Martin Erasmus
 |
| Springbok Rock Art |
|
| Grotto Bay Nature Reserve |
ME
THE ARTIST / CONSERVASIONIST
MARTIN ERASMUS
Martin Erasmus has been practising art in some form or other since 1991, as an owner of a Bathroom & Kitchen Renovations company in Johannesburg, South Africa and in 1996 in Cape Town, South Africa, as partner in a Construction company, with innovative building technologies. As a result of his experience with Architectural Themes, decorative paint techniques and sand cement plasters in the construction industry he became a self taught artist through various courses with mixed mediums, oils, water colours, acrylics, pastels, paint techniques, spray-gun, airbrush and sand cement plasters. He developed “Artistic Rock Theming” or 3 dimensional lightweight rock art that can be utilized in Architectural design / themes, exterior and interior decorating options with rock pubs/bars, San rock art paintings, landscaping, water features etc.
Relocating to Cape Town from Johannesburg in 1996 paved the way for Martin to become a fulltime Artist and up to 2007 he had his home studio at the Family holiday home in Grotto Bay Private Residential Estate and Coastal Nature Reserve on the Cape West Coast. Grotto Bay Coastal Nature Reserve forms part of the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve and it is the West Coast, Namaqualand and Namibia, with its exceptional character, diverse and breathtaking natural beauty, that inspires most of his art. As a resident in Grotto Bay Nature Reserve he became involved with nature conservation on the Reserve, managed the Honey Bee Management Program, formed the African Black Oystercatcher Conservation and Breeding Program and completed a course as Tour Guide at the West Coast National Park. This link with nature was the catalyst that inspired him to continue with Art on a full time basis.
His love for nature, hiking and visiting numerous San Rock Art Painting sites in South Africa, was the catalyst that inspired his rock art paintings. As a result of many original African San paintings being lost, destroyed or vandalized, Martin’s interest in this form of art was established as a conservation effort and to capture some of these ancient paintings on a modern canvas.
For more than 8 years Martin has been involved in the Breeding and Conservation efforts of the near threatened coastal bird the African Black Oystercatcher. As a result of this he has done various sketches and paintings of the birds, as well as Wild Horses on the Southern Cape coast of South Africa.
| COMMING SOON - BOOKS OF PROFESIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS & ART | |
| - African Black Oyster | |
|
|
Martin is currently busy with identifying San Artists with artistic potential, giving art lessons to the San as well as artists in other communities. The art of the San as well as the art of other guest artists will be advertised on this website. To assist with poverty eleviation programs throughout Africa a persentage of all sales of art and products on this site will be used for the international marketing and distribution of the Art / Crafts, as well as the co-ordination and distribution of clothing, food, Jesus and Magdalena DVD’s and Broad and Narrow Road posters to destitute communities.
(read about the book Painting Angels here).
In March 2011 Martin visited Ireland for 3 months to study, sketch and paint the Irish landscape as well as establish ties with Art Associations and Galleries regarding the distribution of San Arts and Crafts. Returning from Ireland Martin will visit San communities in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana to do assessments on the needs of the people in these communities. If you would like to get involved or can contribute with donations of clothing and food please email martin on – martin@art-me-africa.com
African SAN Rock Art
Africa is known to have the widest range and the most well researched and preserved Rock Art paintings in the world. The spiritual heritage of the nomadic herding people, the African San, also known as Bushman or Khoisan. San Art may seem esoteric and inaccessible, the images are unfamiliar, and the visual conventions are not those of the Western art, to which most of us are accustomed. Thousands of archaeological sites exist in Africa, dating back to thirty thousand years until a few hundred years ago.
Using knowledge of recorded San beliefs, research has shown that rock art played a fundamental role in the religious lives of the San painters. The art captured visions of dreams from the San’s world behind the canvas / rock-face. This other world is inhabited by spirit creatures, to which dancers could travel in animal form, and where people in ecstasy could draw power and bring it back with them, to use for healing, rain-making and capturing game.
I am an artist, and not an archaeologist and my appreciation for all these San Art images is as works of art. My original replica San Rock Art paintings are not exact copies of specific panels but rather a combination of various shaped, coloured rock canvasses with examples of San Rock Art paintings found in Africa. For scholarly analysis and interpretations of what specific paintings may represent, please contact branches of the South African Archaeological Society who have researched this subject over many years and have many books, exhibitions and arrange field trips to view the various archaeological sites.
African Black Oystercatcher Conservation
The African Black Oystercatcher breeds only on the coasts of Namibia and South Africa and is classified in the International Red Data Book as Near-Threatened. Because of a perceived growing threat to the species, the Oystercatcher Conservation Program (OCP) was launched in January 1998 by Prof. Phil Hockey, Percy Fitz Patrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, who heads the National Black Oystercatcher Conservation Program in Africa. The main aims of the OCP is to develop a conservation strategy for African Black Oystercatchers that will also contribute to the conservation of other coastal species and to develop awareness of the conservation needs of South Africa's coast.
Since 2001, the OCP has made major advances in understanding the movements of juvenile birds and the conservation needs of the species. Of critical importance, the OCP program has established that movement of surplus birds from protected areas to unprotected areas is too infrequent (and is likely to remain so) to buffer ailing populations. Most Oystercatchers breed on the beach and have there nests in a hollow in the sea sand. It is very difficult to spot well camouflaged eggs or chicks. Pointers that the general public can remember to help with the OCP are;
- The critical time in the oystercatchers annual cycle is between November and March when the birds are breeding. All sorts of things can go wrong at this time, from unattended eggs cooking in the sun to chicks succumbing to dogs. If you can stick to the following guidelines, you will minimize the chances of causing breeding failure.
- The behavior of the adult birds is the best indication that you are close to eggs or chicks. They become agitated, running up and down the shore, or flying in circles around you, often calling loudly.
- If you are close to agitated birds, move away far enough so the birds calm down. Do not try and find the eggs or chicks - both are very well camouflaged and can easily be trampled by accident.
- Please control dogs on the shore; many eggs and chicks are lost annually to dogs. Loveable pet as he/she may be, your dog's natural instincts are predatory. Also, avoid walking your dog on remote stretches of shore at this time of year - often these are the only places where oystercatchers have a reasonable chance of breeding successfully.
Fisherman and surfers, please be aware of the behavior of oystercatchers around you. If there are agitated birds in the area, you may well be in danger of causing chicks to drown on an incoming tide. When adult birds sense danger, they call to chicks which then hide under boulders or run into gullies to hide. The young will only come out of hiding when adults indicate to them that the danger has passed.
Please advise others if you can see a problem arising.
With residents Martin formed the Grotto Bay Nature Reserve African Black Oystercatcher Conservation & Breeding Program in close working relation with students and Prof. Phil Hockey, Percy Fitz Patrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, who heads the National Black Oystercatcher Conservation Program in Africa. The aim of the BOCP is to develop a conservation strategy for the African Black Oystercatcher that will also contribute to the conservation of other coastal species, as well as, to develop awareness of conservation needs of the African coast. Currently 40 birds (20 breeding pairs) form part of the Grotto Bay breeding program. The participation in this program and the observation, studies of breeding habits of the Oystercatchers has resulted in Martin photographing, sketching and painting these birds in there natural habitats.