I am discovering my Moyo

It is early 2021 and the world as we know it has changed. I remember when it was possible to decide to fly to Hong Kong tomorrow and buy the tickets today. Travel was easy and the world was there to see and experience. Now we are grounded. But as an artist we have to...

Mauritius our new home!

  Who doesn’t dream of staying on an exotic tropical island and just paint all day! “I said to myself. ‘When you make a change, make sure that it is a lifestyle change this time’. You can always change locations but not all of us are...

Mining aquamarine in Malawi

This must be one of the craziest times of my life. It looked like such a good business when I started with it and I thought it would be my big break in life. I left Annalie to run the business back in Hartbeespoort and set off on a fact-finding mission to Malawi. I...

I became a rockhound

After the fire where our shop burnt to the ground, we sifted through the ashes of the devastating fire and found only burnt pieces of jewelry and discolored rocks. I remember a large sphere of rose quartz that turned brown and was completely crazed by the heat of the...

Potting in Doornrandjes

The year was 1988. We were proud landowners on a property without water and electricity. And the neighbor’s cows roamed through our property. My first priority was to get a pot out of the kiln so that we could start to make a living. So we decided to build the...
Cheung Chau Sampan painting

Cheung Chau Sampan painting

To get to Cheung Chau Island you can take the slow or the fast ferry. It has a more authentic far East feel than Hong Kong. The island has no vehicles and life is much slower than Hong Kong. After ten years of visiting Hong Kong for business, we decided to explore and...

Carefree kids in Mauritius

To create a WOW piece of art takes some inspiration. And I was filled with this kind of inspiration two weeks ago when I painted this large canvas. The painting came together in pieces so to speak. Here is the story of where I saw the scene. It was late afternoon and...

The Port Louis Bazaar

Beauty is all around us. You just need to open your eyes. Every place has its own heartbeat with beautiful people. Port Louis bazaar is one of these places. I remember the first time I visited the market. It is smack in the middle of downtown Port Louis, the capital...
I saw the light

I saw the light

As an artist, I have always tried to make sense of my surroundings by seeing things in pictures. God is an artist. The thing that has always amazed me is the biodiversity in everything around us. We can start with the largest of things. The different trees, Animals in...

Pottering around in Steenbokpan

A Steenbok is a small antelope found in Southern Africa. And a pan is a pan. (A small body of seasonal water.) The name of our village was Steenbokpan and we were the proud owners of the first Post Box in Steenbokpan. Mailing a letter to us would be addressed to: P O...

The road less traveled

After doing pottery for almost a lifetime we traveled all over the world rockhounding. While in Tucson, Arizona on one of our crystal and mineral rockhounding trips, it just happened that this quote of Jerry Seinfeld came to mind, “Sometimes the road less...

Becoming a potter

We often reminisce about the good old days but I would think of my life as a pioneer as one of extremely hard work and many difficulties. I love watching programs like Gold Rush or Alaskan recluses because that is how my life was as a youngster starting a family and...

My Brushes

For some time I have been itching to share with you all about the current brushes that I use when painting detailed oil paintings. I have a big collection of brushes that I bought as time went by. Some of the brushes I bought as part of a set of brushes and I must...

Watching time go by in Zambia

Some musings by Annalie thinking back on our exciting history while sourcing minerals in Africa. Watching time go by, few of us had the opportunity or time to sit and watch people passing by. In the pre Covid19 era we were all to busy to notice what is going on around...

My life on the farm growing up in South Africa

I grew up with three siblings. One sister and two brothers. I was the youngest. I am the seventh generation with our surname that immigrated from Germany in the early 1800s. Although we have a German surname we do not speak German anymore. We grew up with Afrikaans as...
Save from Covid 19 in Mauritius

Save from Covid 19 in Mauritius

This is day 8 of a lockdown on the beautiful island of Mauritius. The virus has the whole world upside down and we were not spared. They say that being an artist is the second safest occupation in the case of a pandemic. We work from home anyway. I have so many...
The balloon seller

The balloon seller

The biggest part of our economy is driven by tourism. Tourism belongs to the local Mauritians. Touts are everywhere. Everybody is fulfilling a service. The pearl seller sells his or her pearls. The tour operator goes around and sell packages or excursions. Of course...
Painting an abstract landscape

Painting an abstract landscape

So these are my thoughts. I think I have to paint landscapes that transcends time and place. What is the thought behind this? Firstly. More than 50% of worldwide sales in art are abstract landscapes. Secondly. If I do not get my art sold locally I can always exhibit...