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Saturday 24 January 2015

Meet the Artist - Lilla

The Artist, Lilla
Marlize Visagie is the name behind the artist, Lilla. Lilla is a nickname her older sister gave her as a baby which stuck with her through life.
Lilla studied art at school where the impressionists had a great influence over her, especially William Turner and Vincent van Gogh. She matriculated from Hoër Meisieskool Helpmekaar, Johannesburg, in 1986. She started her studies in Art at Pretoria Technikon the following year. As is often the case, life took her down different roads and for a while she stopped practising art altogether. It was only around 2012/3 that she decided to take up both brush and pen again, devoting time to her writing and painting.


Lilla’s renewed explorations in art started with landscapes in acrylic. She was not about to leave well enough be, though. She attended workshops and studied by herself, devoting much time and energy to her rediscovered passion. It was renowned artist Lute Vink who convinced her to take up oil painting, and she has never looked back. “I love the qualities of oil colours and how forgiving the medium is.”
Lilla is inspired by South African artists Greg Schultz, Lute Vink, Tony Durrheim, Willie Jacobs, Charmaine Gelderblom, Hester Hattingh, Koos Bronkhorst, Stan Polson en Roelof Rossouw. International artists she draws inspiration from include Ralph Heynen, Jimmy Longacre, Paul van Ginkel, Kelli Folsom, Darren Baker, Tom Dorr en Donna Shiver.

Lilla’s love of writing has already been mentioned and she is known for expressing herself through poetry in her native Afrikaans. In 2014, she collobarated with two more poets, Alida Marais and Mitz Malan to publish an anthology of poems, titled Carpe Monana. Twelve of Lilla’s poems were included and the release date for the publication is expected to be in early February 2015. All funds generated through sales will be donated to CANSA SA.
Lilla is from Centurion, Pretoria, where her only child will be finishing her high school career this year. She is actively involved in a feeding scheme at her daughter’s school, making sure that less privileged children are fed and taken care of.
Lilla takes great pride in her daughter who has provincial colours in marksmanship and will be competing at an international level in August of this year during a competition in Britain.
Being the wife of an expat working abroad, Lilla had experienced the need for support first-hand. She started a support group for this group in Centurion and on Facebook. The Centurion group has regular meetings to encourage and assist each other.
After painting and writing, Lilla’s greatest passion is for travelling and she has been to Uganda, Kenia, the USA and England.


Follow this link to see Lilla’s portfolio in the Gallery:

SOUL
(A translation of the poem SIEL, by Lilla/Marlize Visagie)

I capture you in words,
full stops and commas.
I paint you
in colours on my canvas,
the light and shadows of my life
captured in well-contemplated
sentences on paper,
in nuances of colour on fabric.

I struggle.
I drown.
You are only three feet away
and say I have to learn to swim ...

Copyright: Marlize Visagie



Die Kunstenaar, Lilla
My naam is Marlize Visagie maar ek skilder onder die naam Lilla. Dit is 'n troetelnaam wat my ousus vir my as baba gegee het en almal in my familie/vriendekring noem my dus ook so.
Ek het kuns as vak op skool gehad en die Impressioniste soos William Turner en Van Gogh het n groot indruk op my gemaak. Ek het 1986 by Hoër Meisieskool Helpmekaar in Johannesburg gematrikuleer en in 1987 my eerste basiese jaar in Kuns aan die destydse Pretoria Technikon voltooi. My lewe het toe ander paadjies gedraf en ek het heeltemal opgehou skilder.   Ongeveer 2 jaar gelede het die behoefte om te skryf en skilder my egter weer oorweldig en het ek weer met Akriel verf en landskappe begin eksperimenteer.  Intussen het ek hier en daar vir n werkswinkel gegaan en myself verder weer begin leer deur te lees en ander kunstenaars se werke in diepte te bestudeer. 'n Paar maande gelede het Lute Vink my egter oortuig om Olieverf aan te durf en ek het nog nooit weer terug gekyk nie. Ek is verlief op olieverf se kwaliteite en vergewensgesindheid!

SA kunstenaars wie se werk my na aan die hart lê is onder andere Greg Schultz, Lute Vink, Tony Durrheim, Willie Jacobs, Charmaine Gelderblom, Hester Hattingh, Koos Bronkhorst, Stan Polson en Roelof Rossouw.
Internasionaal waardeer ek werke van Ralph Heynen, Jimmy Longacre, Paul van Ginkel, Kelli Folsom, Darren Baker, Tom Dorr en Donna Shiver.

Ek het 'n diep liefde vir Afrikaans en skryf graag poësie. Gedurende 2014 het ek, Alida Marais en Mitz Malan besluit om 'n digbundel saamgestel uit ons drie se digwerk, die lig te laat sien.  'n Digbundel genaamd Carpe Monana waarin 12 van my gedigte opgeneem is tesame met hulle werke word dus vroeg in Februarie vrygestel en alle fondse wat uit die verkoop van die bundel gegenereer word, sal ten bate van KANSA SA wees. (Ek heg een van my gedigte aan).
Ek woon in Centurion, en het een dogter wat tans in Matriek in Hoërskool Eldoraigne is.  Ek is jaarliks betrokke by 'n kos/geskenk pakkie projek wat ons saamstel vir minder bevoorregte kinders by die skool.
My dogter het die laaste vier jaar haar Provinsiale Noord-Gauteng klere verwerf in Luggeweer skiet en in 2014 ook haar Nasionale Skole Skiet klere verwerf. Sy was ook dan een van die span kapteine van die Nasionale Skole Skiet span wat gedurende Augustus aan die British Junior International's in Brittanje gaan deelneem het.
Ek het 'n ontsaglike passie vir mense en aangesien my man een van vele Expats is wat oorsee werk, het ek ook in Centurion 'n Facebook ondersteuningsgroep gestig vir al die vrouens van Expats. Ons kom op gereelde basis bymekaar vir koffie en kuier en ondersteun mekaar emosioneel en andersins gedurende die tye wat ons manne in die Buiteland werksaam is.
Naas skilder en skryf is reis sekerlik my grootste passie en was ek al in Uganda, Kenia, die VSA en Engeland.”


SIEL

Ek skryf jou in woorde,
punte en komma's.
Ek teken en skilder jou
in verf op doek,
my lewe se sonlig en skadu's
opgevang in diep deurdenkte 
sinne op papier,
in nuanses van kleur op materiaal.

Ek spartel.
Ek verdrink.
En jy staan 3 voet weg
en sê ek moet leer swem..

KOPIEREG Marlize Visagie

Vlog hierdie skakel om Lilla se volledige portefeulje in die Gallery te sien:


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