THE enthusiastic artists of Totally Art Club received a healthy dose of inspiration thanks to a technical workshop by Chris Koury on June 21.

Painting on and off for four decades, Koury balanced his creativity between his hobby and his work in advertising. For 35 years he has run his own advertising agency.

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“I believe a painting needs to tell a story, not in a narrative way, but in its appeal. It needs to engage the viewer and be satisfying to the originator. Being a realist at heart, my work always had a representative aspect to it. I edit out the details and distil the scene into essential patterns of light and dark, allowing the viewer’s imagination to take over. I believe my art to be an expression of my passion for living,” said Koury.

Patricia McCann of Totally Art Club said, “Chris draws remarkably well and paints a variety of subjects, mainly South African landscapes and wildlife. He showed us an essential way to ensure that portraits of animals and people have the correct proportions. We worked in charcoal, which was new to several of us. The hall at Mooi Hawens was packed with artists eager to see his technique. He completed an amazing leopard to show us his simple technique. Our workshop was a light-hearted interactive morning which was very valuable and enjoyable, as we all came away with our own charcoal painting creations to be proud of.”

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