We simply cannot tell you enough about Stephen Bibb’s fantastic work at SouthAfricanArtists.com – his paintings are so excellent that to try to pigeon-hole them would be foolish. Instead, let us just start off by saying that Bibb’s works are probably quite unlike any you have seen before: fascinated by the ocean and unafraid of wielding an acrylic airbrush, Bibb consistently turns out some of the most brilliant work we have ever seen.

When looking through his repertoire on SouthAfricanArtists.com, one cannot help noticing the sheer amount of aquatic mammals in his paintings – especially dolphins. Mentioned by the artist as his inspiration in life, these creatures grace so many of Bibb’s canvases. They are captured in rest, in love and in flight over the waves: their exuberance is never in short supply.

Joy is just one such painting, presented to us on a gloriously big canvas. Here, four dolphins frolic in the open ocean, rubbing each other in expressions of happiness and freedom – a beautiful captured moment as the bright young animals exude themselves in liberty. How can we not be completely charmed by this? Bibb certainly is – this is only one of many such fantastic paintings. Unlike many others, however, this one is still for sale…

In paintings like J Bay Moonshine, Bibb reveals to us just what a mysterious sight the African coastline can be – especially in the moonlight. The big rolling waves come toward us, breaking with an almost audible presence. The moonlight shines silently down upon the scene, the night enveloping everything in its silvery glow.

Conversely, bright sunshine is evident in the breathtaking Flaming Barrel, painted as a commission for a French client. The golden wave is just absolutely stunning to look at – once again, proving Bibb is the master of his art.

As we said, we simply can’t say enough about this amazing artist – the best thing we can recommend is that you take a little time out of your understandably busy day, meander over to SouthAfricanArtists.com and take a look through his stunning collection…

The youth of our world run through life with a feeling of power and invincibility, racing toward a future that is bright and adventurous. The celebrated arrival into adulthood often brings about a time of contemplation, disillusionment and confusion, causing the need to step back and take a look at life and the future from a new and very different angle. Reassessment of one’s direction in life and the realities that must be faced is not a quick process, but one that takes lengthy effort and patience. The wise take the time to carefully consider the steps they take, while others continue to rush through blindly.

“Into the Future” is an interpretation of this journey as seen by artist, Wachania Mithayo. Vivid shades of energetic red, mingled with hopeful golden light and smudges of challenging dirty gray, welcome and entice the traveler forward on this quest. The light at the end of the tunnel, encased by a darkened door-shape, promises answers and enlightenment, while giving hope and assurance. The road is long and continuous, enshrouded by bent trees that lean inward to protect, watch over and maybe even block the path. Similar roads will be taken many times throughout life; some long, others short, sometimes painful and other times joyful. We cannot stop the journey of life. It is in continuous motion, ever changing.

The journey into the future may be spiritual in nature, a time of self discovery, a process of going through the steps, or a struggle to overcome overwhelming obstacles. Whatever the nature, it guarantees growth and self-awareness. Ideally, we will grasp the strengths and nurture them to new heights. Our weaknesses can be accepted for what they are and often redirected.

This beautiful painting deserves a home in a prime location as a constant reminder to pursue with hope and anticipate with enthusiasm. Other paintings on Wachania Mithayo’s homepage are remarkable representations of the people, landscape and wildlife of the region. His realism is stunning.

“Leopard” is a splendid woodcut image of an exotic creature created by artist Antonio Coreejes. The details and realistic aspects of the piece emphasize the strengths and heightened senses of the cat. Radiating power, majesty and an enviable agility, the skillfully carved eyes of this master sleuth are sly with exceptional vision. His smoothly flared nostrils hold a sense of smell that detects even the smallest of prey, while the alertly curved ears catch every sound. As the fourth largest of the big cats, outsized only by the lion, tiger and jaguar, this piece emphasizes the leopard’s notably massive skull. The curves of his head exhibit powerful jaw muscles that enable him to take on particularly large kills for his size.

Densely marked rosettes on the forehead remind of his beautifully spotted coat; a cunning expression reveals shrewd and opportunistic hunting characteristics. Though we can’t see the muscular body of this stealthy creature, we can imagine that he is lying perfectly still and silent in the grass, waiting for the precise moment to pounce upon its prey. This exquisite portrayal of a feline master combines beauty, power and fearful respect. While basking in the magnificence and splendor, one cannot forget that in an instant, the prey becomes the kill in one swift attack.

Antonio Coreejes’ striking wood carving simultaneously speaks of the grand majesty of nature along with the dangerous situation it provokes. Visit Antonio’s homepage to view his pencil drawings and paintings.

Of all the nebulas in space, one of the most definable is known as the Horsehead Nebula. Its spinning gases and dark, thick dust hold a shape that, when viewed from Earth, emerges much like the head of a horse. Anthony Latimer embraces this amazing phenomenon in his “Equine Dance.” As he successfully attempts to offer personality to this dark and tantalizing plume, this horse of the universe dances joyfully while entertaining the universe. An audience of stars, planets and moons look on with amazement as they observe his performance. Even the distant galaxies come to attention with awe.

