Jeannie Kinsler

N.Dip Graphic Design (Durban University Of Technology)

Which new trends or South African artists do you find inspiring at the moment?
I think for me the fresh relevance of painting is the most exciting new trend – that in spite of, or maybe because of, technology it still matters and that new painting voices are still being discovered. I am inspired and intrigued by the work of Caryn Scrimgeour and her contemporary take on still life.

Which South African deceased artist do you most admire and why?
I have enormous admiration for Andrew Verster, a prolific and inspiring artist, who had a great influence on me at a time when my career as an artist began in Durban.

If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be?
This is a hard one but I think I would have to go for a painting by Euan Uglow, of all the artists whose work inspires and informs my own his has had and still has the most influence - in particular a painting titled Georgia.

Pick three artists who you would be honored to exhibit with – and why
I have been honoured to exhibit in the past with both Grace Kotze and Pascale Chandler and I would be again, they are both artists to whom I owe a great deal for their influence on my life as a painter. I am also a huge fan of Martin Brooks and would be so honoured to exhibit with him.

How did you get started? Did you always want to be an artist?
I think I have always wanted to be an artist yes though I only developed a sense of urgency for it quite late in life – my one regret is that I didn’t start to paint in oils sooner! I do however believe that my training in graphic design informs the way I paint so nothing is wasted really. As a child I drew constantly and took art at school.

What are some of the key themes you explore in your work?
My great focus at the moment is on portraiture - it is probably the key theme in my work, I have an endless fascination with the face and human form - though a love of still life comes a close second.

What should people know about your art that they can’t tell from looking at it?
I am not sure if people can tell that I take a long time to complete a painting!

Tell us more about your creative process.
For me the process begins with looking and seeing, intently. I like to work on groups of paintings that start very broadly, linked together by colour or light often rather than subject matter. I sometimes recreate an idea or image I may have chanced upon in a film or a book. I have a painting called ‘girl with linen cloths’ and I set up the image after seeing the film Girl with a Pearl Earring, there is a scene where the girl is hanging washing on a line and moves through the white billowing sheets her body appearing and disappearing. I take a lot of photographs and mostly work from those - sometimes combining more than one image. My work of late has taken on a more classical approach.  

Do you believe an artist should use their platform to influence society? Why?
I think that is up to each artist, I don’t paint for that reason - but I am glad there are artists who try to make a difference for good.

Do you have a favourite or most meaningful work?
A painting from two years ago that was part of a series that I did of makers making – it is really a portrait of my good friend and ceramic artist Louise Jennings - though one cannot see her face, only her hands and apron as she takes a pot off the wheel in her studio. For me the painting conveys a lot with very little information.

What is your greatest achievement as an artist to date?
I would have to say the mere fact that I am still painting full time, 20 years after I began, is a great achievement.
 
What are your aspirations for the future?
My aspirations are quite simply to paint more and for as long as possible, and to keep on learning and growing as an artist.