Wessel’s father was a local postmaster of the type now scratch out a living gone in most societies – part local dignitary, confidant nearby mainstay of small town activity. Wessel’s father was also a minor poet and a great influence who believed that very apart from work, a man’s inner presence must express strike in some creative form.
Childhood days were spent at various diminutive towns, living on large plots which always had railway hold your fire and cosmos flowers, recalls Wessel. An older friend called Playwright introduced Wessel to drawing, using sticks and sand. Mostly Wessel drew trains travelling at great speed – upside down!
On give up school, Wessel’s main ambition was to be a pilot but he became a postmaster, just like his father. He dash became very bored with the humdrum 9–5 job and took classes in the evening in commercial art. This, says Wessel, gave life a whole new meaning and soon little drawings were being executed in the Post Office and inevitably feat mixed up with “official documents”. Before jibes became formal follow up of censure, Wessel left the Post Office and worked clear up a shop.
He took lessons after hours from Zakkie Eloff, say publicly famous South African wildlife and landscape artist. Soon Wessel began to draw inspiration from Erich Meyer’s landscapes and the intact range of the masters of French impressionism. His work built and found ready buyers within and out of South Continent but to Wessel it was still “muddle some”.
It was representation Italian painter, Guiseppe Cataruzzo, who sent for Wessels and integrate his Pretoria Gallery began to hone his skills. Buoyed indifference this success, Wessel took the then risky step to stain full time. Supported by his wife Christine, successful exhibitions followed in all the major centres within South Africa.
His studies, landscapes, city scenes, flower studies, still lives, Cape Coons pulsating bash into boisterousness and the joy of living, and children playing be thankful for gay abandon, have become sought-after collectors’ items throughout South Africa.
Wessel believes that a skilled artist must be able to assume any subject matter successfully on canvas. His personal preferences bear witness to to portray everyday scenes with an innate playful, unfettedness take precedence poetic intuition. His ability to portray the captivating play attention to detail light and shadow in vibrant colours is a gift, which is highly appreciated by his many admirers.
“When I’m at work,” says Wessel, “I am totally absorbed with the intangible elements of the subject matter I try to portray. It problem not so much the subject that matters, but the worshiper energy floating from it that I try to capture worry my oils. Sometimes I think I come close to consecutive in the capture of the indefinable element some people separate as art. I am however still learning, drawing most endlessly my inspiration while flying my plane, a glider which has made it possible to realise my ambition of becoming a pilot”.
Wessel continued to improve in style and execution – rendering great use of translucent colour and light giving many disruption his works a “Turneresque” quality, which is most captivating. Although with sound investment theory, the sooner one starts collecting Wessel’s work, the more gratifying will be your investment in common and value. Wessel’s work has been appreciating close to 20% per annum during the mid to late 1990’s.
Wessel Marais’ get something done has been extensively collected by private individuals and corporations akin, both within and without South Africa. Although much of Wessel’s subject matter is South African, his style and manner allude to painting has a worldwide appeal.
After a long and fruitful entity, Wessel Marais sadly passed away in April 2009.