Lulama

This painting offers a glimpse into everyday life in South Africa, focusing on Lulama a Xhosa mother, as she returns home after a long day of domestic work in the white suburbs. Her baby is carefully secured on her back in the trditional Xhosa way. She is dressed in vibrant colours that contrast against the backdground of her Gugulethu shantytown, where corrugated iron fences stretch along the the dusty paths. An open umbrella shields both mother and child from the relentless African sun, offering shade and a sense of protecting from the harshness of their surroundings. In the Xhosa language “Lulama” has a soft lyrical sound, meaning “someone
gentle and mild-mannered” a reflection of her quiet strength in the face of life’s challenges. Through this depiction, the painting conveys a deep sense of dignity, against a complex and devided society.

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My True Love.
Generally my style of art is Representational – realistic stuff, anything that has a strong recognisable subject. Sometimes however I abandon my fine art lured by my previous life as a graphic designer and momentarily I'm overcome and revert to the use of minimalist shapes, images and bright colours.
Being an impatient individual, I prefer to work with acrylics rather than other mediums because of their quick drying time. This allows me the flexibility to make mistakes, knowing that I'm able to quickly correct and paint over them.
As an artist I usually I start with a pencil sketch in my painting diary. I don't necessarily paint it straight away, but often visit the diary as inspiration for future work. My true love is the challenge of capturing the the things and sights that have inspired me on my travels around and about.