Local tattooist second in national art contest
A Mossel Bay tattooist has come second in a national art competition.
Tiffany Baxter, who works at a tattoo shop in Heiderand, was among 7 000 people who entered artworks for the ARTi Gallery National Art Competition (AGAC) 2023 in Klerksdorp.
Mossel Bay's Maria Oosthuizen, known for her artworks housed in the House of Maria gallery in Marsh Street, was one of the adjudicators in the competition.
Local Point High School learner Nikita Kask, who was in Grade 8 this year, came among the top 25 in the competition.
The theme for the competition was Old Master Artworks Re-Imagined (Recreate or re-imagine any of the most famous artworks into your own style or parody.)
Tiffany's piece, Nostalgic Gamer, earned her second place in the competition. It is an oil and acrylic work on canvas.
Robert Thirtle, the owner of the ARTi gallery, said: "We had local sponsors from Klerksdorp who donated prize money. We will get national sponsors for next year. In terms of prize money, we were the largest art competition in the country, bigger than the Rust-en-Vrede Gallery Portrait Competition. That winning prize was R150 000. Our first prize was R200 000."
Tiffany said she had bought new paints
and brushes with her money. "I have spent a great deal of it on art supplies and will keep the rest for emergencies."
Nikita's artwork which got her into the top 25 was Girl with the Pearl Earring.
She notes on the ARTi website: "I've been interested in art and being creative since a very young age. I've tried multiple hobbies, but nothing ever surpassed my love for art. I've been to art classes before, but I am mostly self taught. I enjoy trying out as many different art styles and media as possible to develop and discover my art skills."