Collector's Report 2025

As the year winds down and the Karoo sky stretches itself into those long summer evenings, it feels like the right moment to gather my thoughts, take stock, and share a little of what’s been happening in my corner of the art world. This “Collector’s Report” is my way of keeping you, the people who follow, support, collect, and cheer on my work, in the loop. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Artworks created & placed in collections

This year, eight pieces found new homes: five original paintings and three commissions. I painted 11 new works, plus the commissioned pieces. A much quieter year than usual on the production side, but for very good reasons. Between moving to the Karoo, building a house from the ground up, and settling into a new way of living, my painting time naturally shifted. Even so, watching each artwork find its person remains one of the great joys of my practice. Thank you to everyone who welcomed a piece of my work into your life this year.

Here is a selection of available work that I painted this year.

Studio Highlights

Karoo Landscapes: The Story Continues

My Karoo series, which began while I was still only daydreaming about living here, continues to evolve. What started as making holiday studies in 2024 has now deepened into a fuller visual diary of this place I now call home.

A New Project Emerging: 21st Century Karoo Nightscapes

A new series has just begun brewing: 21st Century Karoo Nightscapes (working title). Living out here, you notice things. One of them is how the night has changed. The quiet warmth of old incandescent and sodium lights giving way to the sharper, cooler glow of LEDs. It’s subtle, but the atmosphere is different.
This project is still in its very early stages, so I’ll save most of that story for another post, but for now: the night is a new muse.

Workshops & Teaching

This year I taught a painting workshop in the beautiful Te Water House in Graaff-Reinet, graciously hosted by the very supportive Jen Rubidge. Twelve wonderful participants joined me for a morning focused on the fundamentals: how to see light, interpret it, and translate it into paint using simple, effective techniques. It wasn’t a plein air workshop this time; instead, we worked indoors, building the foundation that makes painting outdoors (or anywhere) feel more intuitive and confident.

Looking ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be a significant year for teaching in all its forms. Continuing the work I began with the Creative Skills Factory in Stanford, I’ll be teaching weekly art classes and regular workshops to 21 underprivileged schoolchildren in Graaff-Reinet, under the auspices of Imibala Trust. It feels good, and important, to pass on the joy and grounding power of creativity to young people who may not otherwise have access to it.

April also marks the beginning of workshops at my homestead here in the Karoo. We’ll paint surrounded by lucerne fields, mountains, and the generous Karoo light. It's a rather irresistible classroom.

And as a highlight later in the year, I’ll be leading the King’s Grant Plein Air Painting Retreat in Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal in September 2026. It will be three days of immersive plein air painting, deep focus, shared learning, and (inevitably) a lot of talk about light, colour, and the weather - the usual plein air trifecta.

Where my work is showing

My paintings have been keeping good company this year:

• Imibala Gallery, Drostdy Hotel, Graaff-Reinet
• Kraairivier Gallery, Aberdeen
• Journey, Stanford
• Intethe Gallery, Hermanus

There is also a selection of work available directly from my studio.

Each gallery brings its own audience and energy, and I’m grateful to work with people who understand and support my artistic voice.

Life in the Karoo: A Big Milestone

Perhaps the biggest headline of the year: I built a house.
A whole one. On a lucerne field. In the Karoo.

There are still bits to finish (homes, like paintings, rarely declare themselves perfectly done), but it is functional, welcoming, and already shaping my days and my art. 

The view from here isn’t uninterrupted wilderness. It’s something more nuanced, and in many ways, more alive: big Karoo sky, rural peace, the steady rhythm of agricultural life, and a beautiful view of Spandau Kop keeping an eye on me in the distance. Beyond that, I see the other houses in the village, people going about their days, and the everyday pulse of a working community.

It’s a quieter, more grounded way of living, but it’s also full of movement and energy. There are tractors humming, lucerne being cut, neighbours waving, skies shifting constantly. All of this seeps, somehow, into my work. The colours I mix, the angles I notice, the light I chase, they’re all changing in response to this place.

This shift toward a more sustainable, rooted lifestyle has influenced everything: my painting rhythms, my teaching plans, and my sense of place. 

Looking ahead

2026 promises to be a full and exciting year:

• Karoo series - continuing developing the series of Karoo landscapes started in 2024
• 21st Century Karoo Nightscapes (working title) - exploring how modern lighting is changing the night
• Homestead workshops - beginning April 2026
• King's Grant Plein Air Painting Retreat, Ixopo - September 2026, three days of immersive plein air painting
• Imibala Trust teaching (Graaff-Reinet) - weekly classes and regular workshops for 21 underprivileged schoolchildren.
• Studio availability & sales - I will continue to offer a selection of work directly and through galleries representing me.

It feels like a year of building, exploring, and connecting - in paint, in place, and with people who make this journey so rewarding.