ANNELIE VENTER

My work is realistic in an impressionist way. I like to discover my subject. I don't like to arrange objects to compose my paintings. Whether my subject is a flower landscape or a portrait, I always treat it as a whole abstract composition. I don't judge or declare some things unworthy of painting. My whole aim is to give a voice to the unnoticed and forgotten things, whether it is the subtle flora of the Sandveld or an unimportant person. I fill the canvas with layers of marks until I feel that my subject comes to life. I believe that painting is a meditative process, where thoughts are woven together with paint. I don't start a painting with a concept in mind, to tell a story or to show how clever I am. I choose my subject intuitively, that which suits my mood at the time, and as the painting progresses, a narrative emerges. I think of my paintings as portraits of my soul. Since 2004 I have participated in 54 group exhibitions. I prefer working in oil on canvas or board, although I have made some work in charcoal and pastel on paper. Occasionally I use acrylic paint. I have done landscape and animal paintings in the past but recently I have concentrated my efforts on flower landscapes, mainly with an aerial view, and portraiture.