Artist: Bev Letard, Umhlanga

Bev's watercolours and in particular her Koi paintings, never fail to delight. Her ability to capture the reflective nature of water and the colourful, yet almost translucent scales of the Koi, is a special talent!

Something worth noting about these popular subjects, is the following which I picked up from Wikipedia:

What are known as 'koi' in English are referred to more specifically as 'nishikigoi' in Japan (literally meaning 'brocaded carp'). In Japanese, 'koi' is a homophone for another word that means 'affection or love'; koi are therefore symbols of love and friendship in Japan.

The paintings shown here are simply entitled Koi no. 1 (above) and Koi no. 3 (below) - both 760mm x 550mm

Artist: Emma Robb, Umdloti

As Spring approaches, and with it the beauty of transition from winter to summer....so too, a transition in subject and application can be seen in Emma's bold, wonderful new works - Missing Watercan (above) - and The Sunnyside of Love (below) - both oils of 700mm x 550mm...and both bound to draw smiles of appreciation!!

Artist: Les Foyn - Glenwood, Durban

Les has not allowed the grass to grow under his feet and has been hard at work since the last exhibition producing amongst others (spitfires below), this his "Neptune's Wrath" an oil 1048mm x 801mm...a sea wild and awash with colour and movement.............one can imagine ol' Neptune smouldering just below the surface....

Above - NGD Spitfire - 1086mm x 851mm

A little background history on Les' Favourite subjects.....quoted from Wikipedia

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries through the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used into the 1950s both as a front line fighter and in secondary roles. It was produced in greater numbers than any other Allied fighter design and was the only Allied fighter in production throughout the war.
The Spitfire was designed as a short-range high-performance interceptor aircraft[5] by R. J. Mitchell, chief designer at Supermarine Aviation Works (since 1928 a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrongs). He continued to refine the design until his death from cancer in 1937, whereupon his colleague Joseph Smith became chief designer.[6] The Spitfire's elliptical wing had a thin cross-section, allowing a higher top speed than the Hawker Hurricane and several contemporary fighters.[7] Speed was seen as essential to carry out the mission of home defence against enemy bombers.[5]
The distinctive silhouette imparted by the wing planform helped the Spitfire to achieve legendary status during the Battle of Britain. Despite a public perception that it was the RAF fighter of the battle, the more numerous Hurricane actually shouldered a greater proportion of the burden against the Luftwaffe.[8]
After the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire became the backbone of RAF Fighter Command and saw action in the European Theatre, Pacific Theatre and the South-East Asian theatre. Much loved by its pilots, the Spitfire saw service in several roles and was built in many different variants.[8]
The Spitfire will always be compared to its main adversary, the Messerschmitt Bf 109; both followed similar design philosophies of marrying a small, streamlined airframe to a powerful liquid-cooled V12 engine.

Above - NGC Spitfire, 1086mm x 851mm; and

Below - Emerging Spitfire, 1050mm x 787mm

Sculptor: Stan Ferguson - SHEFFIELD BEACH

It was such an unexpected bonus - having Stan's works submitted for exhibition - with a feel for creating sculpted works from discarded items.............his pieces fitted the bill of "Antiquity" ...to the tee!! They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder...oh, that the world could see beauty the way Stan sees it....creatively!!!


Shown above - Sea Green - also known as ANTIQUITY I - Porthole - the porthole is from a sunken ship....hidden treasure?? This piece was used to set the tone in the ' Study' set up of the Exhibition .

I asked Stan's wife Wendy Ferguson - an artist who also has a post on the blog - for a little background info on the man ...she had this to say...

Stan has been making his creative sculptures for several years - using glorious old pieces of wood, railway sleepers and other - which he teams with 'found' objects chosen mainly for their unique shapes and the interesting way they have aged. Some of his works are large free-standing pieces and incorporate beadwork from northern Zululand circa 1950's, handmade wooden beads, cloth from central and East Africa, copper, wire, etc. All the railway-sleeper-bolts are also dated, some going back to 1929.

One of Stan's wood sculptures. Free-standing. Title 'The Railway' because he has used old railway sleepers and original old 'dated' railway-sleeper-bolts. (Wendy Ferguson)

ANTIQUITY III - Wood Plane...note the brass tap which lifts the colour of the wood and draws attention to the shape of the plane...

'IRON MAN' - A 'character piece' in antique woods, burnished copper and pebbles.

A picture in copper mounted on wood. The title is 'ASP' because of the symbolism of the snake with forked tongue.

