Encaustic Creations
by Jacqueline
The Start of Encaustic Creations
I started at a stall on a Flea Market in Durban, near a Shopping Mall called ‘The Work Shop’. There was a great deal of interest and I made quite a lot of sales.
No-one in Kwa-Zulu Natal had even heard of this form of Art and I soon received requests to appear at Art Association Meetings, Schools, Church Fetes and other such events. I was even asked by a Professor of Art at Wits University and the Amanzimtoti at Adams Teachers' College to give him a demonstration! As his work used to hang in the English National Gallery, I was very flattered when he expressed his approval.
​Basic Landscape
One of our visitors at a school fete was the convenor of the World Association of Flower Arrangers’ Annual convention, which was being held in Durban. She asked me to present 5 different A5 paintings so that she could show them to her committee. As a result, every delegate from all over the world received a unique, hand painted original piece of Jacqueline Thurman Art. As there were 5000 delegates that each got a painting it was a lot of hard work from my point of view.
It was one of the biggest and best things I have ever done.
5000 Paintings
One of the paintings that I did
Shortly after my daughter Sandra was born I managed to persuade the Botanical Gardens in Durban to let me use a power point in their orchid house, so that I could paint their flowers. Whilst doing this a bus load of tourists arrived and were keen on my work. I was actually lying on the floor to get a better perspective so was quite embarrassed. Among their number was a fine arts lecturer from Bristol. He had never used my technique and spent the whole time of the tour around the gardens learning my techniques. He then showed me how to paint orchids using my iron and stylus. The tourists insisted on paying me and the couriers put on their schedule. All money was passed over to the gardens fund and they were happy to get it. After a few weeks, however, other artists complained and they withdrew permission from me. As the tourists paid in pounds and /or dollars at around 15 to one for the Rand and I over-charged them by mistake, the fund had received several thousand rand from me. I enjoyed every minute of my time in the Garden and learning so much from others.
My Orchard​
Botancial Gardens ​
One day a senior Lecturer at the University of Zululand, a University that accepted only Black students, came around to see me and asked me to help her with the task of setting up a committee for Government that was to re-introduce Art as a subject in the 6500 government schools in KwaZulu Natal. Culture classes had been removed from the school curriculum during the apartheid years and only a handful of White schools still had art as a matriculation subject. Nge Qcabashe told me that she had heard from my Professor friend and had also heard about my teaching of Encaustic Art to pupils at a variety of schools in and around Durban. In fact. at that time I had only taught some 1000 or so pupils. By the time I left South Africa this figure had grown to well over 3000.
​University of Zululand
One of my students really impressed me. He was an incredible artist who had both hands ​chopped off in an accident when he was only 4 years old. Another was a world famous French artist now living in Mauritius. Among his patrons were M.Pompidou of France and other world leaders. He only needed one lesson and after an hour became very proficient.​
Obviously, I agreed to join the Committee and attended many meetings at the university. Unfortunately, the initiative failed as a result of government being unable to provide sufficient funds. I still have a very fond memory of the sight of 300 jaws dropping all at ​the same time, when I was able to paint an A5 landscape that pictured the Sugar Cane fields of KwaZulu Natal against a back drop of Blue skies full of birds and cotton wool like clouds over the distant rolling hills of Zululand. The foreground showed a pan (water hole) with reeds, indigenous flowers and dragon flies: all completed in 2 minutes and 40 seconds. This painting I gave to the Chancellor of the University. ​
My Time in Westville Prison
Also around this time I was contacted by a Christian Outreach programme that ​was concerned at the fate of young first time offenders in the Penal System; young men who had been convicted of crimes ranging from drug abuse to robbery. I was asked to join the programme to teach art to them. This entailed my visiting the high security youth wing of the Westville Prison near Durban every day for several months as the programme developed.
Sandra, my daughter, was looked after during my visits by a young lad who was serving time. As she was only a year and few months old he was very keen to make sure she was happy and smiling while I was teaching. He was only about 14 years old and was regarded as a trustee. We found out afterwards that he had killed 7 members of his ​family with an axe when he was 7. He was such a sweet lad and Sandra enjoyed playing games with him.
Both the Prison Authorities and the Social Welfare department expressed their appreciation of the work that was done. Personally, my biggest regard was the change in attitude of the 30 or so young men that I was able to teach. It was obvious that the mere fact that someone was interested enough to go into the prison to help them made them realise that they were also human and were cared for.
Johannesburg Art Expo!
My Uncle’s wife helped to organise South Africa’s Largest art Exposition and for several years I ran his Encaustic Art stand for him. During that time the art form because established in South Africa. I recall painting some 800 paintings every Expo (about 4 days) and giving as many demonstrations to visitors from all over South Africa and Zimbabwe. It was very tiring but ​fulfilling time at each Expo.
Landscape
I still continue to paint and , although I have not kept a record of every painting done, I know that this must be in the region of 15 000, ranging from 1 inch by 3 inches, all the way up to A2 in Size.
Materials used, in addition to the Hanno Gloss Card I normally paint on, include ceramic tiles, granite, slate and wood. These media need to be specially prepared.
And all with my trusty Electric Iron and my Stylus.
Lake Landscape