In 2018, I took a mixed media artist’s workshop with teachers Rosenclaire in Italy. We did exercises like photomontage, where we placed a colourful animal or object into a setting—one interior and one exterior—while being mindful of vanishing points and light sources. This is where Pet Cemetery was born. It started as a collage, then a print, and eventually a painting. Collage lets me use found images to create new narratives, going beyond simply using photos as references.

Let's be honest, living a charmed existence with 9 months of summer in South Africa makes winter feel like a shock to the system.

If you're not a cold-weather person (like me), hibernation might seem like your only option.

I've often been told, “Oh, you can draw, you are so creative.” While I appreciate the compliment, it’s a bit of a narrow definition of creativity.

We've all been there – standing in front of towering art pieces in acclaimed museums, the written explanations too academic and the font type too small to grasp at first glance. Yet, as we stand there, something stirs within us – a feeling, an admiration, a connection that needs no explanation. Valerie Kabov refers to this as the ‘essential uselessness' of Art – it doesn't fulfil any survival need (honestly Art won't keep us warm at night), but it does resonate deeply with our souls!