More About Me

I was born on a farm in Niekerkshoop in South Africa on the 11th of September 1951. My father was a bore-man and a hunter and our family of eight lived a nomadic lifestyle for many years, travelling from farm to farm and living in a tent.

From a young age I found myself drawn to the stark and beautiful nature surrounding me. As a small boy I would often spend whole days alone in the bush playing with small and sometimes even poisonous and dangerous animals that I would find there. I think that this was where my love of the African bush was born. When I was old enough to go to school, we settled in Walvis Bay, in what is now Namibia. In those days I enjoyed camping in the Namib desert (usually with with a bicycle), fishing and diving for rock lobsters.

I always loved drawing and other forms of art, but never received any formal instruction in it. My dream back then was to become an architect and after school I studied it, quite successfully, in South Africa. Then, during my fourth year, the written examinations were unexpectedly changed to an oral exam. I have a speech impediment and my lecturers advised me not to continue with my studies.

Embittered and heart broken, my one dream in life shattered, I returned to the bush. I spent years studying the nature, behaviour and anatomy of the animals and the landscapes that surrounded me there by observation, drawings and photographs. I became a keen observer of nature and everything around me.

Without money to fill an empty stomach, I was forced to turn my hobby, art, into a full time job. I survived by selling my works from door to door. Those were difficult time, but with perseverance, discipline and a helping hand from above, there were better days to come.

I am an ambitious and productive person, working long hours daily, and usually late into the night. Over the years I have become quite well known in Southern Africa I have had successful exhibitions in Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, the USA, Canada, South Africa and, of course, Namibia. I enjoy the support of a large network of loyal friends and clients from all corners of the word. By working hard I have been able to support myself (and my family) with my art for over 40 years. I like to say that I have been practising for 40 years and still learning something new every day.

Today I reside in Windhoek, Namibia's capitol city. I am married to my wife, Annette and we have a son, Willem (23) and a daughter, Christine (20). I still work about 15 hours every day and love every minute of it.