If you add a few additional
astonishing attributes to “Immensely Gifted Artist”, what do you get? Well then
please add: Well-educated Businessman, Successful Entrepreneur, World Champion Sportsman,
Compassionate Citizen, Arresting Personality, Spiritual Being? The outcome: You
get Adriaan Lotter, a creator and a gentleman who the world is about to take
notice of!
“With every piece one
creates, you put your energy as well as your spirit into it and I believe that
this energy and emotion connects with the viewer’s soul, and not so much the
visible image of the painting only. It is my mission to connect with my
audience on this psychic level and to share the enjoyment and love of art”.
Background
· Education
Adriaan was
born 29 July 1972 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He went to school at Hoërskool
Die Fakkel and matriculated in 1990. The next year he enrolled at Booysens Technical
College and graduated there with a technical Diploma in Telecommunications and Transmission.
· Business
He worked for
Telkom as technician for 7 years before moving to the UK in 1999 where he served
as a fibreoptic and network engineer for Cable & Wireless for four years upgrading
their telecommunications network all over Britain. Adriaan returned home in
2003 where he started his own electronic security company, Netel Security, and
continued managing the company until 2018.
During that time,
he was continuously creating art on a part time bases but then decided that the
stress of corporate life was affecting his health. He therefore took a bold step
to go into art full time.
· Sport
Sport has also
been a huge part of Adriaan’s life:
o Started
In 1987 with martial arts and achieved a Nidan (second Dan) in karate
o Changed
styles and started competing in Muay Thai and MMA on a professional level
o Represented
South Africa in the 2008 WTKA World Championships and won the WTKA Muay Thai
world title in Italy
o Won
Silver and Bronze (also at the World Championships in Italy) in K1 (a form of
kickboxing) in his weight division as well as in a weight division above his
own.
o Played
club rugby after school for Diggers and Union rugby clubs
o Played
for the first team of the Melbourne, England rugby club as left wing
· Personal
Adriaan has a 22-year-old
daughter and is currently in a stable relationship.
Hi Adriaan, what is the
story of your art?
I am a self-taught
artist. Art is integral to my existence. I was born an artist and creating art
has been a passion since I can remember. I won my first art prize in Grade 3
when I was nine years old, but only started taking it seriously about ten years
ago.
Throughout my
business careers, art and woodworking has been passions of mine and it was a constant
dream to eventually make a profession of art. Fear was however a major factor –
I was scared that I would never be able to survive on just art. It was therefore
a bold step for me to follow my dream and to become a full-time artist.
Since I took that terrifying
step, my time is my own and creating art is equivalent to being in a permanent
state of meditation. I can easily devote ten hours a day to painting and it
feels like only a fraction of the time that has passed. I sometimes loose days,
thinking that it is Wednesday and finding out it is Saturday already. This sense
of freedom brings a lot of peacefulness and relaxation into my life. I cannot
think of a better way of making a living.
How do you
experience your art?
I am my own biggest
critic - my work hardly ever seems good enough for myself and I guess it’s the
downside of trying to be perfect. Craving perfection, I am always in doubt if my
art is good enough. But when I exhibit my work and I see people admire what I
have created, it gives me a sincere sense of accomplishment as I am interpreting
it that I am improving as an artist. There is no better stimulus for me to find
people being so much attracted to my art that they purchase something that I
have created.
What is your art
life mission?
How do you cultivate inspiration?
The life of an
artist is not always an easy one. Sometimes life pushes one into a state of
depression and you get discouraged and then it is not so easy to create. But
the wonderful thing about art is that it is all about emotion. Even if you are
feeling down and out, you can overcome the negativity by channeling those emotions
and feelings into the object you are creating, then the magic transpires.
Other times it is
better to not force the subject – I know myself. If I am absolutely not in the mood,
then I do something else that makes me happy – I listen to my favourite music
or watch a movie. It then does not take much for me to feel inspired and to
pick up the brush again.
