Cape Town artist Belinda Ardé studied graphic art and design at a tertiary level. Her past work experience has relied on an excellent eye for colour, form and aesthetic appreciation whether it be in art direction, graphic design, commercial fashion styling or photography. This sensitivity to her subject matter is evident in her emotive, figurative works that display expressive brushwork and a sophisticated palette whilst capturing a unique quality of light and atmosphere.
She began painting in oils 10 years ago as a recreational endeavour, and has since attended various workshops, which has taken her on a rewarding journey of self-discovery. Today she paints full time and teaches oil painting classes from a studio in the Constantia Valley.
“My work is largely representational and I strive to paint my participated experience in life whether it is a simple still life, everyday landscape or figurative study. Inspiration, beauty, honesty and an appreciation of life can be found in unexpected places. In the exquisite curve of a ceramic bowl, the delicate illumination of a shoulder that catches the light, the quiet magic of trees stripped bare beneath a winter sky, or hues and values reflecting and influencing each other. What things are and the edges that define them and the spaces that connect them are all equally important. Looking and truly seeing are poles apart and I strive to convey this in both my art and teaching.”
Belinda’s work to date has been sold privately and hangs in collections both in South Africa and abroad. Her work also incorporates commissions, single portraits and group family portraiture.
Copyright © Belinda Ardé
"There is a place where life, observation and inspiration come together in cumulative expression - we call this place art"
Michellle Dunaway