Impressionism refers to capturing an ‘impression’ with eye and soul and recreating it with dabs of colour on canvas - conveying the mood, the atmosphere, the colour and light. Adriaan Boshoff was a true impressionist, a man who may have made hundreds of sketches before embarking on his paintings. It was this dedication to perfection, coupled with a rare talent and creative ability, that catapulted Boshoff into the forefront of South African artists.
Adriaan Boshoff was born in 1935 in Pretoria where he grew up and qualified as an electrician. From childhood he had the urge to paint, and he did. Without any formal art training, he became the 'Renoir' of South Africa.
With his enormous natural Talent, self-discipline, the love for his work and devotion, he mastered the skills of brush and paint. He also mastered the skill of colour and he was able to create 200 different colours from only three basic colours. With his trained eye he could observe colours that most humans miss.
"In 1956" he says. "I travelled by motorcycle to the Congo, earning my living by repairing electrical generators on isolated farms. When I became tired of the dusty roads, I tried farming tobacco in what was then Rhodesia. But I suppose I was cut out to lead the life of an artist and returned to South Africa. During the following years I travelled South Africa ... painted Baobab trees near Messina, wildflowers of Namaqualand, mountains of the Drakensberg and seascapes of our coast-lines. My work improved and in the early sixties I decided to devote myself to full-time and professional art. It was a difficult decision followed by difficult years. But then, without the struggle to succeed, and constantly improving in order to continue succeeding, I suppose I would still travel on a motorcycle,"
When Adriaan decided to pursue further studies at an Art School, they told him there was nothing they could teach him. Inspired by Frans Oerder, and a great admirer of the French Impressionists of the 19th century and the Brit, Wilson Steer, Adriaan started his long professional road to great success, and became known for portraying everyday scenes in his unmistakable impressionistic style.
Adriaan Boshoff was a people's person, family man, humble man, culture man, and he just loved children. Apart from being a dedicated artist, he also had a lively interest in everyone and everything and had great respect for his fellow human being.
Adriaan placed a high value on quality and destroyed a painting if it did not meet his own standards. "If every work I do is not the best within my ability, it is not good enough for art and the public either." Adriaan Boshoff’s work has long reached collectors, as well as investment status and can be found in most well-known art collections worldwide. These include collections of TOTAL, SA Reserve Bank, Eskom, The Namibian Art Museum, numerous local authorities and the Bank of Switzerland to name a few. His paintings can also be found in countries such as Belgium, Australia, Portugal, and the UK, amongst others.
