Biography

Anita Van Zyl painter

Location: Cheshire, United Kingdom
Style: Realism

“It has always given me joy to create....”

I have formal art education till grade 12 and although I really wanted to study art it wasn’t possible and studied teaching in other subjects due to bursary constraints. I am mostly a self-taught artist.

After a lot of twists and turns life gave me another chance at living my dream. I love the freedom to create a mood and tell a story, and it brings me immense pleasure when others can share in this experience through my paintings and sketches.

I take the road less travelled because I simply have to.

Painting in oils and sketching in charcoal and pastels really encouraged my self-expression, and I feel this aspect of my art truly came into bloom when I (long since childhood) began using these media as a student of first Marié Stander and then Jeanne Hendrikz.

In March and April 2011 I visited the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris In May and June 2016 I did so again.

I have also worked as an art event planner and gallery curator/assistant for a few years. I am the founder of a group of artists in South Africa who exhibited together for a number of years – “Friends in Art”.

Nature, the landscape and what it holds are the subjects which intrigues me as an artist, but I have done portraits, and decor scenes as well as street scenes before. I have to be inspired by what I am painting and mostly gather my own reference material such as photo’s, pieces of paper, articles, leaves, feathers, etc.



I am currently producing art, living a UK adventure and also teaching others to explore their creative sides and start a creative journey. I love to see how my students develop.