MEET CHARLENE
Charlene is a qualified artist with a Bachelors degree in Fine art. She was born and raised in a small town near Johannesburg in South Africa. She moved to the UK almost 20 years ago and now lives in South London with her husband and two children who enjoy painting with her on a regular basis.
REVIEWS
Charlene is a qualified artist with a Bachelors degree in Fine art. She was born and raised in a small town near Johannesburg in South Africa. She moved to the UK almost 20 years ago and now lives in South London with her husband and two children who enjoy painting with her on a regular basis.
INSPIRATION
Being raised in South Africa has without a doubt been an influence on the Charlene’s work. Apart from spiders, Charlene loves animals, especially African animals. So it comes as no surprise that they feature regularly in her paintings.
Elephants are one of Charlene’s favourite animals. Some might even say they are her spirit animal.
When asked what attracts her to elephants Charlene fondly recounts many a time while on a safari in South Africa, being lucky enough to come face to face with a lone elephant. The feeling of overwhelming fear and awe is something she will never forget. She describes elephants as being magical, and like old wise souls protecting the earth.
Charlene currently sponsors an elephant and a tiger through the WWF.
CHILDHOOD
Charlene’s creative journey started at a young age. She regularly used to paint with her late Gran- Granny Whoops. Granny Whoops was a master of oil painting and loved teaching her how to paint.
Charlene has never been attached to just one medium, she has enjoyed exploring a variety of styles and mediums over the years. Her favourite medium at the moment is drawing with inks and painting with tea.
CHILDHOOD ART
I drew this in 1994 for my other set of Grandparents. My amazing Gran still proudly displays it - warms my heart!
ADULTHOOD
Over the years Charlene has always had her fingers in some sort of creative pot or other, be it painting, drawing, web design, logo creation, graphic design or photography.
Unsurprisingly, her art took a back seat when she became a mum, but now that her children are bit older, they love painting with her on a regular basis.
