“Ars longa, Vita Brevis”- ART ENDURES, LIFE IS SHORT

  A celebration of marvellous creatures of Africa.

“Value them as creatures and celebrate life with me through my work”

Elsa Cornelissen

Wildlife in acrylics on canvas and animal hide.

Wildlife, for the most part, is indeed hidden: concealment is an essential component of survival for both predator and prey.

Yet through my art I hope to reveal some of its splendour. I wish to bring to you the dramatic wildlife engraved on my memory and hope that the work as such will convince you that our strivings to preserve the wildlife of our planet must never cease.

Since completing my BA in Fine Art at the University of Pretoria in 1980, I have taught art at various High Schools and Technical colleges.

During this time various one-man and group exhibitions were held. Private Art classes were also given to adults and children.

After several years in teaching I gave it all up to devote myself to fully to painting. My subject matter always derives from nature in the forms of flowers, birds, and fish in vivid colours.

But my passionate love for wildlife dominated all the other subject matter. My love for animals is such that their images became an important part of my artistic consciousness.

From field sketches and my photographs I create a composition designed to reflect the inherent artistry of nature.

Since 1990 I have exclusively depicted nature and wildlife that I hold such a bond with. I believe that to depict nature in such a way as to evoke emotion from the viewer, the artist must experience all the nuances of the outdoors. To smell the pungent spruces early morning in the bushveld- all these must be inside an artist to be able to come out convincingly from the end of a paintbrush.

It is of vital importance to understand the anatomy, behaviour and habitat of each animal well.

I have successfully exhibited at the safari club International in Reno Las Vegas, Nevada since 2000. My work is included in private and corporate collections worldwide.

My paintings are on permanent exhibition in South Africa, Madrid-Spain, Plano- Texas, in Marco Island and Vero Beach Florida.

 I also support wildlife organizations conserving wildlife.

I currently live in the Hartbeespoort Dam area, and share my life with my two daughters: Hanneska and Annika.