Inspiration to me means
trying to better myself and my skill with every piece I do. If I can improve on
the previous piece that I have done and I look back from where I started to
where I am then, it totally encourages me to take on another challenge.
Which topics and
styles give you most joy?
Portraits gives me
pleasure as I love capturing emotions. I get captivated by the painting when I
am creating and I can sense the mood in my veins.
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Animals such as wildlife
and horses are some of my favourite subjects as it is both a challenge and a delight
to capture and portray powerfulness, grace, playfulness and watchful alertness
.
I am also an adrenalin junky and fast motorbikes
and cars get me very excited, especially if I get to paint the driver’s concentration
and the amazing vehicles they drive. Of course, I also like riding and driving
fast and furious cars and bikes.
Something else
that fascinates me and that I love painting is comic book characters and superheroes.
I have a passion for Marvel and DC characters and is a regular at Comic Con
Africa, a 4-day event showcasing comic books and science fiction- and fantasy
related film, television, and similar popular arts.
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I love working with wood and spend a lot of time in my workshop, creating and restoring furniture, building miniatures
and combining wood with fine art. I have been fitting out my workshop now for
the past 20 years through collecting and improving. One can never have enough tools.
My shop is approximately seven garages in size and still there are a lot more machines
I would love to add to my arsenal. I guess is should introduce myself as: “ Hi
I am Adriaan and I am a Toolaholic “
Are there other
artists who inspire you?
I especially admire
the work of Jimmy Law, a very successful artist from Cape Town. The key aspects
that appeal to me to about him as person is that he started off in the comic
book industry and that he, at one stage, painted Harley Davidson motor cycles. As mentioned, I also have a passion for comic
book characters and fast bikes. But it
is Jimmy’s current work that really inspires me. He now does energetic and
expressive portraits by using only large brushes and by performing bold, strong
strokes and colours. His paintings are expressive and nearly rugged, but still
very realistic - he is very successful in giving the viewer just enough
information to fill in the detail themselves.
Painting
by Jimmy Law
What art mediums
do you prefer?
I like working in different
mediums as each different one has its own characteristics. It however depends
on what I am planning to achieve in every specific artwork. I mostly work in
acrylics and oil and I prefer the latter. The colours are more vibrant and if I
am doing a realistic style painting, oil is my medium of choice.
Can you tell us
more about these specific paintings?
I named this painting “Blue
Monday”. It is Oil on Canvas 1.5m x 90 cm. It is one of my favourite paintings –
a combination of brush and palette knife, using only three colours. The piece
just flowed off the brush with no effort at all.
The title of the painting
above is “The Coming” (Oil on Canvas 200x100 cm). This is one of my prophetic
art pieces. In 2017 I was given a prophecy by a complete stranger at that time.
He introduced himself as a prophet and started prophesising over me. Although
he did not know me from a bar of soap, he started by saying “Adriaan, the Lord
said you will pick up a new mantle and it will become your legacy. You will be
a prophetic artist and your art will change nations.”
As you can imagine,
I was very sceptical at the time. Me altering nations with my art was a little
bit out of my comprehension. However, something amazing started happening with
some of my art works. Hidden pictures appeared inside the painting images. I
did not even notice it, until it was pointed out to me by a pastor I knew. For instance,
if you zoom into the picture of “The Coming” you will notice that instead of six
horses, there are actually 13!
After that day I
went back to some of my previous work and started noticing all these images
inside my paintings. In the painting above, “Running Free” (Oil on Canvas 85x45cm),
I noticed the city inside the neck of the horse on the left, the dolphin over
the eye of the horse on the right and the silhouette of the elephant at the
bottom of the head of the horse on the right. This was totally unintentional
and I believe it was not my hand that created the images.
Although I have
not transformed nations yet - who knows, maybe one day - a lot of the prophecies
I was given happened exactly word for word as the prophet said it would. We
have since become very good friends.
Can you share
some of your secret techniques please?
