Rene Snyman | Plein air / Figurative painter

René Snyman is an awarded* South African professional artist living and working in Sir Lowry’s Pass, Western Cape in South Africa.

Growing up on a Kalahari farm near Upington, her close interaction with nature shaped her remarkable powers of intimate observation. Since discovering her drawing talent as a young child, René dedicated herself to working hard and developing her skills.

Initially self-taught, she received her first formal training at the Orange Girls High School in Bloemfontein under Marion Barnard, still a mentor and close friend of the artist.

She went on to study fine arts at the Free State Technikon and in 2002 moved to Johannesburg to pursue her career as a professional artist.

Her paintings explore the effects light on various surfaces like soil, skin or water and the interplay between different temperatures of colors. The artist draws her inspiration from nature, her childhood and her daily life experiences.

Her specific interests include the following: Landscapes, as long as she can keep it close and personal.

Portraits, for conveying the subtle messages and emotions people communicate through their eyes, hands and gestures.

Farm animals, which she has come to love and understand since her childhood. She paints what is in her heart!

She never limits herself to a particular size, but normally works in a range of different sizes.

She particular prefers life-size. Initially, she will decide in which medium the work should be  drawn or painted. Then she spends a lot of  time exploring different compositions.

Finally, she decides what size would do the artwork justice. She usually allows the artwork itself to "dictate" the composition and size. Some artwork call for a direct, huge and in-your-face approach; others require a minute and intimate touch.

It is almost second nature to her to be always on the lookout for a "subject" or theme, anything that "begs" to be drawn or painted. Often it is just the way the light falls and plays on a certain object that excites her.

She says: "One intuitively knows a masterpiece is going to be ‘born’ when one stands in front of a scene and tells oneself: ‘Wow! just imagine this scene in a painting!’  This includes all the detail, how one can get lost in the artwork and overwhelm the viewer with it".

As an artist she always looks for the underlying message locked up in the created world around us.

"In order to understand and appreciate my work someone shouldn’t try to find out what the subject/object is all about, but for what it communicates, in other words what message it has", she says.