HERMANUS – Alyson Guy has lived for her art and being creative since her youth.
Growing up in Goodwood, Cape Town, she took art classes at school from Grade 10 to 12, her art teacher encouraging her to continue giving vent to her creative gifts. “After school I could not afford to go to university,” she related, “but over the years I did numerous short courses and expanded my training in various fields as time and money allowed.”
Guy, now 73 years old, said her first art course after matric – an oil painting course in Sea Point – was paid for by her godmother. She then went on to study sculpture and clay modelling with Nell Kaye in Wynberg, among many other courses.
Early in her career as an artist Guy’s paintings focused on landscapes, but now she enjoys painting people and flowers. “Sometimes a theme comes to mind and I pursue that – I had an exhibition at the Missions House Gallery entitled Trees. Living on Volmoed farm in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, it is difficult not to love trees and be inspired by the fynbos growing here.”
Guy prefers to paint in oils, either with brush or palette knife, but she is also happy to use acrylics and watercolours, and even pastels, as the subject and mood demand.
“I paint on paper, canvas and boards, and have even done a few murals in my time, especially on the walls of houses. I have done chalk work, mono-printing, lino printing, collage, pottery and clay modelling plus all other manner of visually creative crafts, but painting is what always calls me.”
She says one of the highlights of her painting career is the painting used on the invitation for her 2010 People & Places exhibition, which was sold before the opening. “Another also comes to mind, a painting accepted for the exhibition at 2014 Fynarts, which was one of three sold, and that boosted my confidence.”
Guy says she feels “incredibly blessed” when anyone wants to buy anything she paints. “I do this for my pleasure, so it is a bonus when someone else derives joy from my art as well.”
