Christel Read Art

About

Christel Read, has been painting since 1998 and my favourite choice of medium is oil because it is very versatile, it gives such a great range of colour, texture, opacity and transparency.

My subjects are varied, I love figures, still life, flowers and sea- and landscapes. Living in Cape Town offers many beautiful settings for plein air painting throughout the year. The beaches are always a source of inspiration, autumn is a lovely season to capture the changing colours of the vineyards or the dramatic mist over the sea and mountains.

I was born in Germany where I grew up and attended university. I got married in South Africa in 1979 and when I moved to Cape Town, I was able to devote more time to my interest in photography and art.

A Bright New Day

White Bowl

I studied oil painting under Ryno Swart, Margie Johnson and Natalie Hirschman and attended numerous workshops.

I am a member of the South African Society of Artists, Constantiaberg Art Society and paint with a group of artist friends, the Plein Air Painters of the Cape. We go on weekly outings to many beautiful places and settings around the Cape Peninsula, weather permitting, and sometimes organize painting holidays further away.

I also love painting in the studio where you have more control of objects, lighting, time and composition. I enjoy painting a model or a traditional still life and am passionate about flowers; every season provides an abundant supply of subjects.

I regularly participate in various group exhibitions throughout the year held by the South African Society of Artists (SASA), Constantiaberg Art Society (CAS), Original Cape Art, Art Portfolio and Cape Artists.

My paintings can be found in private collections in South Africa, U.K., USA, Canada and Germany.

I endeavour to create original works of art where effort and care are evident. I value art as a process and don’t let myself get bored too fast. Because of the nature of oils most of my paintings evolve, I love the variety and effect of glazes; sometimes a spontaneous ’a la prima’ just happens. I choose to paint what I like; and painting is for me challenging at times, but always exciting and a lot of fun.

VIEW MY WORK