Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus was recently presented with a portrait of his dog by a talented Durbanville artist.

The 53-year-old, Craig Stuart, originally from Scotland, is a keen Springbok supporter — “that is, when his home team from Scotland is not playing against the Boks,” he admits — and followed Erasmus on Instagram.

Special connection

“I saw that he often shared photos of special moments with his dog, Kwedini. It was clear that they have a very special connection, and I decided to do a painting of his dog. I paused one of the videos and used the image for the painting,” Stuart explains.

Kwedini means “boy” or “small boy” in Xhosa.

Shared on Instagram

It took him two to three days in April to finish the oil painting, and he shared parts of the process on Instagram. Soon, the photos came to Erasmus’s attention and he instructed his personal assistant to contact Stuart.

“I offered the painting to him as a gift. He was blown away when I handed it to him in person two weeks ago in my studio at our home in Pinehurst,” he says.

Stuart himself has two rescue dogs, but he prefers to paint his two daughters, aged 10 and 11.

Moved to South Africa

He met his wife, Hazel, in South Korea, where they both taught English. They married in 2012 and Stuart moved to South Africa.

Stuart regularly paints clients’ pets and undertakes other commission work. He works mostly in oils, but also in acrylics and other media.

“I paint anything, including landscapes,” he says. He currently exhibits five paintings of koi fish at the Winelands Art Gallery at Avondale Wine in Paarl.

Art as main career

It used to be a hobby while he was working full-time as a business developer.

“This year, I have decided to pursue art as my main career,” he says.

“For me, this wasn’t about celebrity — it was about creating something personal from a small interaction and seeing where it led,” he explains.

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