I was born in a, then smallish, town called Benoni on the
East Rand near Johannesburg, South Africa (yip, the same one Charlize Theron
and Charlene the Princess of Monaco are from!)
We moved around a bit when I was young, our first move was
to Ballito on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast. We lived there for 3 wonderful
years before heading back to Benoni. I finished Primary school there and then
went to boarding school in Pretoria for the first 2 years of high school, which
was also a lot of fun! But before long we were packing up again, this time to
move to Kloof, a suburb of sunny Durban and we have stayed here ever since!
After finishing high school I wasn’t really sure what I
wanted to study. I’d always loved and excelled at anything arty, so I knew it
would be something in the arts line, but really didn’t know what I would love
to do as a living. So I did a one year Foundation Arts Course at the Natal
Technikon. That was one of the best years of my life – it was so fun to be free
of school (Maths and Science in particular) and mixing with like-minded people!
In that year we did a bit of everything. From learning about the basics of
drawing and painting to jewellery design and photography. At the end of the
year I made the decision to apply for the 3 year Graphic Design diploma course
offered by the new Durban Institute of Technology (the Natal Technikon merged
with the ML Sultan Tecknikon to form DIT). After completing my diploma I did an
extra year to complete my B-Tech Degree in Graphic Design (now at the newly
named Durban University of
Technology) whilst working part-time at my first ever, real office job as a
Graphic Designer and Artist at a publishing company called Art Publishers in
Durban. I learnt so much whilst working there and designed everything from
coffee table books, postcards and gift-wrap to t-shirts, socks and caps. This was
also where I was first given the chance to realise my life long dream to become
a children’s book illustrator.
After 2 years of working at Art Publishers I got really
itchy feet and felt a desperate need to go exploring, so I applied for a 2 year
working holiday visa from the UK and with much trepidation I got on a plane and
left my comfort zone way behind! Unfortunately things didn’t quite work out as
planned and before too long I returned home to sunny South Africa. Even though
it may have seemed like a failure, I learnt so much from that experience.
On my return to South Africa I ended up back at Art
Publishers and stayed there for another 2 years before making the huge decision
to give it all up and go it on my own! And I have been working as a freelance
Graphic Designer and Children’s book illustrator ever since!
There are many, many ups and downs when working for oneself,
but I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I so enjoy the challenges of facing and
accomplishing projects I probably would never have been exposed to before.
Apart from doing design and illustration work, I have also delved
into the world of Etsy and have opened 2 shops selling digital paper and party
printables.
My brain is always full of creative and crafty
ideas and I am so excited about all the possibilities and opportunites out
there and I love that I can do my work from almost anywhere. Watch this
space…it’s ever evolving!
