Artist Jane Digby exhibits her latest work in A Moment in Time, at the Simbithi Country Club, SHaka’s Rock, Ballito. The exhibition, opening tomorrow at 6pm, is a series of paintings, mostly abstract landscapes but with a couple of portraits.
“Each painting represents the moment in time in which the inspiration caught my eye, that moment in timein which the light touches the landscape – the leaves on the trees or the pools of water, tips of wings or blades of grasses”, Digby says. “These paintings also represent a moment in time in which they were created.”
Digby paints in a responsive, intuitive manner, so each one is an intuitive response to the subject, resulting in exciting splashes and dashes of colour, light and shadows. Layers of paint come together to culminate in paintings with depth and emotion.
“What drives me is the painting process, the molding and the manipulating”, Digby says. “Creating something from nothing and probably the smell of turps and oil!”
Particularly drawn to the play of light, colour and texture, she says: “I paint for the moment, letting my brushes and palette do the work. When a painting is going well, it takes me off to another place, I feel on such a high. I work in a frenzy – the feeling is awesome!”
Digby completed an interior design diploma at the Durban University of Technology in 1988, after which she freelanced in London before travelling the world. Her work experience included a stinit at the National Portrait Gallery where her passion for portraiture was ignited.
Digby began painting seriously in 1998 under the guidance of artist Pascal Chandler. Soon afterwards, she began exhibiting and selling her work at collaborative exhibitions in Durban and in the United Kingdom. The artist, who lives on the North Coast, holds regular oil painting workshops for beginners and experienced painters.
The A Moment in Time… exhibition can be viewed from 9am to 7.30pm this Friday and Saturday and from 9am to 5pm on Sunday.
Inquiries to Jane Digby: 082 486 2126. Bookings: 032 946 5403
– The Witness, 29 October 2014
Picture: Supplied