The majority of Latimer’s work honors his appreciation of the starry universe and its cosmos. While many of them focus on astronomy, some even reach far into the depths of the ocean. The limitless reaches of space and the deepest secrets of the sea hold many of the greatest mysteries in existence. These allusive entities very creatively protect their knowledge, most of which will never be disturbed by mankind. Enjoy taking a look at Anthony Latimer’s work on his homepage.

Anita Smal enjoys studying the nudes that are revealed in many of her paintings. In “Three naked Ladies” she encourages a refreshing lack of inhibition in appreciation of the human body. A trio of lovely ladies relax and lounge among the vibrant shades of the outdoor setting. The vivacious purples, blues and yellows in a mixture of deep tones used with pastel shades lend a cheerful mood to the piece. Warmth from the sun extends brightness and caresses the naked skin while its surface drinks in the freedom from the restraints of confined clothing. The lack of activity creates a peaceful tranquility that encourages leisure, free thought, candor and nonconformity. The figure in the forefront adds a touch of playfulness and tease while holding her toes with one hand and fruit of red in the other.

“Woman with Cats” sets a mood of the same type. With colors that are akin to the previously mentioned painting, the all-but-nude lady rests onher settee in nothing but a feather-light sheer and revealing gown. Her head, arms and feet are placed in stances of comfort and easy tranquility. Next to her, lie two white cats that join her, presenting us once again with a reclining trio. The feline figure on the left rolls and plays in quite contentment giving the playful touch.

Smal also divulges an interest in floral and fruited still lifes, as well as landscapes and portraits. Visit her homepage to enjoy her display of charming paintings.

The majority of the paintings displayed on Christophorus’s homepage are a part of his “Paternoster” series. His tribute to this traditional fishing village near Cape Town is immense with seascapes, fishing boats and the fishermen that use them to gain their livelihood. He also gives occasional notice to the long-established shops, homes and restaurants of “Paternoster“.  A liberal collection of these outstanding paintings would create a wondrous display.

As a contrasting element, Christophorus reveals a totally diverse aspect of his talents in “Daisyface.” The female semblance we see here, with portions of her face and arm covered in greenery and daisies, appears as an extension of nature. White daisies grow forth from her fertile skin. The background of the blazing sun, surrounded in soothing shades of swirling motion pull her body in as an part of itself. As if caught in the middle, she exudes vibrant flames of life and energy. Her face is striking, yet in a serious grimace. Is she unhappy with her plot in life or more likely just protective and watchful over her environmental domain? The way our society often treats nature with abuse and neglect, it would be no wonder.

With everyone scampering about turning their valuable metals into other forms of equity, it is with much amazement to find that the majority of antiques and art actually rose in 2009. While jewelry and silver are the leaders, you can now add contemporary art in that category as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Now, here’s a lady to be reckoned with: she’s a force of nature; a force of art! As she herself says, to paint, one needs to become what one is painting, so to speak – because after all, we “speak” best about the things we have experienced, whether that is during a writing project or in the production of any type of art. Her training with a Persian master began at the tender age of thirteen – and it shows: her paintings are just fabulously brilliant! She would describe herself as a “romantic” artist: we’d describe Nazanin Madadi as a gifted individual all around.

Firstly let us gaze upon the beautiful face in looking. Naturally the model is beautiful – this is true – but the pose and the painting is just amazing and very accurate. All together these qualities come together to produce a gorgeous piece – the woman in the pictures looks out from behind her hair which has been blown into her face; deep red lips and liquid eyes setting the scene. What an inspirational piece – just imagine what that would look like on your wall. Sadly, this piece is sold – but there are quite a number of other pieces on Madadi’s online gallery that would fit the bill as well.

A piece still (amazingly) up for sale, on the other hand, is The romantic pianist. Captured mid-performance and from behind, we see a lady playing the piano in a red dress; candles burning and enraptured – certainly very romantic indeed! The colors are warm and muted – they flow with one another wonderfully and the painting is yet another example of Madidi’s mastery of oils. It’s also a good sized piece and another one to really make a room – whichever room that might be. That would be up to the eventual lucky owner of the piece.

Madadi is, all in all, a great painter – a great artist. She’s been painting all her life: she has the gift, and her gallery is totally full of wonderful examples of that talent coming out of the brush and being given form on a canvas. You’d be wise to consider a Madadi painting for your collection – because they’re so beautiful that quite soon, they may become much more difficult to own…

According to the National Academy of Science, it is not just an amazing concept… this idea of a computer that is capable of recognizing bogus art… but a proven reality.

Established researchers have cleverly come up with a clear-cut technique that effectively creates the artist’s masterpiece then digitally breaks it down into small little sections, calling it “sparse coding.” This system has ascertained that a true work of art has the capability of being reconstructed using these tiny sections whereas a copycat could not.

A little over a decade ago a comparatively innovative breakdown received attention universally through “drip paintings” of Jackson Pollock’s. However even after all this time it is stilled embroiled in much furor as several endeavors have been made using the method are still harvesting due to ambiguous findings.

