JANET Dixon, a self-taught artist from Oudtshoorn, will be letting art enthusiasts watch her creative process unfold as she hosts a special open studio event early next month.
Having grown up in Graaff-Reinet, her work is informed by her environment: arid but rich in flora, and her everyday experiences with people.
She works primarily in oils and acrylics, but is versatile. Dixon was also the instigator of Artists of Oudtshoorn and ran a full-time gallery, ArtKaroo, for 10 years.
The gallery now operates online and by appointment only, from ArtKaroo Stay, which is Dixon’s studio, home, gallery and where she provides self-catering accommodation for tourists.
She is also currently exhibiting her work at the Imibala Gallery in Graaff-Reinet, and has curated numerous shows through ArtKaroo over the past 12 years.
“Nature, my wise muse, is a great leveller of all men, and to her I return cyclically in my work to inspiration gleamed there, sometimes brutal, but always beautiful, peppered with the magic of sacred geometry and the secret of life,” she said.
After taking a break from the public eye, Dixon recently announced that she would be releasing a new series of small works called “Hope and The Nature of Being Human”.
These works will be displayed at the special open studio event at ArtKaroo ArtHouse in Oudsthoorn, which opens on December 5.
Although a departure from her more conventional style, the works are figuratively symbolic and a continuation of the theme of plant life and nature reflecting the human condition.
In the works, textures and layering with rich earthy colours are juxtaposed to the harshness of thorns and Karoo foliage, reflecting life in its cycles of flourish and struggle.
A special discount of 10% will be offered to the first 10 buyers on the opening evening, on December 5 at 18:30 and there will also be a studio sale of older works available.
The new works will be available for viewing by the public on Friday from 09:00 to 18:00 and on Saturday from 09:00 to 14:00.
Online sales will open from 18:00 on Friday, December 6, on www.artkaroo.co.za. ArtKaroo is situated at 237 Jan van Riebeeck Street, Oudtshoorn.
To see more of Janet Dixon’s art, find her on www.artkaroo.co.za or visit her Facebook or Instagram page.
