Afrikan Heart, europäische Welt…
My Life began in the constellation of an African Village and my Childhood was
rich & blessed with so many amazing Souls.
Maths & Eureka
1976, South Africa
Maths was my best friend, my Guardian Angel
and what I believe, my "earth" grandfather...
There was a special bond between all of us.
Maths was a very unique member of our family.
My dedication to his memory, has revealed a great
truth to me about the way most people take
food-growers for granted(!) and thereore ourselves.
We are nothing without the sacred Souls who nurture
and grow our food. This Conscious Thought,
has awakened much of the depth behind my Art Peaces.
I would not be who I am had he not been a part
of my evolvement.
We had the best grandparents we could ever have
wished for!
My grandparents are one of the biggest treasures
of my childhood memories...
My grandmother was a gentle but strong Soul, who
always had three or four dogs lying near her feet.
An incredibly strong woman in her youth, she had
lost her life's passion when she had had to retire.
She was a wonderful grandmother, and I shall never
forget her warm, soft body that would always hold
me when I needed her.
Our grandfather was one of my heroes.
He was a community leader and a Father-Figure to
many Souls who needed him. His innitiative started
the first newspaper in Halfway House/Midrand. He
was a gentle, strong, loving and passionate Soul.
He had an amazing discipline, which he tried to teach
us. Our Grandfather had a philosophy -
"...don't waste film! Each photo you take, should be
good enough for the mantelpiece!"
He taught us about the value of things, and genuine
sustainability. The thing I remember and treasure
most about him, was his positive attitude & his
deep respect for Nature and God.
I would not be who I am had they not been a part
of my evolvement.
My Mother taught me part of my "Mensch".
She has taught me how to communicate with people,
and most of all, how to love them....
The women in my family have been known to do
unconventional things...In the 80s, when a lot of
companies were closing down due to workforce
boycots, my uncle's business would also have
collapsed had my mother not gotten her Code10
driver's license to help deliver gas cylinders to their
clients. I would not be who I am had she not been a
part of my evolvement.
My Father was like an encyclopedia!
He made me aware of the art world with his passion
of books, history, politics, art & rare rugs/carpets.
His unexpected death was a new chapter in my life...
I would not be who I am had he not been a
part of my evolvement.
One of the oldest friends my grandparents had, was a
woman by the name of Charlotte Heinemann.
She was like an additional grandmother to me.
It was due to her, that I one day realized, that I too,
wanted to do art… Regretfully, I never told her this,
before she passed to peace.
The painting Charlotte is dedicated to her.
I would not be who I am had she not been a part of
my evolvement.
Oonagh, (you pronounce it Una), is another remarkable
Soul who has graced my Life‘s Path.
A nurse & a humanitarian, with much courage,
compassion & calm, she has always been an inspiration
& rolemodel.
I would not be who I am had she not been a part of
my evolvement.
Like with all families, there came a time when our family
had real problems...very painful problems.
This Soul, by the name of WIllie Skome, was the light at the
end of the tunnel for my mom and I!
I call her my Afrikan Mamma. She has an emotional
intelligence which surpasses most therapists I have ever
met, including those with university educations!
Unfortunately with me going walkabout and her moving
around in South Africa, we have lost contact, but it is one
of my biggest wishes to be able to introduce our children
to her one day...
I would not be who I am had she not been a part of
my evolvement.
When my parents got divorced, another exceptional Soul
entered our lives... As I leaned over his shoulder and
watched his pencil move across the paper, Heinz
awakened in me a deep wish to be able to draw!
Heinz was also the first person to give me a camera! I was
9 years young. He was a retired graphic designer.
His love of nature and the holidays we would spend in the
bush with him, was another strong influence on my life's
perceptions... He was a beautiful Soul who knew exactly
how to encourage us to start something new.
I would not be who I am had he not been a part of my
evolvement.
Best friend, partner in another-crazy-idea, supporter,
co-creator, challenger, teacher, student, muse, ecotect,
managerial wizard, cradle-to-cradle thinker, husband,
friend and foe…
I would not be who I am or am becoming, if he had not
been a part of my Life.
