them? Many are calling for help in the silence Who shall recieve their message? I found some bottles, but there is a problem Who can help me now? S.O.S. Ils sont beaucoup a flotter sur l'océan, Mais qui s'y intéresse vraiment? Ils sont beaucoup à appeler dans le silence, Mais qui reçoit leur message? J'ai trouvé de nombreuses bouteilles, Mais il y a un problème, Qui va m'aider maintenant? For more on Cyril Rolando, please go to http://six.inside.free.fr/. Don’t forget to vote for Cyril Rolando on the Sketchbooktrails page on Facebook if you like his work!

Craig Hilton-Barber, Artist

Isolated
Artist: Craig Hilton-Barber
Oil on canvas, 120cm x 85cm

Cheetah sunrise in the lowveld. (Private collector).

Biography

"Let's work together to protect our precious Heritage." - Craig Hilton-Barber

Born in Zimbabwe, Craig represents the sixth generation of Hilton-Barbers in Africa. He has lived on a large cattle ranch since childhood and was introduced to both art and wildlife early in life. While you can't beat extensive exposure to wildlife as a grounding, he also trained formally at a top South African college.

Painting in a photo-realism style, Craig builds the foundations of his work through field sketching and photography.The beauty and perfection of nature has been the inspiration of his work.With the conflict of Nature and Man becoming ever more critical, Craig regularly contributes towards conservation projects.

"We can all in a small way protect our children's heritage..."

The political instability in Zimbabwe has forced Craig and his family off their family owned Wildlife Ranch and he is currently living and painting in South Africa. Craig works mainly through commissions and regularly exhibits at the Safari Club International in Reno. He holds annual shows throughout Southern Africa.

Ivory and Egrets
Artist: Craig Hilton-Barber
Oil on canvas 120 x 85 cm

Elephant study near the Zambezi.(Owner Tony Moore)

For more on Craig Hilton-Barber, please go to www.craighbarber.com.

Don’t forget to vote for Craig Hilton-Barber on the Sketchbooktrails page on Facebook if you like his work!

Michael Wyeth, Photographer

Surfaces: 1 of 23 (c) Michael Wyeth
Biography "Music and art are two of our higher forms of communication we have as people. In South Africa, today, besides mainstream education, art is the single most important vehicle we have for breaking down the barriers of fear and misunderstanding and linking us through our similarities rather than our differences." – Michael Wyeth Born in Cape Town in 1952, Michael Wyeth studied graphic design at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town, majoring in photography. He has participated in various group exhibitions, notably in SA Photo Statements, at the Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town, 1988, The 4th Cape Town Month of Photography, 2008, Jol, Iziko SA National Gallery, 2009, 'Voices' – 'ECC 25yrs' – End Conscription Campaign 25yrs Celebration, Spier Wine Estate, Cape Town and in 2009, he held his first solo exhibition, Surfaces, Spaces & Shrines, at the Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town. Wyeth is renowned for a portfolio of photographs, Bass Culture of The Base/Jazz Den which documented the club and the musicians/performers that appeared there in the late 1980's when South Africa was still under Apartheid.
(c) Michael Wyeth
"The club defied the world of the politically correct and blurred the borders of nationality, income, religion, colour code, gender and music culture. The main function of the club was to provide a platform for local music, so each weekend it hosted different acts. Sunday nights it became the Jazz Den. Apart from regulars, patrons tended to support their favourite bands, so when Sakhile or Bayete played there was a strong township presence. I was amazed at seeing the range and the depth of musical talent we had in our country, and along with many others, I would not have seen these acts were it not for the club. The venue's interior was decidedly African in its look and feel. It was painted black, with large African animal art, Ndebele murals and zebra skins interspersed with patterns in green, gold and black, the colours of the African National Congress (ANC), painted from the entrance through to the dance floor and stage. With the banning of political organisations in South Africa, The Base/Jazz Den was also used as a place where political activists, future leaders, could meet and organise." - Wyeth Today, Michael Wyeth is the owner of Imago Visual, a graphic design, photography and digital print business. He is married and has two sons. The latest body of work by Michael Wyeth, two of which are shown in this feature (Surfaces 1 and 17 of 23), was on exhibition at the Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town, South Africa from March to April 2009. These works reflect the ongoing transformation of the city of Cape Town with the many physical changes taking place in the built environment of the inner city and in residential and recreational areas. As a photographer, Wyeth is visually concerned with the surfaces of the city; the physical, textural exterior and the way it weathers with time and change, and how it endures the actions of man and the elements. He finds new energies displayed on these surfaces as our society is reconstructed in the built environment of the city. Wyeth engages with the physicality that makes up what he calls "the material of the cityscape": walls, structures, shapes, concrete, paint, brick, rust, peel and scratches. His compositions are found formations of different spaces, textures and colours of these surfaces. Michael Wyeth is clearly a master of South African photography and the history it has been unwinding alongside his own remarkable life.
Surfaces: 17 of 23 (c) Michael Wyeth
For more on Michael Wyeth, please go to www.imago-visual.com. Don’t forget to vote for Michael Wyeth on the Sketchbooktrails page on Facebook if you like his work!

