A complete change in career path can Liz Clarke spoke to a KZN business creative side with interesting results

strategy planner for Mccann Erickson and his passion for cause auctioneering. A far cry from a pot of paint you might say.

“Agree, but definitely no regrets,” says this Alexandra High old boy, who grew up in Pietermaritzburg and is a Bcom graduate.

“I’m 59 and still have so much to do, which is probably why I get a bit carried away with my ideas.

“Don’t worry, I am still a businessman at heart, but for me profit and air miles are no longer the driving force.

“It’s about reaching people in a very different way.”

Unpacking this philosophy, one soon gathers that life-changing episodes have had a lot to do with a change in direction.

“That is very true. A heart attack, ICU and an armed robbery where I was left for dead certainly give you a new perspective on things.”

That new perspective, he says, inspired him to take up painting as a way of coping with the health issues and trauma that had put an end to his frenzied corporate career.

“The first thing I looked for was an easel that was quick and easy to assemble, didn’t cost an arm and a leg, was fairly light and would fit into the back of my car. I just couldn’t find one, so I thought, what the hell, I’ll make one myself.”

Therein lies the heart of what he is about. Today, that first attempt at making an easel has turned into lively enterprise, Briansartsa, that encompasses all the things “artists wish they had but don’t know where to find”.

It includes a range of simple wooden easels (“much better than the ones I first made”), wooden artists’ boxes in different finishes (“sturdy and easy to stick in the boot of your car”), and artists’ apparel such as aprons with special slots for brushes, pencils, palette knives, and canvas all-purpose art bags.

Again there is another side to this story, as Rogers explains.

“In many ways, art has restored my soul and my faith in humanity. So if I can use my business brain to tap into the artistic side of