Good Coverage for SmART in the Northglen News!!!

Chuffed....to say the very least!!!!....at the article published in the Northglen News' 10th July edition
Great coverage for the Exhibition and the N.P.O. iThemba Lethu !! Many thanks to Sharmaine Reuter for being in attendance and for the fabulous write up...much appreciated!!

Artist: Jocelyn Reitz - DURBAN NORTH

Thought provoking and moving, a work depicting inner strength - words I'm inclined to use to describe the work in oil on board , 400mm x 500mm, simply entitled - The Wiseman.....mind you, one cannot expect less from this accomplished artist who also paints under the name - JOZI.....................watch this space for updates/new works

Opening Evening - Wednesday 24th June 2009

It's said that Home is where the Hearth is..............and so in an attempt to embody all the comforts of home with the added element of beautiful artwork........this is the sight our visitors to the Opening Evening beheld as they walked down the driveway............the braziers set aglow by glorious woodfires set the tone on a superb Winter's night in Durban!!

The tables were set....................

The art was hung......

Not always an easy task to photograph the artwork behind glass....the reflection cannot do these pieces any justice.....but most have appeared on separate posts where the work can be viewed...see Emma Robb, Pearl Murray

An antique kitchen cupboard was used to great effect to display oils by Ronnie Huber -Potted Geraniums, Persimmons and Cutlery (SOLD); Ann Maree Harrington's - A Simple Fare and Sharon Goulding's oil - Agnes of uShaka (SOLD)

An Ethnic Mixed collage by Wendy Ferguson, wildlife - Wild Dog & Zebra (oils)by Louise Roodt ,floral Fantasia (oil)by Janet Gray and portrait Leonardo's Muse (oil)(SOLD) - and large mixed metal and wood Floral piece by Gift Madziva (SOLD) were hung together to create a mini African Renaissance ...

An oil by Corrie Scribante in the traditional Old Masters style - White Roses - looked fabulous against the dark backdrop!!

So too, the works above - back wall - the mixed piece, top left - Point Road/Mahatma Gandhi facade drew many an ooh and an aah. Below that is the peaceful Ashore, an oil by Barbyra Smith. Top Right is an acrylic, Geranium III (SOLD) by Wendy Ferguson and bottom, Harbour (Wilson's Wharf) - an oil by Les Foyn

Adjacent wall - Bev Letard's striking Koi I & II in acrylic inks, as well as Guilia's colourful, contemporary Poppies Aglow 7,8 & 9...also acrylic ink. Below - Poppies, a strong , confident piece in oil by Colleen Barker...and just to the right of that is Emma Robb's - Something of Value.

A study scene was set with the hanging of John Donno's two watercolours.....an interesting theme piece of Stonehenge - a view through the forest entitled Salisbury (top) - and the very peaceful , softly hued Crouch End (bottom).

Hung alongside, are the captivating photographs by Emil von Maltitz - Tintern Abbey, Madonna (somewhere between Mbunbini Abbey and Fangs Pass) and Sunrise over Amphitheatre -see Emil's post made pre Exhibition

Pewter boxes and candle by Carmad Studio and The Porthole - a sculpture by Stan Ferguson, complete the picture.

Another collection that worked well together -Wrapped - an abstract acrylic ink by Guilia hung above the dramatic, Red Sky at Night -Shepherds' Delight by Colleen Barker and the very happy portrait of Mother and Child, Going to Market by Mabel Armitage

Joelle Gibson - of iThemba Lethu (I Have a destiny) delivers her speech...touching hearts and minds with the harsh reality of abandoned or orphaned children as a result of HIV/AIDS and whose lives this non profit organisation sets out to touch, change and bring hope to by facilitating adoption into suitable families.

Book Launch -Palette of a Pondering Poet - an exciting and new happening for a SmART opening evening. Here poet, Allen Foyn delivers
his first reading of the evening

A good time was had by all!!!

Walter Hurlimann and Jeremy Whysall share a funny moment!!!

Ever faithful patrons of the Arts...Vaughan Spaull, Ian & Sharon Marsh

Poet, Allen Foyn ; guest speaker, Joelle Gibson and Exhibitor, Vanessa Hurlimann

Top photo - Guests Michael and Toni Wilkins bump into a friend...small place this Durban...
Above - Louise Roodt (artist) in conversation with one of the guests.

Bottom - in the foreground - Joelle Gibson chats to a guest about iThemba Lethu