What does a man born in the Kalahari, Leonardo da Vinci and aloe vera have in common? As it happens quite a lot actually. Especially if you are an artist. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing someone truly inspirational. A man who is not only an excellent artist, but is busy giving South African artists something they need.

In this article and podcast you will get to meet Joe Joubert. South Africa's paint maker.

Interested in watching full length painting demonstrations, but prefer to download the video? I got you covered. I have a new section on my website called Video Demonstrations.  Each of the videos provide a full demonstration painting, narrated by me and come packed with painting tips. As you would expect. No fluff here, thank you very much :)

Download and Keep
The best part is that when you purchase the video you can download it and play it anytime on your computer or tablet. No buffering or internet interruptions. 

New Videos and Subjects
Currently I have two painting demonstrations uploaded with more titles to come. From landscapes, seascapes, still life and portraits - you will find examples of all of these in the coming months. Please make sure that you have joined my Artist's and Collector's Circle so that I can keep you updated on new publications.

Video Format
The videos are in mp4 format which is compatible with all computers and mobile devices. 

I hope that these demonstration are useful to you. If you have any suggestions for topics you would like to see in the future please contact me.

Brrrr ... that is what most of us have been saying this past week. It has been cold!
But Spring is coming soon. So looking ahead to brighter and warmer days I want to tell you about my Spring workshops.

Two Foundation Workshops and my first Advanced Painting Workshop.

18-19 October 2018 (Foundation)
08-09 November 2018 (Foundation)
22-23 November 2018 (Advanced)

What are these workshops all about?
I focus on the painterly style throughout. This is a looser style where brushwork, generous paint and vibrant colours are more important.

In the Foundation Workshop the essential concepts of value, composition, colour and brushwork are the main ideas. We work through a few paintings to learn these methods in practice.

The Advanced Workshop is for those artists that have strong skills in painting values, colour mixing and brushwork. We now focus on different subjects both in and outdoors. 

If you are interested in joining these workshops please visit my workshops page for more details and to book. A deposit is essential to secure a place as I keep my classes small.

It is easy to make big claims. Especially on social media where we get to see only the highlights reel. Not the hard work, anxiety and time that goes behind most achievements. As a creative entrepreneur you know how daunting it can be. Why is everyone else crushing it in their business and you struggle to get noticed? If you can relate with me on this roller coaster ride then read on, because I am going to reveal actual figures that do not lie.

​I call it a quest. It is not that grand in the scheme of things, but as an artist it is right up there. This search for the ideal oil paint is one most passionate artists share. Paint is after all the critical substance for a painting. The better the paint the better the painting? Well it helps a lot.

In this article I have a set of Van Gogh oil paints to review. Made by Royal Talens, a Dutch company, which is also the homeland of Vincent Van Gogh. I call those big shoes to fill Royal Talens. Have they done justice to the great artist's name? Lets find out.

​It's competition time! It has been years since my last painting competition and long overdue. So here it is - an oil painting from yours truly is up for grabs. Valued at R3250.00 or $250.00 depending on exchange rate :) There are also five runner up prizes of one of my online painting courses. Plus you can increase your chances of winning too. Find out how below.

An artist recently sent me the following question:
"I've been painting for 18 months. Everyone says that my paintings are incredible. Problem is: I continue to paint other artists paintings that I love. I do also paint from photographs. Almost all my paintings are very, very close duplicates. How do I break this habit and do my own thing? "

You may be thinking that this is easy to answer. Or you may be facing a similar dilemma. In this article I am going to try and answer this question.

Family gatherings are fascinating experiences. They can be wonderful moments of shared love and joy. They can also tip to the other extreme and result in conflict. But usually everyone makes up again and all ends well.
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These gatherings also prompt me to reflect on life’s lessons and can be deeply inspiring to me as an artist. 

Have you grappled with changing your painting style? Has a gallery told you that your style does not fit their clientele? Are you in doubt about what style is trending right now? If so you are in good company. The style-police are always ready with an opinion on what your painting style should be.

How important is painting style anyway? In this article I take on a few stereotypes and tired ideas. Let us see what does make a painting great.

This article is a guest post by Adam Cross