Artist Statement
Marisa’s art has strong symbolic reference and she incorporates her passion for poetry into her work with faith related references and believes woven into her work shown through her balletic/angelic inspired figures.
She has moved into her own style very prominently and loves to explore every new skill she gains with every painting and sketch she makes. The learning process is part of her ongoing growth as a young self taught artist. Marisa is also skilled as a mosaic artist and jeweler. She currently resides in Pretoria and has numerous successful exhibitions since returning from Dubai in April 2009.
Marisa says: “I am so extremely thankful to be able to do what I so passionately love to do and I have been blessed beyond my expectations with the response to my work, praise be to God.”
Statement and Images Sourced From:
http://www.marisa-art.co.za/
My Thoughts:
As I've mentioned in a previous post, my love for art began as a young child. I am slightly dyslexic so as child reading was problematic so would memorize the stories and look at the illustrations. Even now at the age of 44, I can still remember some of my books by heart.
It's the illustrations that really captured my imagination though and still have most of my children's books. I am still captivated by childrens illustrations and collect interesting childrens books, preferably second hand. There is something about second hand books that makes them so special.
When I enter a book shop my first stop is the kiddies books and for a long time was a bit disappointed to see that the illustrations were kinda boring with lots of primary colours and no detail. If I had had books like that as a child I don't think I would have been inspired by them at all.
More recently though I am discovering some wonderful illustrators, Marisa being one of them.
Marisa, much like her paintings and illustrations is quirky, the best kind of quirky though. Usually when I bump into her, she has her 2 little girls in tough at art exhibitions and it always strikes me how much they seem to love the art they are viewing. They are being raised to appreciate, respect and understand art. Wish more parents would do that.
But let's get back to art and illustrations.
The part I love most about her work and the first thing I do when I see her work on exhibition is immediately look at the figures feet. I love her feet, they become personalities all on their own, over-sized, big toed expressions of the figure that they carry. Wonderful feets of fantasy. Brightly coloured landscapes draw you into her world and make you wish you never have to leave.
She has illustrated various children's books and I certainly love viewing them, I hope you take the time to view her web-site and her books, you won't be disappointed.
Contact Details for Marisa du Toit:
http://www.marisa-art.co.za/
https://www.facebook.com/marisadutoitart/
[email protected]
Tel: +27 76 735 2115