I always start my paintings
with a thin water-based layer as complementary colour of the pallet I will be
using for the piece. I then build the painting layer by layer, starting with a thin
application and gradually going thicker. In my final layers, I will switch from
brush to pallet knife and then finish it off by adding the final detail.
Technically it is important
to get proportions and perspectives correct, but to me the look and feel of the
painting is even more important. I create emotion by the use of brush strokes, the
way the colours work together and the way the paint is applied to the canvas. I
believe that without emotion a painting is a nice picture, but lifeless as a piece
of art. Art needs to be able to awake something inside of the viewer. I guess that
is the real meaning of the saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.
Preserving my art is
very important and I try to make sure I am as professional as can be. I therefore
cover all my paintings with a layer of good quality varnish to protect the piece
and prevent yellowing. To care for it, it is then only necessary to wipe it off
with a damp cloth.
When do you know
that a painting is finished?
To me it is an awareness
- once I am happy with how I am feeling about the artwork and I cannot spot any
serious technical mistakes, I will call it a day. A painting should never be
totally finished, I think a good painting should always leave something for the
mind to complete.
What is your
approach towards titles?
Depending on the items,
I suppose titles can be very important. Titles add value to art, and should a
piece of art become famous, people will always refer to the title thereof. My prophetic
art has to have titles, but they hardly ever get named by myself. These artworks
always seem to inspire someone and the title just immediately become apparent -
it is amazing!
King of Time
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Please tell us
about your typical work day?
When I am creating art,
I am so oblivious to my surroundings that the world can fall apart around me and
I would not even know. Days feels like hours and hours like mere seconds. I am
at my happiest when I am in my studio.
My best time for
painting is between 6 and 10 am. I spend most of my day behind the easel, sometimes
12 hours at a time. Other days I will spend time promoting my art and working
on improving my website and intranet.
The amount of time I am
spending on one painting depends on how the piece flows, and how I am feeling.
Some days the picture just flows off the brush and I can complete a painting in
as little as two hours Other days things just don’t want to happen for me and
then it can take me days to complete a piece. On average I would say a
completed painting takes about 16 to 20 hours.
Does music create the
mood for painting?
Music
and Art for me goes hand in hand, whether it is 80’s or very spiritual music –
it depends on my mood what I choose, but always it brings out the best in me.
I frequently do research
and get up-to-date with the latest techniques and trends by listening to podcasts
and YouTube videos while I am painting.
How would you describe
your style?
If one has found their own
painting style it will become their signature style. This usually is a life changing
achievement, because it makes one stand out as an artist and people can recognise
your work. The real trick for the artist is to turn bad habits into good ones
and apply them continuously.
As far as my own art is
concerned, I am still trying to find my signature style and I am experimenting to
get that same look and feel in all my work. It can take years to find one’s own
signature style and I am now 10 years into my journey. I am painting every day,
working on developing my skills and my style and to establish myself as a recognised
artist, but I think one should just be patient, give your best every day and
enjoy the journey.
What is success to
you?
Success is the satisfaction
and sense of accomplishment I get when completing a piece of art that I am
proud of. And then, if someone is willing to part with their hard-earned cash
to invest in my art, it gives a sense of value in what I do. It is a wonderful awareness
of success and I like it very much!
How should art be
marketed?
Every artist should
register his own Domain name and at least have a personal website. Social media
is a good way of getting your name out there and an online store is always an
advantage.
I have my own website
www.adriaanlotter.co.za . There is
also an online art gallery http://netel.in-tranet.co.za/system/dashboard/ on internet where I invite other artists who would
like to sell their own art and also to get the opportunity to make more money along
the way, to join and assist me. I have already done a great deal of work and
the plan is to provide an international networking platform for artists to advertise,
sell and deliver art globally, but also to access, sell and present online art
classes worldwide. It also provides the opportunity to connect with other artists
and to link up with art suppliers offering special discounts to members. The over-encompassing
motive is to provide a platform for artists and the public to join hands and support
each other.
