SHARON KUISIS

ART FLAIR

Art unfolds effortlessly. Well, does it?

Like Arabian horses and Ducatti bikes which are in her pedigree, Sharon Kuisis completes works in an elegant and precise style,

with an ever expanding range of treatments. But everything takes dedication and practice.

And she hosts ART TOURS & LECTURES.

Details below in this feature for the

TANKWA KAROO & CEDERBERG TOUR,

and see why her Art is out there at the highest level.

Portraits and feature with David Dodds in Johannesburg

     Sharon is that curious mix of technician and artist, with a love of photography, quality motorbikes and even Arabian stallions, all of which require a high degree of skill to manage effectively.

     But there is no doubt that these elements shine through in her completed artworks, a mix of great execution and attention to detail, that all seem effortless.

     And she has a welcoming warmth on top of it all. It makes for great empathy at her workshops and expeditions, and these are accompanied by the kind of research and information that makes everything easy in the telling.

     "I am fascinated by the diversity of oil paint and what one can do with it, so I choose the subject matter which allows me to explore my medium in a certain way. Previously I worked in a very traditional realistic way, painting each and every part as I saw it, spending many many hours on a painting.

     Then I started playing around with a palette knife which taught me a lot more about paint and which I now thoroughly enjoy, so now I often combine the two, working in layers which allows me to explore the more abstract aspects of painting and yet still create something that looks realistic from afar."

SHARON KUISIS

     "I love photography almost as much as my painting so I combine the two, deciding on a subject for the next body of work, then planning a trip to go and get the photographs I need. Usually this means travelling around South Africa on an adventure motorcycle or my really old Nissan Xtrail looking for new places and roads less travelled to explore. I am quite particular about my subject matter, always looking to create a certain atmosphere in my paintings, and this is inevitably created using early morning or evening light, but sometimes I happen to find it in the middle of the day, so will usually spend the whole day exploring.

     I work with a limited palette and I prefer larger canvases as this gives me freedom of movement to explore my subject matter fully."

     And this is where it becomes very interesting.

     Sharons's Artwork is above, and her outstanding photography is below, giving a clear indication of her comfort with both mediums and her remarkable attention to detail. No wonder her courses are popular, and her expedition 'art retreats' are much sought after.

and connecting on Facebook..

Details here for Sharon's

TANKWA KAROO & CEDERBERG ART RETREAT

The Itinerary and Booking details are hosted on

Sharon's extensive website

www.sharonkuisis.com

Sharon hosts the Retreat with Horticulturalist Laura Klapwijk, a dedicated partner with knowledge of the region.

     "You will come to love the Karoo plains as she has, the distant mountains blue in the morning, pink, purple and gold at sunset, and the dark Karoo night skies filled with millions of stars. For mile after the mile the great expanse is peppered with a remarkable number of plant species, Driedoring bush which is covered with white flowers when the drought breaks, Brosdoring, taaibos & klapperbos and many more hidden gems that come into flower when it rains. And then we’ll explore the magnificent Cederberg Mountains, richly coloured with its spectacular iron oxide rock formations & valleys filled with fynbos and pin cushion proteas.

     Along the way Laura will share her knowledge of some of the 6000 plus species of plants found in the Karoo, which also has the largest number of succulents in the world.

     During this incredible 1100km journey you will be staying in comfortable accommodation in beautiful unique areas along the way, enjoying good local food, learning about the incredibly clear & great expanse of stars above in Sutherland during a stargazing evening, exploring the surrounding scenery and the beginnings of art in the Rock Art Paintings, and learn how to capture the Karoo and Cederberg on canvas."

SHARON'S IMAGERY

Wonderful in its own right, it gives an indelible view of why the region is such an inspirational attraction, and what to expect on Tour.

WHEN AUTHENTIC RESEARCH GETS REAL

Sharon accompanied by Laura Klapwijk and husband, Eugene, explore the byways to ensure a stimulating and accessible environment.

SHARON AND THE LAW OF ENTROPY

     "My most recent body of work is influenced by my fascination with the Law of Entropy, that nature should inexorably degenerate toward a state of greater disorder, disintegration and chaos and how it affects us as humans."

     "For me old houses tell this story really well, as they all started off as a home and then slowly get eroded with time, just as we do. For 15 years I lived on a farm in an old farm house that was built in 1922, so saw this happening almost on a month to month basis.

     This is why I work with layers, building a timeline with my paint. I only pick old un-renovated buildings as each building shows its story through its disintegration and underlying layers.

     I want a person to stand in front of the painting and wonder...what happened here?"

So interesting and skilful how the boundaries of art and looking at a photograph have been melded.

     "I draw inspiration from some of the old masters, particularly Rembrandt & Claude Monet who’s art I made a point of going to see first hand in 2019. Photographs cannot do them justice. German artist Anselm Keifer, wildlife artist David Shepherd and South African artists John Meyer, Andries Gouws and Jean Welz to name but a few.

     I also love to read travel authors who’s descriptions in words match my vision in paint, Levison Wood, Ed Stafford’s Walking the Amazon, and in particular Lawrence G. Green who explored Africa so extensively."

Can't argue that there is a singular love of Africa in everything displayed here.

A section on the keen compositions revealed with monochromatic treatments.