ENTERTAINMENT NEWS - To create artwork that has lasting appeal - that is in essence what all professional artists aim for. George artist Ian Tainton, who has had another successful season at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, said he is pleased that he has a regular following in the Eastern Cape.

While he does not participate in local art competitions, he will help hang the paintings for the upcoming Visual Expressions competition being held by the Southern Cape Artist Association (Scava). Those curious to see his work will find his lino prints and woodcuts as well as original oil paintings on exhibition at Cape Palette and 101 Meade Street Restaurant's art gallery. 

His philosophy on art is complex. "Portraits were the flavour of the month at the George Museum's Art Gallery," he says. "While local artists did not make it to the top 40 in the Sanlam Portrait Award 2017, the process of producing good portraits continues unabated. Portraits have been produced for thousands of years. Photography changed the concept in the last hundred years, but with the increased skill introduced by current artists, it can be coupled with personal expression to produce something relevant."

Ian's paintings incorporate a number of portraits in one. He believes that if the journey is better than reaching your destination, then you must take in the sights with pleasure. Whether it's "real" or imagined, there will be a need to "get it down" on whatever mediums suits. 

"The journey can lead over hills, into valleys, into dark corners or numerous sunny places. That which interests needs to be explored and mulled over, for, when I get older and look back on life's verisimilitude, I, the artist, can say 'I visited that place. It was fun'."

For Ian's students, it adds to the spice of life to walk out of his studio with a finished painting - which most of the time turned out totally different from what they had imagined.

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