SHARON Strydom, whose artistic paintings are included in the new exhibition at the Imibala Gallery in Graaff-Reinet, recently hosted an informal oil painting workshop.
Strydom started painting about 15 years ago. With no formal art education, she has attended classes and workshops with various South African and international art teachers and masters developing her own style and calligraphy of mark making.
Her preferred method of working is painting with oil paint on canvas.
“In striving to find uniqueness I am constantly searching for beautiful notes of colour, breaths of shadow, using soft edges and my own language of mark making to create textures on my canvas with sensitivity and gentleness,” she said.
For her, a painting is never complete.
“By having more than one painting in progress on my easels, it is easier to start another and let the other be.
“This way I don’t overwork the painting and I leave things unsaid which create interest and encourage conversation with the viewer.”
The oil painting workshop was attended by people from all walks of life, and proved to be a very informative morning.
Sharon explained how to use negative shapes and shadows in creating a painting. “I also suggest to students to always include some of the background in the object one is painting, and vice versa.”
Accompanying students through the gallery, Strydom talked students through some of the techniques and methods she follows in creating the beautiful masterpieces that has led to her becoming one of South Africa’s acclaimed classical artists.
Having learned from masters like Marcelle Lyon, Judith Carducci and Andrew James of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Sharon is paying forward the opportunity.
“How lucky can one be to learn from these masters who so generously give of themselves to help and nurture us novices on our journey of self-exploration and search for that elusive brush stroke or ray of light,” she asked.
