Enthusiasts invited to watch East London artists in action

Bright colours, realistic landscapes and abstract portraits on multisize canvases adorn the newly-opened Passion for Art Gallery at King’s Mall as part of a lively exhibition by eight local artists.
Showing off what it truly means to have a passion for art, the artists are not only displaying and selling their finished pieces at the exhibition, but also tempting visitors to get lost in the brush strokes, colour palettes and techniques of their trade. They have turned the gallery into an art studio of sorts, each setting up their canvasses and taking turns to paint or draw throughout the day, while visitors get the opportunity to see them in action.
“It’s wonderful to be surrounded by art and other artists with an exhibition like this. If I wasn’t painting here, I’d just be painting alone at home and this is much more inspiring,” said self-taught painter Tony Durrheim, 69, while adding the final brush strokes to a realistic seascape oil painting. “It also gives us the opportunity to promote an appreciation for art in East London and for us to gain some exposure.”
Fellow painter Suzanne Schmidt, 67, said visitors were welcome to ask questions and that all the artists were prepared to offer advice.
“We all have such different styles and we’re learning a lot from each other. As an artist you never stop learning and we are more than happy to answer questions about techniques or styles with fellow art enthusiasts,” said Schmidt, who has a knack for painting portraits using abstract colours.
Exhibiting 10 artworks each, the artists replace the pieces that are sold throughout the exhibition, ensuring that the gallery is always full of artwork and full of life.
While the group is mainly made up of painters, artist Brenda Pudifin, 44, has been trying her hand at a new technique using ink and chalk pastels, offering up something very different to Durheim’s realism.
“I started working with pastels in 2012 and I absolutely love it. The colours are much brighter so I’ve moved away from realistic drawings and started using a lot of bright colours that you wouldn’t usually find in nature,” said Pudifin who has a diverse range of abstract, impressionistic and realistic art on display.
The exhibition is open daily from 10am to 6pm weekdays and 10 am to 1 pm on weekends until January 12...

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