Portrait of a legend

Patrick van Rensburg (L) holding his portrait
Patrick van Rensburg (L) holding his portrait

Producing a portrait of any person is not an easy task. It is strange that when I undertook to produce the portrait of Patrick van Rensburg to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Swaneng Hill School, I thought it would be easy, because I thought I knew him.

To some extent I was right. After all, I’d been at Swaneng Hill School from 1964 to 1969. I had also taken the assignment because I had been first to sit for the Cambridge School Certificate ‘O’ Level art examination in Botswana.

It was an important task and an opportunity of honour. Artists often shy away from portraiture and find it restrictive with little room for the very license we thrive on. I thought of an abstract van Rensburg. I decided that wouldn’t be fair. It has to be a product all of us should have opportunity to comment on and not be shunted into a corner in which they would not be able to comment on it.

Editor's Comment
Congratulations Anicia Gaothuse!

The contest had 10 beautiful young girls as finalists and unfortunately only one could wear the crown.The judges picked Anicia Gaothuse. To all those who feel their contestant should have won ahead of Anicia for whatever reason, hardly; the judges found Anicia to be the best among the best, so desist from disrespecting our newly crowned queen on social media or anywhere else, for that matter! Each of the 10 beautiful young women had supporters...

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