In the artist’s own words . . .
“I HAVE always painted.
“Ever since I was a child growing up in Bloemfontein in the 1940s and 1950s, I used to paint at my home. My great joy was to show these paintings to my parents who encouraged in me an already deeply instilled urge to depict the world. I have never stopped painting or drawing.
“I was especially attracted to painting architecture in one form or another. I did not attend any art classes. I never really wanted to go to an art class as I was enjoying what I did – and was happy with the way that I did it.
“Almost inevitably this led me to study architecture in Johannesburg where I obtained my degree in the early 1960s. After a period of indecision, the winds of destiny blew me into London where I have pursued a fulfilling career in architecture
Cape Town: A Study in Watercolours
and interior design for many wonderful clients. During the course of my life, and right up to the present, I have always painted on every holiday and trip abroad. On innumerable holiday destinations in Europe, North Africa and especially Egypt, I could always be found in front of some architectural feature or landscape, pencils, pens, watercolours at hand.
“But then I discovered Cape Town and there I found absolutely everything to delight my senses – the wonderful clarity of the light, the expansive golden beaches, the granite rocks and the sparkling sea. There is this amazing mélange of different styles of buildings reflecting different cultures and periods, the diversity of the flora and, of course, the dramatic backdrop of Table Mountain – a thrilling presence at any time of the day. I have always tried to capture the glittering light and the ever changing skies. I hope that I have succeeded and that these few images will convey my love for this wonderful corner of the world and its wonderful people.” – Ronald Cohen – London, November 2007
Extract from Cape Town: A Study in Watercolours.