If you are an art lover, you might like reading this article. Lemme know if you like it! Or not...

1. Daniel D’uwa’s
Sentiments of a brush
Kenya is less known for its art collectors, who are normally a group of passionate and
well-privileged individuals mostly in the developed countries.
The harsh economic realities and high inflation rate are debilitating factors that hinder
this hobby here. Yet the sheer love and desire to own ones own piece of paint on canvas is
proving to be a worthwhile undertaking for both collectors and curators.
In the last ten years alone, a dozen galleries both within the Central Business District and
the outskirts have mushroomed. This is a clear indication that the once secluded passion
of the privileged foreigners is having its wings flying down to Kenya’s most elite. Local
paint collectors are isolated though in recent times they have grown in number. The
drastic price cuts which some five years ago stood at an average of a few thousand dollars
has gone along way in boosting this passion. Most privately owned galleries are actually
a collection of painting fixed on hallways, staircases and as part of ordinary décor of
homes. Unlike in America where the likes of media-magnate Tedd Turner owns a
collection of fine pieces in a large private gallery, local collectors maintain only a few
pieces. Some clients are religious organizations and the tourism industry players who
hold pieces in hotels, boardrooms or conference rooms. Most spectacular are the pieces
that enhance the interior décor of five star hotels in the country’s cities. Such pieces are
however, conservative in the images they portray which is synonymous with the tourism
industry.
The most cherished of all are the portraits of the wild animals like the elephants, giraffe,
lion, zebra and all that is wild. Nature also offers such an array as Mt. Kilimanjaro and
Mt. Kenya that has over the years remained popular. Yet the understanding of culture and
customs of a people is always intriguing. The Masai have since time immemorial been a
subject of interest. The Masai have paved way for other communities, which are now
starting to enjoy a better understanding and appreciation of their practices and customs
laid out on canvas.
To understand art especially prints on canvas is an art in itself which demands patience,
open mindedness and a desire for discovery. In essence art has been taken to be too many
things; among them is the assertion that art is a selfish expression. Yet to find a clear-cut
definition might prove tasking. Art might be described as a painter’s freedom of
expression. This freedom is what makes art the more interesting. To own a piece of
expression that says a thousand things without verbally saying a word leaves enthusiasts
in awe.
A better understanding of art is an acceptance of simplicity because paintings no matter
how simple tend to portray strong images. At times paintings have been known to have a
therapeutic effect on different people, lovers and skeptics alike. Just starring at a piece of
painting with a view of calm Blue Ocean over time relieves stress to some arguable
degree. A walk through a gallery with a variety of art pieces on different topics provokes
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2. different mood switch between joy and sorrow. In an office, a painting of a country house
on a river front blurred in yellow and with overgrown background can draw inspiration.
This is especially useful when the office spirit does not stimulate working and the day
seems to be going amiss. A simple image of a rose can gradually arouse some motivation.
Paintings have to be interpreted in a way that gives them an exotic touch. To one person a
painting might mean one thing, and to another it changes its meaning to something else.
Modern makes and methods of painting are particularly difficult to interpret, especially
the use of cubes also known as cubism and abstract which often pose a hidden meaning.
Impressionism is the art form with good use of colour while expressionism is the
expression of feelings such as sadness, joy and sorrow. Realism on the other hand is the
art of drawing real faces of people, things and places. The renaissance period of art put
together all those four arms of painting - realism, expressionism, impressionism and
cubism. Since like wine paintings mature with age, the older the piece, the higher price
tag it draws. This somewhat places the hobby and serious business of painting collecting
to compromise.
Fake reproductions are a common site in the trade and these sometimes look so close to
the originals that drawing a distinction is a Herculean task. Even so, this setback should
not deprive the richness of what paintings can be. Most reproductions have been of pieces
from down the centuries, the most common of which are Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings of
Mona Lisa, Michael Angelo’s Last Supper and Sir Henry Raeburn’s portrait of Isabelle
McLeod. All these are reproductions of the 18th and 19th centuries, a renaissance of art
form. Like Shakespeare, most painters, great as they may be, have lived long enough to
see the fruits of their brush. May be this is the more reason why paintings of the gone era
are so much cherished. Michael Angelo was commissioned to find the most rugged of
people and the most charming. The result was the Last Supper where he portrays Jesus as
the cradle of his lifetime and Judas as the most grievous element of the same. Leonardo
da Vinci on his part raised uproar of his time by portraying the wife of the most
prominent man in Venice at the time. His sanity was put to doubt and his morality
questioned as speculation was rife that he had an affair with Lisa. The reality of the
situation may probably not be known, but the innocence portrayed by da Vinci is today
the most talked about element.
Without any shadow of doubt, Sir Henry Raeburn though Scottish born was proven the
finest painters of his time, not only in Scotland but in the whole of England. Over the
years many came and went as painting transformed from water colour on paper to oil
paintings. The sketches of pencil drawings that once formed the core of art itself has been
replaced by pen and even computer aided drawings. New technological techniques and
appeal forms the continuity of the painting culture creativity on the part of painters and
demand from collectors for new and more challenging pieces is the driving force behind
this industry. New ideologies have emerged not only in the developed world but also in
the developing world. One such artist with a unique sense of style is notably Robin
Anderson. Robin, a European but Kenyan born prefers silk to canvas, employs wax and
dye instead of paint. Her works are critically acclaimed and enjoy global reception.
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3. Yet again art cannot age whether pencil marks or tie and dye or portraits framed in either
wood or steel last as long as time itself. Whether art paintings draw admiration, aspiration
or determination, they are pieces as spirited as age itself.
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