But make no mistake, the paintings they produce are of a high standard.
Zonnestein is an established wildlife artist and her leopards and lions are majestic. Both wish they had more time to pursue their art. "I want to be the best wildlife artist in South Africa," says Ester with a chuckle during a visit to their art gallery in Langenhoven Street.
Ester spent 10 years working full-time as an artist, but is currently working part-time again as a pharmacist. Her appreciation of wildlife was sparked off by the visits to the Etosha Nature Reserve in Namibia. Ester was born in Gobabis, Namibia, in 1962. As a child she often spent holidays with her family at nature reserves.
The detailed drawings of birds and wildlife are a result of her scientific background combined with the ability to mix and match colours."What I want to achieve with my paintings is to capture the beauty of creation for the viewer to see. I try to express the emotion of the leopard or lion through their eyes and make them come alive by creating a three-dimensional picture where a normal photo is only two-dimensional." Her work forms part of private and corporate collections in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Canada.
Italian connection
Scribante's Italian village paintings reveals her love of Italy developed during holidays spent abroad. In one of her oil paintings she captures the Venetian canals in soft pastel colours. While her true love is producing spontaneous bouquets and flowers in general, she is also apt at painting sail boats in South African settings. Scribante, who is a qualified radiologist, has been painting and taking lessons for more than a decade. She finds her inspiration from viewing the works of Vincent van Gogh.
When talking about their art, both women become animated and it emerges that for Scribante it is a temporary respite from her responsibilities when she takes up her paintbrush while Zonnestein finds her artistic career absorbing and energising. Their gallery can be visited by appointment. Scribante can be reached on 044 803 5019 and Zonnestein on 082 576 0213.
René Scribante enjoys travelling to Italy and capturing magical cities like Venice. She also manages a busy radiology practice in George.
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