Gavin Rain, Artist

Sudden Attraction (Portrait) Artist: Gavin Rain Acrylic on canvas, 100cm x 100cm
I've a lot to say about this process. But I guess the most relevant part is that we're overwhelmed by all things digital these days. Is this such a good thing? I've used this style of painting (a style that took me a few years to develop) because I specifically wanted a message in art. Throwing paint at a canvas mixing oil and water based paints to create mushy gunk – that's not art to me – it says nothing. I guess people buy it because hey – it goes with the couch. Actually I'm being a bit full of shit there. When I first started in this style I wanted to deliberately mimic the digital process – so I was painting in bright greens and blues and pinks.... for my first show I asked my old art prof along before it opened to get his opinion. I think he winced a bit at the palette I'd chosen but was diplomatic enough to gently suggest that I "try naturalistic colour"... Where was I? Right, digital. Look at all the dark gaps in my paintings – that's what we're losing there. That's what is happening in our society – we take speed over quality – as if speed is a virtue of itself. Digital means "distinct interval". That means loss. I remember as a kid when CDs first came out (yeah I'm that old, I had records baby) and the rage was to get the DDD CDs. All digital. Pesky filthy dirty analogue is BAD. It isn't you know. It's superior in a lot of ways. WE reject things marketing tells us to. Perhaps we should think more carefully. So I chose a style of painting that to some degree you'd have to understand – the message thereof at least – which is to step back. Recognise the big picture – hey – celebrate the people in your life – and remember that a lot of them went into making you. I guess close up to the painting is a bit of a negative message – you see the gaps in the information – the way digital is messing with our lives – I'm inviting you to examine that... but then getting further away when the picture resolves – well then its a positive message – step back, celebrate, remember... – Gavin Rain
Biography Artist's Statement: "We underestimate the role played by those who came before us in our actions, and indeed in the fabric of our environment. Many of our actions, and the events we participate in are shaped by the hands of those whose memory and message is all but lost. We need to re-examine, expose and celebrate these people and recognize their continuing contributions to society. We need to step back to see this more often. I want to introduce this dialog into my work – to force people to consider the notion of understanding the visual (and thereby society) at multiple levels. To voice the idea that one needs to remove oneself almost entirely from the literal in order to comprehend that which is subtle, but nevertheless intrinsic." The themes of my work often echo the style: Hidden in plain sight. And a translation of all that: We never really stop and notice and value the people that make us....us. You didn't just become you, other people helped with that along the way. Right from the beginning I wanted to paint in a style that everyone could understand. Actually, that everyone would HAVE to understand. To see my paintings you have to take part in the process of stepping back. You have to walk away from the painting. This is my way of commenting on people: There's so much of us that's hidden in plain sight. When we step back, we can see it. Gavin Rain studied Art History at Ruth Prowse Art School, Woodstock Cape Town and has degrees in Psychology and Neuropsychology from the University of Cape Town.
Window Shopping (Landscape) Artist: Gavin Rain Acrylic on canvas, 200cm x 100cm
Cities are really all about light for me. The way it moves and dances – hazy or mirage-like. I'm a bit critical of this I guess. We're attracted to the glitter...the promise...but (as you'll see in my work) never really illuminated by it. The light surrounds us... but does nothing much for us. The painting process is all about emphasising the way light bleeds at night – the way shapes become indistinct. I use a high plasticised acrylic – so I can allow it to run – my attempt to emulate what I see or what I think I remember I've seen – in cities. I think this style of painting – which is just basically impressionism on a big scale – came out of me taking a break from pointillism – a very tight and controlled style... I had this big canvas staring at me and I just decided to fill it with an idea. Hey if it didn't work out, no one would know. The painting sold before it was dry. And of course, being a filthy capitalist I decided to paint more... heh no actually I just enjoyed the style a lot – it's a lot of fun to paint contours. The painting takes a lot of working out – I try make it so the dark colours are under the light colours all the time – so that there is depth and it is tonal... I think we perceive light and dark that way – light is almost always the foreground to us. Except – you know that time of day – when the buildings are all dark and the lights aren't yet on – and you get this really weird shape out of the skyline that's visible between buildings? I put that in a lot of paintings – love the shape that the sky makes there... it's not negative space anymore... it messes with you. – Gavin Rain
For more on Gavin Rain, please go to www.gavinrain.com. Don’t forget to vote for Gavin Rain on the Sketchbooktrails page on Facebook if you like his work!

