Karin Daymond

Which artists, books or music have inspired your work?
Edouard Vuillard, a French painter of the early 1900’s is the most enduring inspiration for me. I am still moved by his ability to imbue his domestic interiors with emotion through his unique use of pattern and composition.
Any writer whose use of language illuminates a scene or idea is an inspiration to me. I have just read Damon Galgut’s Promise and found myself making notes… “Anton watches his brother-in-law drifting rigidly away, like a stick in a stream”
Music is a constant companion in my working process, helping to connect the neurons at the beginning of the process and providing energy for the finishing. It can be anything from opera to country.

Which South African deceased artist do you most admire and why?
Walter Meyer, for his unapologetic compositions and the quality of light.

If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be?
Paul Klee’s painting called Ancient Sound (1925) – I love to measure colour and tone. This painting creates meaning from that.

Pick three artists who you would be honored to exhibit with – and why
Georgia O’Keeffe, Bertha Everard and Daniella Mooney come to mind. They all march/ed to the beat of their own drums and would probably have strong opinions, which I like.

How did you get started? Did you always want to be an artist?
Up until sixteen years old, it was a toss-up between marine biology and art, but then suddenly I knew. I had always been hungry for drawing and it was a huge release to acknowledge this and pursue it. After my fine art degree I was living in London when my boyfriend got a job in Nelspruit (where?) and I joined him. It was a steep learning curve and I had to dig deep to get started. This was thirty years ago - in a very provincial environment, with no internet. I just sat down (on the only chair that we owned) and started painting. I remember the epiphany of realizing that I could paint anything, with no prescription or requirements from an institution or individual. I have always tried to retain that feeling. Once I had made work, I took a stall at Art in the Park. Reactions were mixed, but I made a few good sales and we went to a restaurant for pizza!

What are some of the key themes you explore in your work?
I use landscape to explore a sense of belonging. The marks we make on the land, through roads, fences and paths fascinate me. This interest has evolved into an emotional contemplation of refugees and migration, extreme tests of our belonging. I often study the overlooked – I have an ongoing series of Lichen portraits and more recently, pencil studies of Limpet shells. I like to pay careful attention - it feels sacred.

What should people know about your art that they can’t tell from looking at it?
That I hold my breath for each brush mark.

What are the most essential items in your studio and why?
I have the most fabulous easel! It’s not just any old easel. My partner built it for me after surgery made it difficult to lift my very large paintings. It is one of a kind, with counter-weights that allow me to easily adjust the height of a painting. Making art can require the endurance of an Olympic sport, so this is an important tool.

Tell us more about your creative process.
Most of my work can be traced back to a geographical point and I must experience a place in order to feel the need to paint it, so travelling is often the starting point. When a place really grabs me, I begin to feel that tickle that signals the need to make work. There is generally some connection between what is going on in my inner world and a particular place and I may only make that connection later in the process. I have learnt to look, smell, sketch, take photographs, but the most useful is to walk. I work well in my studio space, when I can process what I have seen. I am very analytical. Sometimes this can be useful, but other times I need to actively balance my intent by listening to my intuition.

Do you believe an artist should use their platform to influence society? Why?
I like to ask questions rather than providing answers. There is no joy in telling people what to think. But I do believe that artists should use their platform however it suits them. Society needs artists to do this - to be both a sponge and a mirror.

Do you have a favourite or most meaningful work?
There is a painting that is stored in my loft and perhaps someday when I find the right space, I will hang it. It is a large painting of some ruined corbelled huts in a dry Free State landscape. It was one of those rare moments when I felt a resonance throughout the process between the idea and the execution - it operates within a very narrow range of colour and tone, but it hits the right note for me.

What is your greatest achievement as an artist to date?
Because I am largely internally motivated, it would have to be a body of work that I made. The work addresses human attachment to land - my heart and my head were in sync and the work is strong as a result. It is not often that I feel completely satisfied with my work.

What are your aspirations for the future?
To remain actively creative. This sounds easier than it is - remaining creative is a delicate balance of reality and dreaming. Travel is an important component of this, as is health!

Mpumalanga | 4 artworks for sale

Thanks for signing up!

Sign up for our newsletter