There is also a BlogSpot
at https://saartexplosion.blogspot.com/
(the one you are reading now) where new artists are introduced and interesting art-related
information is shared and discussed. It
also provides the opportunity for all artists to, without cost, showcase their “Corona
Art” in the free Visions of a Virus gallery – art objects in this
gallery is showcased worldwide, but they are however not linked to the online
shop on the website. The online shop is only available to all signed-on members.
People who are interest becoming members can message me at WhatsApp 084 342
1791 or send me an email at adriaan@adriaanlotter.co.za.
Do you exhibit
your art at other venues also?
My art is always
available on my website and I recently had live exhibitions at the Art Farm in
Irene and at the Mall@Reds Art Gallery in Centurion.
Planning for exhibitions
are very important. The size and the location of the space allocated to the
artist at the venue is the starting point. First of all, the exhibitor needs to
decide what would look best inside the allocated space. Secondly, a decision
must be made on the number of artworks and the sizes that will fit without
overcrowding the areas. Thirdly, presentation, pricing and advertising in the form
of business cards and banners should be attended to.
Do you sell prints
of your art?
Prints are
available on canvas, posters, metal, glass and even mugs. I am currently
working on my Marvel and DC wallpaper range.
From time to time
there are paintings that I get attached to. If that happens, I tend to rather
keep the original and to make limited edition prints available.
Outreach
Beatifying
What is your personal viewpoint
about art in the world today?
First of all, today
full-time artists should be able to look after themselves and those they love financially.
If they can achieve that, then they have made it as an artist. Secondly, the
day an artist does not sign a work of art and everyone know who the artist is just
by looking at the art, then the artist can truly take their place as a
successful and accomplished artist of our time.
Art plays a very
important role in society. Without art we would be a nation of emotionless
zombies. It is important to preserve art for future generations and to pass
along the culture. Every era had its own style and in years from now we will be
known as the 21st Century Artists and if all goes well maybe professors
will teach our history one day.
I think much like
the music and entertainment, the art industry is very cut-throat. Instead of working together, supporting and helping
each other, everyone is in competition and sometimes the focus on why we started
doing art in the first place gets lost.
Technology-wise I
think the World Wide Web plays a huge part in the life of an artist today. Everything
from marketing, tutorials, references, social media etc. is available to everyone.
As far as workplace
is concerned, every artist only needs a comfortable place to work, anywhere in
the world. A studio needs to be an inspirational place, a place where you can just
be yourself and let go. Location and an awesome view from one’s studio always help,
but I spend most of my time inside my studio, so location is not a major issue.
I set any mood I like inside my studio to make it a splendid place to work.
Do you have any
regrets so far and what are your dreams?
My only regret is
that I did not start my art career sooner. I was born to be an artist and have
I not allowed fear to get the better of me, I think I would be a lot further
along on my journey. Everything however happens for a reason, and I am slowly
starting to find my way. I am sure my breakthrough will come soon, but until
then I will happily focus on improving my skills and finding myself as an
artist.
John
Lennon
During this journey
my mission is to touch lives, to make a positive difference and to bring joy to
everyone crossing paths with me. A dream project for me would be to open a string
of Adriaan Lotter Arts and Craft galleries to exhibit and share my passion.
Besides art, I am also
a very spiritual being and I am always trying to grow spiritually. To better
myself, I do a lot of research on this topic as well.
Any advice to younger
artists?
Always follow your
gut! Don’t live your life based on fear and follow your dreams no matter how
many people tell you it is a bad idea and you won’t succeed. Never give up.
I try to live my own
life by a few rules:
· Be truthful to yourself and others
· Always give your best
· Be yourself, don’t try to impress others or try to
fit in. You will always attract the wrong people in your life that way.
· Never do onto others that you don’t want done to
yourself - the “Law of Cause and Effect” is very much alive.
· Always try to stay positive. Your thoughts control
what happens to you - the “Law of Attraction”
· Never give up. It’s not about how many times you
fall, it’s about how many times you get up and try again.
We wish you all the best for the future!
Regards,
Steph