Victoria S Botha, Poet / Writer

Victoria S Botha Poet / Writer
Biography "We are all connected, as much as we strive for our individualism, the planets around us, the earth, other human beings, our individual selves, the plants and animals all function together as one, we use one energy and each rely on the other, be it the air we breathe or the water we drink, we are one species. The sooner we embrace this, the sooner we can begin a successful civilisation and share in love and joy, with more than enough for everyone and everything. All life is sacred." - Victoria S Botha Victoria S Botha was born in 1980 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. She wrote her first poem at the age of 7. In high school, fascinated with poetry, she started a Poetry Club, where favourite poets were brought in and discussed. She had a love for the Post Modern poets such as Harold Norse, Charles Bukowski, Phillip Lamantia and William Carlos Williams. This encouraged the girls of her age at that time to think outside the box, learn to express themselves in a new way, unlike the conventional teachings of the existing school curriculum. She also has her A' Level English Literature teacher and author John Eppel to thank, as his mind and teachings were an inspiration to her and all students. "I left Zimbabwe almost seven years ago and have lived in Johannesburg, South Africa working in the mainstream. I have a wonderful man in my life who inspires me to live in the now moment and love constantly. After my biological parents have both passed on when I was younger, I have discovered a new and amazing spiritual family here in South Africa and have an amazing family planted all over the world also. I continue to write and to this day, poetry is my passion, along with many other facets that feed my mind, naming a spiritual path of discovery and joy. I engage the mind to gather more understanding, to observe, to enrich my inner self, to grant myself the satisfaction of knowing the full power and healing that comes with communicating. I am a vegan and I respect all forms of life. I am grateful for the physical senses that allow me to express and combine the paradox of the bridge and unification between the head and the heart." - Victoria S Botha
Graffiti 1 Graffiti says life is here on the streets, Death is instantaneous like a pavement special, Hell it's concrete right? Only scents of rubbish stench And crowded art on Avenue corners Someone has something to say Greens and Blues read 'Piss Off' Yellows read 'Born To Die' Faceless people walk by staring at the ground Locked away in soulless existence Then the screeching tyres A THUD! Blood. Sirens... Graffiti remains perfectly still 'Born To Die' - Should have been the Blues I observe quietly Graffiti says street life? Graffiti says life on the street? Life turned to death Did anybody notice? Victoria S Botha
Graffiti 2 Needles drive a pressing point If you are not aware you are soon the Writing On The Wall You are the Graffiti that reads 'Just Say No' Liquid infatuation speeds through you As you lean against the wall for some support Up close you cannot read the message But Try to Take A Step Back Revaluate the bigger picture Bold artistic colours read "SAVE YOURSELF." Victoria S Botha	Graffiti 3 So the writing's on the wall What did she miss? What blinded him? Victoria S Botha
	Graffiti 4 Would it be possible to create the art temporarily as Thought? Brain pictures? Or With just the Words? Would that be Poetry? Or Just the "Word" on the street... In Big Bold Creative Glamour Or Languor Laying about on Walls Glaring at you From your space on the sidewalk Or your 50 x 40 Cushioned Car seat You saw it. We all did... It read: "You Piss Here You are a Dog" And we painted a picture Each one of us Of piss and dogs and insults and smiles and craziness and offense And of actually pissing there... We all painted... Victoria S Botha
Graffiti 5 Life! Death! Drug of choice Can help you die quicker... Abuse of body Abuse of mind Abuse of misunderstanding perfect existence Crisp layers of Illuminated patterns on Serpent Skin, Attractive... Dissssssscipline? "Not Today." Tomorrow When patterns emerge as atrocities to the self And fade to nothing Cancerous sores of regret. "I should have..." Hind sight is death most times. You hold the Paintbrush in hand Your Pattern of love, strength and of thought is your present Joy Begin! Victoria S Botha	Graffiti 6 She'd built walls in desperate self defence. Her stance, crouched down, Rather smell the contaminated loneliness Than hear the calls of passersby. Possible danger . She began to Paint her life quietly, Unseeingly This thick brick Wall layered story You would not realise how much movement was in those four walls Her heart protected in the darkness She Painted about day She came out and saw the light A smile to begin Brush in hand Safe. Victoria S Botha
Graffiti 7 I think I am ever changing . One metamorphosis of condensed experience and personality into another. I am changeable, pliable and flexible. Through this synthesis and exposure I become the Vision That appears unreal before you. Yet, you picked this reality You made me I consciously progressed From one frame to another A field of Variegated Pictures that slowly breathed Movement into me. Through their stillness I am ever changing I think. Victoria S Botha
Graffiti 8 The unseen is brimming beneath the radar We must conceptualise the Light over Darkness Before murky water starts seeping through the cracks Fill cracks with Liquid Colour Illuminating those that never understood Peace. Victoria S Botha	Graffiti 9 Breathless And the whole world is under observation Rage toward you my so called lover Where I am Invisible Yet 'They' see me Mind's eye Paint me. Under observation Me? No, you rather... My Paintbrush smears Splutterings across your Contours One Tone Makes you Invisible too Then I am satisfied. Victoria S Botha
Graffiti 10 What Colour did you paint the other side of the moon? You squirmed as the Picture she Drew came alive too soon When he agreed to love you forever Was it all talk? Or finally action As he proposed down on one knee Next to the Graffiti On the sidewalk. Victoria S Botha	Graffiti 11 Johannesburg Jostling Jiving Amidst Gangrene Graffiti Gatherers Do you think we’ll ever get to Homogenous Hygienic Humanity? Or remain Philandering Psychedelic Prey? Victoria S Botha
For more on Victoria S Botha, please email vix1308@live.co.za... Don’t forget to vote for Victoria S Botha on the Sketchbooktrails page on Facebook if you like her work!

