Kirstenbosch | Cape Town | 2008

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During my six years of studying art I never felt at ease with producing work that I could describe as beautiful. I was forced to criticize everything I attempted. Through this process my reasons for art making as well as the products thereof often became pretentious and false. I discovered a refreshing new attitude in botanical illustration. Here, there reside no pretences or anxiety. It allows me to re-create images purely for the sake of their aesthetic value. The process of botanical illustration helps me to re-focus myself and serves as therapy against my otherwise restless imagination. Studying and reproducing these plants on paper are as calming and bracing in expression as it is in appearance.