Sparse coding brought about by Daniels Rockmore and numerous contemporaries are thought to be a lot more precise than those before.

How does this work? Digitally – and very easily. The first step to successfully testing a piece of work begins with slicing it into 144 segments then arranging them in rows and columns of twelve. Next, produce sets of one hundred forty-four indiscriminate elements the same size but in diverse assortment of forms. A computer will then modify these elements and arrange them to restructure the masterpiece. Again, keep in mind that an imitation will not be able to be reconstructed.

A computer, in the course of adjusting them will be capable of evolving different portions and areas of the original piece of art painting. It then goes one step further by making certain minuet; attainable amounts in that section are seized. This reconstruction is regarded as the “sparsest” set of reproductive operations.

This sparse coding was tried and tested on works of art that are often the attention of a lot of imitators. Continually proving, percentage wise, that the fakes were not able to be reconstructed. Sixteenth century painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder was one of these.

Eight genuine Bruegel pieces were virtually broken down and set along side fake pieces of work for patch comparisons. Seven out of eight cases formed accurate results in the ability of reconstructing the authentic art work and debunking the fake one.

Although sparse coding is highly acknowledged in many cases, it is somewhat restricted as there are still a lot of artistic styles that it can not process as well. One should mention that this type of process needs a fair sized collection of works from any one artist in order to adequately have the capability of catching imitations. Subject matter is also a factor and landscaping appears to be favored for this function.

Acknowledgment has been given that sparse coding is not always the answer in all situations and should not be considered as a replacement to other implements currently utilized. Regardless, adamancy is still maintained that in particular circumstances; it’s a valuable and effective addition.

And it is not just authentication that this formula is beneficial. According to Professor Rockmore, he feels it could possibly lend its analysis to other problem areas in the world of art as well.

Bonham’s in London are holding a specialist South African auction over two days later this month with a wide and interesting selection of works from the great and the good (and indeed predominantly deceased) of the South African art world.

With around 300 lots in all there is quite a mixture of styles and, if the estimates are anything to go by (though some of them seem to be chosen very oddly!), prices.

The first day concerns itself mainly with earlier works but has some interesting items from George Boys and Errol Boyley On Day 2 there are some very fine Pembas on offer and also some quite appealing works from lesser known artists. There are a number of pieces from Francois Krige including the Rousseau-esque “Krisjan Sleeping” and a selection of his landscapes. The more contemporary items on offer include some distinctive works from Norman Catherine (with fairly modest estimates attached to them) and some acid house Mary-Ann Orrs. There’s an estimate of around $8,000 on a signed Nelson Mandela lithograph depicting Table Mountain from his cell window on Robben Island – it may not be the most accomplished work of art but it clearly has a powerful message. Dylan Lewis has some fine bronzes in the sale which may draw some attention.

It’s encouraging to see this event which appears to be attracting considerable interest and it will be interesting to see quite how the hammer falls on the day. By the way, should we be surprised that there’s not a Petrie to be seen anywhere in the listings!

- Mark Hayhurst

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It isn’t intended to be irreverent but the Bonham’s event does bring to mind the Monty Python song “The Decomposing Composers” – there’s less of them every year. Every one of the following artists is, we are delighted to confirm, still above ground and producing some of their best works to date:

“Galloping zebra” by Doreen Straarup	As a self-taught artist, Doreen’s work in oils is well accomplished and this and a number of her other works demonstrate a good eye for composition and an ability to adapt to different subjects.
There is a real delight in Gary’s works and it is evident from the titles and meaning he places on these pieces that they really are works that come from his heart.	“Earth meets sky” by Gary Frier
“Modern Landscape” by Richard Rennie	Employing an interesting palette of color, especially for works in oils, Richard’s landscapes are calm and beautiful with delicate brushstrokes and a good measure of detail.
Nikodemis’s lively pieces are always popular and this quirky mixed media piece portrays mischief as well as creativity.	“The angel of heaven and earth” by Nikodemis van Rensburg
“Desert Storm/Cedar Mountains” by Freda Hayward	Equally capable with portaiture and landscapes, Freda’s most recent works, including this atmospheric country scene, are  attracting a lot of attention.
I’m sure we’re going to see lot more from Rene. She tells a story with skill and sensitivity in this work and in her portfolio has a number of really striking pieces.	“Where is My Children” by Rene Snyman

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“ Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist. ”
- René Magritte

New Artists

We have talented new artists coming on the site all the time and in recent weeks we have welcomed the following who have already listed a number of excellent works:

• Rene de Waal
• Janeen Kantor
• Ria Janse van Rensburg
• Elize Enslin
• Stanley Blake Mans
• Beulah
• Peter Ferrari
• Michael Laurie
• Lisa Roberts
• Lynden Lund
• Elsje Wiid
• Mandy Currin
• Hougaard Malan
• Joe Schoeman
• Jackie Opperman
• Rosemary Harris
• Irene Killingbeck
• Vivien Starkey
• Belinda Johl
• Marius Prinsloo
• Alma Horn
• Chris Vermaak

“ If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all. ”
- Michelangelo

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