Joan Peeters, Artist

Tweefontein
Artist: Joan Peeters
June 2007, 80 x 60cm

Biography

Joan Peeters was born in 1957 in the Netherlands but grew up and was educated in South Africa. She completed her BA Fine Art at Michaelis, University of Cape Town in 1980, and later did her M.A Fine Art at Ateliers '63, Holland. She lived and worked in Holland for ten years developing her painting skills in one of Amsterdam's leading ateliers. Since 2002, Peeters has had 4 solo exhibitions including "The Landscape Unveiled" at the Irma Stern Museum in Cape Town, and her work hangs in collections around the world. She presently lives and works in Barrydale, a village in the Klein Karoo in South Africa. She has gained a reputation for her often ethereal, post-modern realist paintings of the Karoo landscape.

"I come from a school of Abstract Expressionism, the more instant the mark, the more significant the subject matter or painting. It took me years to accept that one can use an outer reality as a point of departure. The problem then became to what extend one adheres to a descriptive reality. Artists confront the fear of letting go on an emotional level. I dislike art that talks about social or political issues. They are ego-driven and disregard respect for Fine art. Although I am sure this kind of art has its own merits. I have a love for paint. It is a magical moment when colour contrast or certain shapes hover in spaces and resonate in a perfect pitch. It is almost a feeling that I didn't do that, when the ego is not involved, when the painting takes on a life of its own. One thing I have carried with me from the Abstract Expressionist School is the ritualistic aspect - the artist as Shaman.

Jaggered Rocks
Artist: Joan Peeters
August 2007, 80 x 60cm

My work is interconnected, in as much that one painting always stops, for another one to begin, but it will be pointless to go into the specificness of their relationship, as most of the series are broken up by now.

I enjoy the process of going into the veld; it puts my soul in a vulnerable space that can only be filled by the visual in front of you. There is an ancient presence in the Karoo veld. Patterns on mountains or in riverbeds feel as if they have been placed there in reverence. In arid land everything stands out much more essentially. Think of the reverence one has for a water source, bubbling out of the earth.

The paintings in this feature started from charcoal sketches done in situ from the veld. These I would later translate onto canvas in my studio. These visits into the wilderness are essential to my approach to my work.

I look at the negative spaces, and the interconnectiveness between them {Negative -Positive}.Their relationship in space through shadows or colour tones.

My recent paintings are more from intimate things around me, and sometimes aspire to be further removed from their naturalistic intentions. However they are still about the Karoo light, and textures. They aspire to be more about the goings on on the canvas itself.

