It was a pangolin wrapped in Christmas lights that initially caught my attention. An old school friend, Jodie Chatterton, sent me the image in December 2021. It was a Friday night, and I was elbow deep in navy and bronze paint, making a real mess of things while trying to package Christmas cards. We needed more artwork for the HMA website; Duncan’s watercolours (see the previous post for more information) had informed the direction we were heading in, but we now sadly needed to continue the journey without him. There was a name next to the festive little pangolin: robyn_ansell_art. I tried my luck and sent Robyn a message, and so began a new journey.
Much like Duncan, Robyn has a background in nature conservation, and her love for wildlife art stemmed from her time in the bush. After matriculating in Durban, she spent a few years working in Botswana’s Tuli block. She became a qualified Field Guide (FGASA) and started working at Nambiti Private Game Reserve in KZN. She concurrently worked on her art, and in 2013 she decided to pursue art as a full-time career. Which is extremely lucky for us, since Robyn has produced much of the artwork you now see on our website.
In March 2022, I visited Robyn at her home in Winston Park (Durban). Her lounge overlooks a deep kloof, her garden teeming with birds. A row of little mannikins sit expectantly on the fence, perhaps waiting for their turn at the bird feeder. Robyn tells me about the pink-nosed mongoose that frequents the garden (affectionately called “Slinkypants”). I can just imagine the mongoose shrewdly slinking around the garden, looking for her next snack. Robyn shows me her studio and hands me the original artwork of a branch with three coral tree flowers. The colour of the petals is superb. Luminescent. I fear using the picture in digital format will never do it justice. We chat about the future, and together we come up with a plan. I am left with a quiet confidence that this is going to be a great partnership; I suspect we are birds of a feather.
To see more of Robyn’s artworks, visit www.robynansellart.com. You can also find Robyn on Instagram @robyn_ansell_art. Or contact Robyn at hello@robynansellart.com.
I am also grateful to Robyn’s husband, Nic Salmond, who is a secret helper when it comes to all things Adobe Photoshop related. Translating paintings into a user-friendly digital format is a skill.
Robyn Ansell