Although Christelle has always been interested in painting, her background is in Psychology and Early Childhood / Special Education. An art career was not a viable option at the time. After many years of working with young children, she is now painting full time.
While Christelle enjoys painting a variety of subjects, she is most well known for her portraits of African and Australian wildlife. She was born and raised in South Africa, and still visits remaining family now that she and her immediate family have made their home in Australia’s beautiful Hunter Valley. The African bushveld brings forth many happy memories and she connects to those memories when she paints from the many photos that she took on those trips. She also loves the unique animals of her Australian home, with a special fondness for the colourful and characterful birdlife.
Christelle is inspired by texture, and approaches a subject to paint by imagining how it feels. We are surrounded by a vast variety of textures, and imagining the tactile sensation helps her to capture the form visually through her art. While the materials used are never compromised so that the end result will last the test of time, she is not afraid to use a variety of tools and get her fingers into it to achieve a particular effect. She paints in watercolours and oil and prefers to paint realistic detailed paintings.