Joan Peeters' most recent works are to be shown in an upcoming exhibition, details of which will be made available soon.

Prayer Stick
Artist: Joan Peeters
July 2007, 93 x 73cm

For more on Joan Peeters, please go to www.softcraft.co.za/art.

Don’t forget to vote for Joan Peeters on the Sketchbooktrails page on Facebook if you like her work!

Michael Poliza, Wildlife Photographer

Eternal Enemies
(c) Michael Poliza Photography

It was a beautiful morning in Duba Plains, a small camp on the northern edge of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Duba is known for some interesting "Lion-Buffalo interaction" as this is a place where the Lions prefer to hunt buffalos and they do that during daylight hours. We were leaving camp before sunrise and soon ran into a large herd of buffalos. And sure enough the lions were not far away. A small group chased the buffalos through some woodlands, and lots of dust was in the air as the buffalos ran away. As the dust was settling the buffalos wanted to check where their eternal enemies might be. They did not expect them to be that close. The buffalo horns can be quite harmful for any lion so this time the lions did not attack, but later that morning they took down 2 buffalos...

Biography

Michael Poliza has never been a man to do things by half measures. That might sound like a cliché, but his life is certainly not. His entire track record shows somebody who jumps into projects with both feet, immersing himself completely in the subject matter and fast becoming seen as a leader in whatever field he chooses to focus. 'Google' his name now and you'll find repeated reference to his incredibly successful books. Yet just dig a little deeper, and you'll find that a few years ago his name was in lights in the business world – and before that on the television screen.

Michael just grins when somebody mentions he's lived three lives. To an outsider, the three might seem highly divergent. But look more closely and they have very similar themes, all shaped by his uncanny ability to detect a new direction in its early phases, and then to work unstoppably in mastering the subject matter and pushing the boundaries of what is deemed possible or probable. The themes the three lives have in common are media and electronic gadgets. This man has lived the digital age to the full.

So the first of Michael's lives was in television. He modestly tells the story of somebody wanting to woo his older sister and casting her baby brother in a television role. Whatever the start, Michael was obviously both talented and hardworking. By the time he was a teenager, he was as well known as any actor could possibly be in the Germany of that time, and appeared in more than 100 television shows and films, all the while continuing his schooling.

His second incarnation was as a businessman. In the USA, where he spent time as an exchange student, Michael first caught a glimpse of the future, and quite how digital that future would be. Returning to Germany, he petitioned IBM to grant him an agency, despite his youth. His relentlessness paid off, and the young man became a slave to his pager and the needs of his clients, continuing to build an impressive business in the IT sector.

In 1997 he began his third life focusing on digital media. Selling his companies for a small fortune in stock, he had planned to relax for a while, to buy a yacht and sail around the world. But then the dot.com crash happened, and suddenly IT stocks plummeted in value – today, Michael jokes about how he watched the yacht he intended to build get shorter by a foot every day. Not being a man to give up, he hatched a grand plan: the Starship Millennium Voyage. Journalists and photographers would be invited to join him on board as the boat cruised around the globe to document the state of the world's wild locations at the turn of the millennium. Sponsors like Sony, Microsoft, Deutsche Telekom, Olympus and the WWF helped to foot the bill, with the output broadcast daily on the Internet and followed by millions of people around the world – an unheard of achievement in those early digital days. Stern magazine was the main media partner, publishing many features on the voyage.

And that’s where Michael's publishing experience began, with the book of the voyage quickly becoming a bestseller of more than 50,000 copies. True to his IT roots and passions, he had already embraced digital photography, and his Starship book was the very first coffee table book to feature more than 50% digital content. The voyage over, Michael sold the boat and was headed to Madagascar when he stopped by South Africa's 'Mother City' of Cape Town and promptly lost his heart to her. He bought a house on the Atlantic Seaboard, using this as a base for countless visits to the game reserves and nature parks of Southern Africa. Much of this was thanks to a friendship with Wilderness Safaris, who gave him freedom of access in return for the use of his images – a truly symbiotic relationship.

The beautiful body of work that quickly developed was crying out to be shown to the rest of the world, and that’s where teNeues came in. Publisher Hendrik teNeues quickly realized the value of his old friend’s content, and the book AFRICA was launched to massive acclaim in 2006. "Poliza has taken wildlife and landscape photography to a new level", the Cape Times raved in September 2006. Great Britain's Daily Express was no less unequivocal: "If ever a book could take your breath away, this is the one." ABC's Good Morning America selected it as one of the best coffee table books of that year, with the New York Times acknowledging: "It is unlikely to change the way you think about Africa. But it might change the way you think about photography."

