CaROLINE STREET
Artist, Poet, Photographer
MY LIFE
I am a South African artist, poet and amateur photographer from Mpumalanga, South Africa. I was born in Zimbabwe, moved to Cape Town and then to Phalaborwa (a small town in the far north of South Africa) where I grew up as a 'bush baby'. Here my family spent 6 months in a tent and caravan. This new town had no houses as these were still being erected. This was the seed of my love for the environment. The environment in those days was unspoiled and completely natural. It was a bush existence. The Kruger National Park was within walking distance from my home. Wildlife, i.e. leopard, baboon, elephant etc. were common sightings in and around the little town, with some fatalities.
My art education was a living one: the bushveld, extreme heat, dust, creepy crawlies, wildlife, rivers, mountains and forests. As a young person, my family traveled through all parts of South Africa and Zimbabwe on a regular basis. When I started working, a drive along the Kruger Park boundary, just for a look, was the norm every day after five; this had a big impact on me. I feel that South Africa, its flora, and fauna are ingrained in me. I still live very close to the Kruger National Park. I am for the most part a self-taught artist and have gained inspiration from life, my environment, other artists and books etc.
I have that never give up approach and will leave nothing uncovered in my search to improve and I have gained a lot of experience from this. Some art instruction I received from a local teacher, who taught me the finer points about art. My father, John v/d Westhuizen, who could be described as an adventurer, with his love for trees and wood also influenced me greatly. (He creates anything from wood and other organic materials - musical instruments to reproductions of antiques etc., and his pieces can be found throughout the world).
I am a South African artist, poet and amateur photographer from Mpumalanga, South Africa. I was born in Zimbabwe, moved to Cape Town and then to Phalaborwa (a small town in the far north of South Africa) where I grew up as a 'bush baby'. Here my family spent 6 months in a tent and caravan. This new town had no houses as these were still being erected. This was the seed of my love for the environment. The environment in those days was unspoiled and completely natural. It was a bush existence. The Kruger National Park was within walking distance from my home. Wildlife, i.e. leopard, baboon, elephant etc. were common sightings in and around the little town, with some fatalities.
My art education was a living one: the bushveld, extreme heat, dust, creepy crawlies, wildlife, rivers, mountains and forests. As a young person, my family traveled through all parts of South Africa and Zimbabwe on a regular basis. When I started working, a drive along the Kruger Park boundary, just for a look, was the norm every day after five; this had a big impact on me. I feel that South Africa, its flora, and fauna are ingrained in me. I still live very close to the Kruger National Park. I am for the most part a self-taught artist and have gained inspiration from life, my environment, other artists and books etc.
I have that never give up approach and will leave nothing uncovered in my search to improve and I have gained a lot of experience from this. Some art instruction I received from a local teacher, who taught me the finer points about art. My father, John v/d Westhuizen, who could be described as an adventurer, with his love for trees and wood also influenced me greatly. (He creates anything from wood and other organic materials - musical instruments to reproductions of antiques etc., and his pieces can be found throughout the world).
MY WORK
I have a God given talent and all my work is dedicated to Him. My genres include wildlife and birds, still-life, landscapes, country and cityscapes, portraits, figures and flowers of all sorts. I also enjoy naive art, design, fantasy and Christian art. My art could be described as detailed, contemporary or abstract.
MEDIUMS
My main medium is oils, which I call the living paint. I also work in acrylics, watercolor, gouache, ink, pen and pastel. I love to experiment with batik, lino and mosaics.
INTEREST
I have sold my work locally and internationally, i.e. U.S.A, United Kingdom and Australia. I have exhibited in many areas where I reside and I have been invited to exhibit my art overseas in Europe, China, U.S.A and the United Kingdom, but due to costs of shipping, travelling etc., this is no easy task. An exciting commission for me was three paintings, which had to be copied from a book called 'Mpumalanga our Beautiful Province'. The paintings were auctioned successfully and the proceeds went to charity. I have had a few competition wins and my art appears in a couple of art books. My 'Creation' series have been used as teaching aids in several countries and I have also become the subject of an art project. I was contacted by Supreme Master Ching Hai International Associated with a request to do paintings for a book on the musical 'Loving the Silent Tears' which opened in Los Angeles in 2012. This was an honor, however, I had to decline due to lack of time. I was contacted by one of the most successful art websites on the internet, Yessy.com to participate in a beta test for a new site they were testing. I was chosen with nine other artists out of thousands of artists.
I have a God given talent and all my work is dedicated to Him. My genres include wildlife and birds, still-life, landscapes, country and cityscapes, portraits, figures and flowers of all sorts. I also enjoy naive art, design, fantasy and Christian art. My art could be described as detailed, contemporary or abstract.
MEDIUMS
My main medium is oils, which I call the living paint. I also work in acrylics, watercolor, gouache, ink, pen and pastel. I love to experiment with batik, lino and mosaics.
INTEREST
I have sold my work locally and internationally, i.e. U.S.A, United Kingdom and Australia. I have exhibited in many areas where I reside and I have been invited to exhibit my art overseas in Europe, China, U.S.A and the United Kingdom, but due to costs of shipping, travelling etc., this is no easy task. An exciting commission for me was three paintings, which had to be copied from a book called 'Mpumalanga our Beautiful Province'. The paintings were auctioned successfully and the proceeds went to charity. I have had a few competition wins and my art appears in a couple of art books. My 'Creation' series have been used as teaching aids in several countries and I have also become the subject of an art project. I was contacted by Supreme Master Ching Hai International Associated with a request to do paintings for a book on the musical 'Loving the Silent Tears' which opened in Los Angeles in 2012. This was an honor, however, I had to decline due to lack of time. I was contacted by one of the most successful art websites on the internet, Yessy.com to participate in a beta test for a new site they were testing. I was chosen with nine other artists out of thousands of artists.
POETRY
I write poetry about animals, nature and life with its twists and turns. I was invited to be a guest speaker for 'Woman's Day' in White River in 2013. I have also been requested to give poetry lessons! My poetry can be viewed at http://www.carolinestreetart.com/my-poetry.html. I have published an art/poetry book with 41 poems and each poem is illustrated with my art and photography. The book is titled 'Take A Walk with Me'.
I write poetry about animals, nature and life with its twists and turns. I was invited to be a guest speaker for 'Woman's Day' in White River in 2013. I have also been requested to give poetry lessons! My poetry can be viewed at http://www.carolinestreetart.com/my-poetry.html. I have published an art/poetry book with 41 poems and each poem is illustrated with my art and photography. The book is titled 'Take A Walk with Me'.
I ENJOY
Gardening, blogging, reading, photography, keeping fit, watching anything history related, the odd good movie, trips to nature spots, and of course, regular trips to the Kruger Park.
Caroline Street,
Artist, Poet, Blogger and Amateur Photographer.
www.carolinestreetart.com
Gardening, blogging, reading, photography, keeping fit, watching anything history related, the odd good movie, trips to nature spots, and of course, regular trips to the Kruger Park.
Caroline Street,
Artist, Poet, Blogger and Amateur Photographer.
www.carolinestreetart.com
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things" ( Philippians 4:8).