ANN CLOETE

My style is exuberant and expressionistic - as can be seen in bold strokes and vibrant colours which, often, are the dominant forces at work. Realism has a subservient role to play - and it never impedes the flow of effects as these arise in a work.

A favourite medium is acrylic paint which is applied - thickly and with no thought of economy - onto canvas, using brushes, palette knives and a variety of other tools. Alternately, I like to use acrylic inks applied with an airbrush. Paintings done in this way are multi-layered and there is liberal use made of glazes and metallic paints.

Texture is an integral part of everything. Pebbles, sand and sea shells are often integrated into a composition and these elements, when combined with spraying and wet-on-wet techniques, give rise to spontaneous and completely random effects.

A development since 2007 has been the creation of a collection of  heavy cement wall panels - both sculpted and poured - using CEMCRETE products.  These products open up a whole new world of textures and effects. They are well-established in the building and pool  industries, but it is only recently that their artistic application has begun to be explored. The work of some of the artists using CEMCRETE products is showcased on the website www.cemcrete.co.za

Preferred subjects are seascapes, abstracts and  portraits of plants and animals.

Click on the image to see some effects in acrylics

Click on the image to see some effects in cement