EYES OVER AFRICA followed suit to equal acclaim and success, being named as Book of the Year 2008 in both Germany and the USA. The result of an aerial journey from Michael's birthplace in Hamburg to his new house in Cape Town in his friend Stefan Breuer's helicopter was the book that provided a bird's-eye view of the continent, showcasing nature's graphics and man’s impact in surprising and powerful ways.

Finally done with the heat of Africa, Michael found himself focused on the world's cooler climes: Antarctica and the Arctic regions. The resultant ANTARCTIC, published in 2009, is a touching and opulent coffee table book, which insightfully portrays the beauty and fragility of polar life. ANTARCTIC was a milestone in Michael's life for another reason: it took his eyes off Africa, and after finishing his work on the polar regions, he chose to return to Hamburg as his base, where he opened his own gallery. Not only did this provide a new headquarters for the Michael Poliza Photography enterprise, but it also offered opportunities to revive old friendships and associations, and in December 2009 he was named as an ambassador of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The intent all along had been to focus on photographing Australia next, but somehow Michael could not shake off his love of the African continent. Having seen first-hand how the football World Cup could transform a country, he could not miss the opportunity to celebrate the first ever World Cup on African soil. So a new plan was quickly hatched: head back to South Africa for just a few months. Australia would have to wait. There was only one thing for 2010: SOUTH AFRICA.

Leopard
(c) Michael Poliza Photography

Michael and his team were driving in their jeep when they saw a leopard in the wide, green plains of Vumbura in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Michael took his camera with the long lens, left the jeep and lay down in the grass. The leopard caught his scent and Michael took this fantastic picture while the leopard slowly crept towards him. Had the leopard set to attack, the team in the jeep would have driven between the leopard and Michael to give him a few seconds to get back into the safety of the car. That at least was the theory!

For more on Michael Poliza, please go to www.michaelpoliza.com.

Don’t forget to vote for Michael Poliza on the Sketchbooktrails page on Facebook if you like his work!

Lynda Soutar, Artist

A Cloud of Ngunis Artist: Lynda Soutar Acrylic on canvas
Biography Lynda Soutar was born in Witbank, South Africa in 1962 and studied B.Fine Art, majoring in Photographic Art, from 1980 – 1983 at Rhodes University. After spending some years in New Zealand, she returned to South Africa in 2006. Her mission statement is a very clear and refreshing one – it is not expressed in words, it is very simply her art itself. Her main influences are her muse and partner, Grant, nature in all its forms – landscapes, animals, underwater scenes, vegetation – as well as those impulsive daily excursions where one never knows what one might find and old cars and caravans. She has a particular love of cows and a real fondness for the Nguni breed in particular. She finds the intrigue of them inspiring – from their use in trade, for lobola, for wealth and of course their beautiful skins.
Aqua Pig Artist: Lynda Soutar Acrylic on canvas
Past exhibitions of Lynda Soutar's work include the McLaren Properties Group Exhibition, Centurion, South Africa, 2010; "From the Farm to the City" - Lynda Soutar & Tori Stowe, Bentwoods, 2010 National Arts Festival Fringe, Grahamstown, South Africa; "Steak and Sand" - Lynda Soutar, Bentwoods, 2009 National Arts Festival Fringe, Grahamstown, South Africa; "Patient Earth" - Lynda Soutar, Bentwoods, 2007 National Arts Festival Fringe, Grahamstown, South Africa; Plunket Art Show, Aigantighe Art Gallery, Timaru, New Zealand, 2006; and the Auckland East Arts Exhibition 2005, ASB Stadium, Kohimarama, Auckland, NZ. Lynda now lives and paints/creates in Irene in Pretoria, South Africa. She is working on a children’s book that both she and Grant Wilson have written and she is now illustrating. Upcoming exhibitions of Soutar's work include an exhibition at The Corner Gallery, in Bathurst, South Africa in November, 2010 and she will once again be exhibiting at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival at Brentwoods in 2011.
Cow on the Run Artist: Lynda Soutar Acrylic on canvas
For more on Lynda Soutar, please go to www.lyndasoutar.co.za. Don’t forget to vote for Lynda Soutar on the Sketchbooktrails page on Facebook if you like her work!

NB errors and omissions excepted