Jane Moodie

I was born in Cape Town and from a very young age loved to draw and paint. After completing matric with a distinction in art I went overseas and travelled extensively for 2 years. On my return to South Africa I began working as a fashion designer. This went on to be a 25 year career as a designer and design manager where I lived and worked in South Africa, Italy and Holland travelling all over the world for inspiration. However, I always had a feeling that there was something missing and that my true creative desires were not being fulfilled. 

5 years ago, I decided to embrace my inner artist leaving my career in fashion design and focusing full time  on my true passion. I chose portraiture as I love  to capture the essence of the soul particularly through the expression and emotion in the eyes, capturing a moment in time.

I am now blessed to be living on a farm in the Klein Karoo where I work from my beautiful studio, being constantly inspired by the nature that surrounds me . This has brought me to see how, just by observing the beauty and authenticity of nature we can transcend our state of being, in a time where there is much fear and negativity in the world , to a higher and more holistic consciousness .

My new series of paintings called ‘ Transcendence’ represents this level of consciousness through the expression and emotion in the eyes of the subject, an almost other worldly expression . I have used the grisaille technique in oils for all the faces to give a slightly dreamy effect and  combined it with gold leaf representing the light of the higher consciousness.

My next series will also use the grisaille technique in oils combined with gold leaf but will have touches of colour. It is a series of strong portraits wearing large, magnificent headdresses created from objects of nature portraying the power of the higher consciousness  .

The headdress has a deeply spiritual significance. It is a symbol of strength and bravery and is only worn by the most respected members of a tribe. The touches of colour will be found in the headdresses  making them the focal point of the painting.

As an artist , my goal is to create paintings that when being observed give a sense of beauty and intrigue and for a moment, take the observer to the magic of their inner soul.