Mariana de Jager was born to be an artist, and has been creating things ever since she can remember, including drawing on her grandfather’s floors with crayons got into so much trouble!” she laughs at the memory. “But then I got clever, and drew inside the cupboards, so my parents wouldn’t see. I just wanted to make pictures!”
Unfortunately, as is so often the case, she strayed from her calling, thinking she couldn’t possibly make a living from painting. The siren call was strong though. In 2018 Mariana made the decision to become a full-time artist, working from her studio on the beautiful Claremont Road outside Mbombela, where there is no shortage of inspiration. “I paint every single day of my life, or at least draw something if I don’t have a lot of time. And believe me, you do need time!” she laughs. “I always say I’m just going to paint for 10 minutes, but then find that four hours have passed!”
Mariana studied art as a subject at school, but found it extremely boring. She went into fashion design at the Technikon Pretoria and obtained her national diploma. She worked as a designer for a couple of years, but then decided to change careers. Mariana started working at a printing company as a graphic designer – this prompted her to do a course in it. “I love to learn new skills and techniques,” she smiles, but painting is ultimately where her heart lies. Her medium of choice is oils, which she has been using since her school days.
“I love how the paint glides smoothly over the canvas; it’s almost a sensual feeling. Every now and then I use watercolour, but my first love will always be oils.” Mariana also adores Chinese ink sticks – you have to make up the ink before you can use it, but she finds it extremely therapeutic. “Working in the art field is a calling,” she muses. “It’s something you have to do to keep sane, certainly in my case. It makes me whole. But you also have to treat it like a business; otherwise you would never sell anything. Actually, you straddle a bit of both worlds, but it is never ‘just a job’, I enjoy it way too much. I do have ‘bad days’ where nothing I do looks good, and I just have to stop and let it go. But those are very few luckily.”
This artist likes to use different styles in one artwork, paint bits that are soft and realistic, while incorporating parts that are more bold, expressive and textured. She believes that this makes the painting more exciting, rather than making use of just one style. “I feel every bit of canvas must be visually interesting to the viewer, and there has to be a balance between calm and chaos. I like it if people want to touch my paintings, to me it means they have been drawn in and want to use all of their senses to explore the artwork. I also like to deliberately break the rules of composition. I’m a bit of a rebel,” she laughs.
Mariana’s non-conformist approach is an inspiration. She is motivated by everything she sees, from sunsets to fallen leaves, and true to her artistic nature collects all sorts of fallen objects, such as sticks, rocks and stones, seeing the beauty of nature in their form, and the pictures they create within themselves. She is passionate about animals, and they form a large part of her portfolio. “Frankly,” she says, “I cannot imagine life without my puppies. I tell them what I’m doing, and speak to them constantly; of course they understand everything I say.”
Part of a successful animal – or human – composition, is often the artist’s rendering of the eyes, and since she can remember Mariana has been fascinated by them. “It’s the colours, the subtle shapes and shadows, the reflections and wateriness that I love,” she says. “How they look like volcanos with little electric lights around the edges when you look closely. If I get the eyes right, the rest isn’t that important. Lately I have been trying to capture them with as little detail as possible, and still make them look alive. It’s quite true what they say; eyes are the window to the soul.” She also paints flowers and other objects, but portraits, both human and animal, are her favourite subjects.
While this artist likes to take every day as it comes, she has a few aspirations and plans for the future. A solo exhibition is one and having her paintings in every country is another. “I have done commissions that went to the US, the Netherlands, Canada and Australia,” Mariana says proudly, but why stop there? She may take things day by day, but is constantly working on her goals. “I always find that in reality things don’t work out as you plan, but I still grab every single opportunity that comes my way. And I do believe that you have to make your own luck!”
We are watching this Lowveld creative with a beady eye. While it may be true that you make your own luck, fortune also favours the brave, and if these bold, expressive works are any indication, we can expect to see that solo exhibition in the very near future.
Details
Contact Mariana on 083-479-3323 or at [email protected] or follow her, @kanditsomoeilikwees
