The Wilderness Art Festival is here in October

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GEORGE NEWS - The Wilderness Art Festival 2021, which embraces the celebration of Wilderness' centennial, promises to be a grand occasion. Due to take place at the Wilderness Hotel from 7 to 9 October, it will feature 80 to 100 artists from around the country.

The programme will be packed with activities, workshops, demos, book and poetry readings, performing arts and dance. And of course, the popular Night of 1000 Drawings charity event!

More details will appear in George Herald on 30 September.

The Wilderness Art Festival 2021 thanks the official sponsor, George / Wilderness Tourism.

To whet your appetite for the exciting event, we introduce you to the lives and works of three of the exhibiting artists, Marnitz Steyn, Ninette Steyl and Milena Pechackova.

Photo gallery: Wilderness Art Festival 2021 coming soon

Milena Pechackova

Milena Pechackova

I was born in the middle of Europe in the Czech town of Pilsen. As a child I had a passion for drawing. As a young mother I tried to paint with acrylics, but having small children, I didn’t keep up this time-consuming hobby. Together with my partner, I started coming to Africa about ten years ago and here I met a young lady painter who actually reminded me of my forgotten skills.

My next encounter with art was through Dale Elliott’s painting workshop - and I have never put the brush down since. Africa is my love and inspiration. I paint with oils preferably, but sometimes I return to acrylic too. My other tutors are Tony Dürheim, who taught me to paint wonderful nature, and Bob McKenzie whose style is very close to mine. I just love to learn from him. My latest works are inspired by farm life, both African and European.Ninette Steyl

Ninette Steyl

Ninette Steyl is the in-house artist at The Dune gallery in Wilderness. She loves to capture emotions and depth through light and colour.

The way the light falls and the movement in people’s eyes and the stillness of natural beauty inspire her. She partly studied visual arts at the University of Pretoria, but after becoming a mother of three, she had no time or room for art. Over the years, she attended classes at different teaching artists, who inspired her confidence and nurtured trust in her creativity. Her chosen mediums are oil painting, pencil sketching and watercolour.

Lately, loose mixed media has become her favourite self-expression. It is important to her to bring depth into her art by striving to portray emotion, or different dimensions. Her topics range through realistic still lifes, portraits, landscapes and abstract works.

She loves experimenting with colour and texture. Bringing the beauty of light into people’s homes at a particular moment through beauty and expression is what her journey of self-discovery has drawn out of her… finally, she is living her passion.