Gerrit van der Merwe

I became aware of my interest in sketching along with my ability to draw at a young age - around 7 years of age. I always used to sketch with pen, sometimes pencil, and also tried some watercolours. I had a particular interest in house plans and illustrations of residential property and would copy house plans whenever I could find some. After school in particular during my student years, I sketched a lot. I would draw buildings, loved architectural images, or human figures, but not portrait sketches.

I never followed up on my interest or incorporated it into my IT career, and only kept it as a hobby for recreational purposes. Life got busy, so the hobby got neglected. I had a quiet period of about 30 years from 1990s till recently, where I hardly drew anything.

In the last couple of months, I rekindled my passion and started sketching again - pen and ink, old buildings, and a couple of landscapes. I got invited to submit a couple of sketches for a local art exhibit and sold 3 pieces on the opening day, and a couple more during the rest of the duration of the exhibition.

I am now fired up and made a commitment to doodle and deliver more pieces of art - architectural and landscape. I reside in a small town in the middle of the magnificent Karoo with ample opportunities to find dilapidated old farmsteads of related subjects.

I decided to add some colour to my sketches and is currently sold on Line-and-wash. My influencers are Tinus de Jongh, Paul Clark and Peter Sheeler. I love the loose and almost cartoonlike style of Peter Sheeler and enjoy his online tutorials.