Artist of the Month
In conversation with…
Sunita Hansen
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Robertson where my mom worked at the local printers. She always brought me little off-cut paper books to draw in. That is where my interest in drawing started. We moved to Vredendal when I was 10 years old and stayed on a smallholding with a variety of animals. My siblings were a lot older than me and because we were far from town I often wandered into the field to play and observe nature up close by myself.
Did you take art as a subject in school?
No, but I competed in art competitions in high school. In those years I mainly made drawings with pencil. My mom bought me a watercolour set that I used to experiment with.
When did you start painting?
It was only during my college years that I had Art as a subject as part of my teaching qualification and was introduced to painting.
Are you currently working as a full time artist?
I am actually doing it full time in the sense that apart from my own art, I also teach art as a subject to Grade 4-7 learners at a school. I follow the CAPS curriculum and teach the basic principles of design and technique to a group of children as an extra-mural activity as well. Some of the children are very passionate about their art. It is a huge privilege for me to teach the skills I’ve learnt to the children.
What art do you focus on?
My main focus has always been watercolour, but I also do oil painting from time to time when I do en pleinair painting. Last year (2022) I started doing linocut and I was immediately intrigued with the printing process. I hand-printed my lino cuts at that stage and was curious of the different printing processes available. I attended a drypoint etching workshop with Cathy Milner in Stellenbosch and I was so inspired that I decided to buy my own printing press. I also did a monotype workshop with her. At this stage I see myself as a student of all the printing processes. In between, I continue to do urban and figure sketches, watercolour, charcoal and oil painting.
Where do you find your inspiration?
I have always found my inspiration when I’m in nature. I often drive out to discover new painting spots. When my dad went fishing, I played on the rocks at L’Agulhas with pebbles and shells and created my own world using my imagination. The sea and everything in the field and in nature are my inspiration. Whenever I looked at the mountains and scenery around me as a child, I imagined myself painting the scene, and it is still like that today. Whenever I see something beautiful, I find myself having a desire to paint it or draw it.
Are there other artists in the family?
My mom was very artistic and could draw well. She was always creating something, whether it were woodcarving, needlepoint, knitting or crocheting. I remember her picking up items from the beach and making abstract arrangements on the dining room table with shells, sea objects and driftwood when we were on holiday. My dad used to make objects with copper, like miniature brandy kettles, jewellery and artefacts. My niece, Nadine Hansen is an established artist in Stilbaai and I have other nieces and nephews who are also very artistic.
Do you ever paint from photo reference?
Yes, I do. However, I prefer to do plein air studies, meaning, I go out in nature and paint from life what I observe. I also take photo’s for reference that I can use in the studio later together with my small studies to make a final painting.
How did your art develop over the last 20 years?
While my children grew up, I had limited time for my art. I did some sketches now and then and attended watercolour and pastel classes at the Bellville Art Centre. I studied from many art books in my spare time and also started oil painting. I did fabric painting for a few years as an extra income and also made doorstops and dolls from fabric. At that stage I had no clear direction for my art. That all changed when I did a prophetic art workshop at my church and the lady who paints in the church during worship invited me to join her. That was 6 years ago when I painted my first painting in church, and the Lord started to take me on a journey with my art that I could not imagine possible. Everything started to fall into place especially after I did a workshop by master artist René Snyman in Somerset West. Then I just realised that the Lord made me an artist and I have a purpose to paint for His glory.
Is there a dream project that you want to do?
I would like to make a series of some of the women in the Bible in one of the mediums, but I need time to process it. At the moment my dream project is to inspire the youth to make art and to establish solid art principles in their lives.
What is the best advice for young artists?
Do what you like, develop your own style and put in the hours. Do not wait for inspiration.
Where do you exhibit?
I currently exhibit at Art B Gallery in Bellville and at SASA exhibitions in Kirstenbosch.
Name a few people or artists who have inspired you?
The person who made the biggest impact on my art was Dorothy Kay. She was an Irish born South African artist from Port Elizabeth who painted mainly portraits of mayors and locals. Her daughter Marjorie Reynolds wrote a biography of her life called: “Everything you do is a portrait of yourself”. Dorothy inspired me to do daily sketches, keep an art journal, and continuously experiment with different mediums. Beatrix Bosch, an artist from Wilderness who works in leather, also was a mentor to me when we lived there. The best advice I received as a young artist from her was to develop your own style and find what ignites your passion, then use that as your unique fingerprint.
Other artists who inspire me are, René Snyman, Richard Schmid(oil), Joseph Zbukvic, John Singer Sargent, Alvaro Castagnet, Andy Evanson(watercolours), Andreas van Poucke and Kathe Kollwitz (Etching).
