Rebecca Pretorius - Be Still

Rebecca Pretorius – Be Still

“Be Still”

An invitation to observation.

This body of work is an invitation to stand witness in stillness, what is it you notice?

At first glance it is just a rose, a building or a stranger.

Can you feel the stories held inside the brushstrokes?

Maybe not and it’s just a rose.

By slowing down and peeking in, you’ve given your mind some stillness to question, tapping into curiosity and removing distractions, hopefully you’ll notice something a little more than before.

The past two years have, as a collective, required more stillness than ever before.

This stillness was exaggerated by turning to my brushes for endless hours to escape, observing a subject for extended periods of time, suddenly feeling how full life is when we stop to give it attention.

Noticing so many things which would ordinarily slip by; the light at different times of day, the compositions around the house which effortlessly present themselves and the many shades of yellow in a simple teacup.

As an artist I believe our psychology and creativity go hand in hand, we are most attracted to create the things which link our perception of life and our surroundings.

Slow observation in stillness allows us to notice, combined with introspection and a curious mind we enable growth.

The version of yourself which is often blurred by overstimulation and ability to move away from difficulty or distraction can become so much clearer.

Discovering that each subject, when observed deeply in stillness, had much to teach me. As the world started to move again I found the ability to carry this new way of observing the world with me.

How much more richness there is in everyday life than we give credit to.

Landscapes in the immediate surroundings, which had become like white noise from repetitive viewing, now bursting with colour.

Bonds have time to be nourished and connections strengthen.

The ever changing tulips which dance in stillness, usually without an audience to witness.

Flowers blooming in and out of seasons in the background, the March lilies playfully teasing you.

In stillness we allow our minds to move,

We can gift ourselves the ability to truly see.

Rebecca is a South African artist based in the quiet coastal town of Knysna.

She focuses mainly on oil paintings of plants, people, and places and loves the fact that there is beauty to be found in everyday life scenes which would otherwise go unnoticed. It is in this space of the overlooked that she feels most inspired to create.

Having grown up with her creativity nurtured, art supplies have always been nearby – but it wasn’t until the 2020 lockdown when she found herself painting as a full time job.

Her passion lies in classical art and learning the techniques that were used to create old masterpieces, trying to add a modern touch using relevant current scenes or visions from her mind. Painting predominantly from real life as opposed to working from photographs and often all prima , or otherwise over multiple sessions.

She has done local workshops with Alice Toich to better her hand and has upcoming studies in Italy later this year.

Rebecca has always considered herself fortunate to have her work held by collectors across the globe and hopes that she can share more pieces with those in the country closest to her heart.

Join us for the Opening Night of Be Still on the 3rd of March from 6 – 8:30 pm at Artist Admin on Roeland Street, Gardens, Cape Town. RSVP on Facebook or LinkedIn .

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