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Artists have, for decades, been drawn to McGregor. Among the artists who’re opening their studios or offering workshops for the McGregor Art Walk, are recent arrivals while others have lived in the village for decades.
Joni-Leigh Doran
Studio: How Bazaar, 56 Voortrekker St
Joni-Leigh Doran is an internationally recognised McGregor-based oil painter inspired by her deep connection to nature. Formally trained as a graphic designer, she is influenced by the techniques of the classical masters and studied the techniques of oil painting under renowned South African artist, Ryno Swart, during his later years. She has participated in numerous local and international exhibitions.
Recent achievements include making the top 100 in the 2023 Rust en Vrede Portrait Award (previously known as the Sanlam Portrait Award) as well as winning the “Facing Extinction” category of the 2022 Wildlife Artist of the Year competition, run by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation in association with BBC Wildlife.
Cher Graham
Studio: 39 Mill St
Cher’s passion for creating fabric portraiture was inspired by local McGregor artist, Jo Nowicki, who introduced her to fabric collage in her Lion House Studio in 2017.
Since then, she’s spent many hours of creative mixing, matching, snipping and layering the many fabrics from her late mother’s trunk-full of patchwork and dressmaking remnants. From the unwanted, she discovered a new expressive medium for her love of portraiture.
Untrained, she has found her way to creative expression which began with reference photographs that inspire her, to now working instinctively collating and layering the fabrics that she feels are most suited to the mood of the character. From the multitude of fabric scraps that would normally end up in the bin, she builds contours and textures into the finish. First, each piece is glued into place then out comes her beloved 45-year-old Elna Lotus sewing machine and she stitches the portraits – freehand.
Each work is unique; no two can ever be the same.
In every row of stiches lies her silent acknowledgement of the well-spring of creative energy that enables something beautiful to emerge, to Jo for starting the process, and to her mom for the surprising stash of fabrics, threads and scissors.
The collages are best not framed behind glass as the textures invite a tactile experience. Unframed they are easily folded or rolled for hassel-free transportation to far-away destinations.
Contact: 083 235 5695
Mike Smart
Studio: 7 Voortrekker St
Mike’s 40 years as a professional geologist, prepared him for sailing into the arts. Travelling extensively through rural Southern Africa, he experienced the rich diversity of terrain, ecosystems and culture. About 15 years ago he was inspired to take up the brushes. Retirement in 2017 gave him to more opportunity to interact with the rich Western Cape talent through workshops and painting outings.
Building mind pictures of the earth and its processes is second nature to Mike. Crawling across, mapping and describing rocks gave birth to his aptitude for landscape art.
Through his Art, Mike celebrates the road he has travelled. It has released him from the confines of scientific rigor and a corporate environment. Mike’s paintings illuminate creation – natuare, wide open spaces and – ultimately freedom.
Web: Art by Mike
Contact: 082 808 0437
Dani
Studio-gallery: 7 Bree St
Born and raised in Italy, Dani moved to South Africa in 2011 after becoming disillusioned with the fast-paced European lifestyle and business world. He was ready for change. After much searching in the Western Cape, he settled in McGregor which provided the perfect setting for his photography to evolve naturally into something deeper and long-lasting.
Photography had always been just a hobby and when Dani photographed the local Poetry Festival, he realised that it was an incredible opportunity to express his creativity. This ignited his passion for capturing images that reveal essence and experience.
He continues to photograph McGregor and its beautiful surroundings as well as local events, further honing his skills and techniques.
For the McGregor Art Walk, La Galleria is holding an exhibition of local painters and photographers, Joni-Leigh Doran, Richard Joshua, James de Knoop, Dani’s Photos and Mark Chips.
Web: Dani’s Photos
Facebook: Dani’s Photos McGregor
Instagram: Dani’s Photos McGregor
Anne Binos
Studio: 11 Mill St
Anne’s art style is realistic/romantic impressionist – she uses traditional materials, oils, acrylic, watercolours, charcoal and pencil on a variety of surfaces such as canvas, wood and paper.
She has been painting for as long as she can remember, doing Art in Matric at Jeppe Girls in Johannesburg and then a year and a half at Wits and studied Fine Arts under Cecily Sash – a South African artist, designer, and teacher who taught design at the University of the Witwatersrand for more than 20 years.
While Anne lived in Johannesburg, she belonged to the Watercolour Society of South and helped to run the Midrand Art Society. After moving to Cape Town, she joined the South African Society of Artists, and her work earned a commendation at an Exhibition at Kirstenbosch.
When she moved to McGregor on 2001, she opened a small Art Gallery called Mulberry Studio which she ran with her husband before moving to Mill Street in 2017.
Anne started the McGregor Art Circle in McGregor with Des Mitchell a couple of years ago, with quite a few McGregor Artists joining and exhibiting in the Temenos Garden. Now, the Art Circle exhibits weekly in the McGregor Garden Gallery which opened in 2021.
She enjoys painting my surroundings in the beautiful environment of McGregor as well as in the surrounding wildlife.
Artists and artworks that inspire her: Claude Monet, Édouard Manet, Egdar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Vincent van Gogh and Rembrandt van Rijn.
Dawn Cairs
Studio: 3 Berg Laan (off Grewe)
Dawn’s expressers her obsession with the power of colour on canvas. World travel inspired her to paint and explore different styles.
This journey has taken her from landscapes in water colour to abstract work in oil on canvas. Wassily Kandinsky and his early 20th century circle was a great influence in this unfolding.
