Propped on an easel at the far end of a spacious, light-filled loft, is a painting of a leopard- so meticulously executed, so lifelike in its rendering that the effect is powerfully hypnotic. "Leopards are beautiful, but elusive - you need to be out your sleeping bag very, very early..." smiles artist Angela Key. I've come to meet Angela at her studio in Vermont. Since returning from London in 1994, this dedicated artist and conservationist has established a solid reputation for her highly detailed studies of birds and wildlife.
Born in Malawi in 1969, Angela has spent over 30 years camping in Africa's remote wilderness areas, and countless hours in the company of herds of elephant, buffalo, zebras, springbok, wildebeest and the great predators that stalk them. Her enthusiasm, energy and immense knowledge is evident in each of her works. "Animals have always inspired man - from our hunter-gatherer forefathers to living legends like Credo Mutwa. We can learn so much - they're so tuned in to their senses. Look into an animals eyes... try to imagine how it perceives the world. It's very compelling."
I notice an impressive collection of reference books; ethnology, entomology, ornithology... a dog-eared copy of Darwin's Galapagos diary sits quite comfortably alongside a volume of ‘Degas's Pastels'.
What came first, animals or art? "Ah... the spring daisies in Namaqualand! I was armed with chalk, Crayola crayons and a sketchpad. Somehow that won the Santam Exhibition Youth Art Award. I'd just turned 7, and I've been putting pastel to paper ever since."
Her exposure to the great painters came later, while she was studying Fine Arts. Apart from developing a lifelong passion for the 17th century masters, Angela also fine-tuned her sculptural skills and impeccable draughtsmanship.
"I experimented with so many mediums... clay, wire, woodcuts, etching, oil, gouache. But I always seem to come back to pastel. It is such a pure form of pigment, and I love the immediacy of the medium."
It shows. She's honed her pastel technique to perfectly imitate feathers and fur. Her handling of tone and contrast accentuates the 3-dimensional quality that characterises her paintings. They are almost tactile. "Many people do touch them" she laughs, "please DON'T!" It takes Angela anything from 60 hours to weeks of work to complete a painting. How does she stay motivated? "I regularly make trips up to the Kgalagadi, the Karoo and Kruger, but I also draw great inspiration from the unique fauna and flora right on our doorstep. Sunbirds in pincushions are still one of my favourite subjects."
And what tips would she give to aspiring artists who are beginning to sketch birds or animals? "Find a co-operative subject, for example a cat curled up on a window sill, or seagulls roosting on the railing at Gearing's Point. Begin by making quick, impressionistic sketches just to get the basic form... then you can focus on one part, a detail of the head or the fold of a wing. Concentrating on details and correctly drawing them helps you gain insight into your subject matter."
The focus, drive and discipline of this artist have earned her international admiration and her paintings are represented in many private collections throughout South Africa as well as the United States, Canada, the UK, Germany, Holland all the way to Singapore. I could spend hours looking around the loft at all the 'works-in-progress', but deadlines are looming.
As I turn to leave, I can feel the eyes of that leopard penetrating right through me. I feel a deep tugging.... Africa's calling.
Leigh Bouwer