What do you do?
I am a metal worker. I work with mild steel plates 10mm thick and use a grinder to carve images into the steel. I have always enjoyed hard work and each sculpture has a lot of emotion, a personality of its own. The 10mm plate allows me to create a lot of depth.
Why have you chosen to use metal in your works?
From the first time I touched it, I was hooked. I started with welding, which I still love, then I experimented with the art of forging, when you heat metal and shape it. The first time I experimented with grinding metal was when I got an amazing opportunity to do a commission for Isandlwana Lodge.
I made door handles for the front door. They were in the shape of Zulu shields, one with a spear, which I forged from scratch, and the other with a knobkerrie.
I taught art on a volunteer basis to juveniles awaiting trial at Westville Prison for three years and learnt a lot from them, and how to explore my own emotions through them and with them. They inspired me so much that my fourth-year exhibition was about them. I helped rehabilitate two boys through welding and metal work. I created something I call anti-crime blades, which were so sharp that if anyone used them, they would do more harm to themselves than to anyone else. Their shapes were inspired by drawings by the prisoners, and they turned out to be beautiful objects.
What training do you have?
I have a degree in fine art, majoring in sculpture, and a Montessori teaching diploma. I am in the process of finishing my teaching degree through Unisa.
What advice would you give to someone who would like to become an artist?
To enter into the art world takes a lot of hard work and patience. I am only at the beginning of my career, and it has taken me 15 years, but the rewards are worth the wait.
Do you make money through commissions or by selling your work through galleries, or a combination?
I do make money. In the past three years, I completed eight commissions. This has supplemented my income and allowed me to develop my technique.
What is your favourite piece of art, including your own?
My two favourite artists are Edvard Munch and Vincent van Gogh. The Scream (Munch) and Starry Night (Van Gogh) both have incredible emotion and inspire me to put my heart and soul into every work I produce.
Each piece is special to me and captures a little bit of my soul, but I can't pinpoint a favourite.
Do you need business skills to be a successful artist or is it only about talent?
I think if I had more business skills, I would be a lot further in my career, but I think talent is all you need, with a massive dose of hard work.
You also work as a teacher. What have you learnt from that?
I teach Grade 1 and art and design. Teaching children is an incredible job, and I learn new things every day. They inspire me to take chances. Nothing is impossible in their eyes. I love working with young minds.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
I wanted to be an artist.
What do you love most about your work?
My work is unique and I have been told that people have never seen my kind of art before. I love metal, the weight and the effects I can create with it.
What do you wish you could change about your work?
I wouldn't change a thing. If I were to change anything, I would like more experience to perfect my skill and somehow shorten the process.
What is your inspiration?
I am inspired by nature and life.
Author: Margaret Harris
Source: Times Live
