Stilbaai is a haven for artists and one will find a variety of artists here, in Jongensfontein and in Melkhoutfontein.
Art includes paintings in a variety of mediums (water colour, acrylics, oil), drawings, painted shells and rocks, bronze sculptures, pottery, mosaic, photography, glass slumping, leather and ceramics.
There are also ‘Art Retreats’ where artists – and even the not-so-arty – can learn how-to-art while there are classes for children and for adults.
One will also find quite unique artists in Stilbaai – like Hannalie Taute who works with rubber (particularly inner tubes) and embroidery. She says: “By using traditional embroidery techniques (mainly satin stitch) unto an unconventional canvas (rubber) I aim to make the familiar unfamiliar.”

Then one day Hannalie knocks on the door of another artists, Louise ‘Leather’ Gerryts, who helped her to cut the rubber with her ‘clicker press’, a hydraulic machine that weighs one and half tonne and presses with 18 tonne power! In the past, Hannalie had to measure and cut the ‘tubes’ herself and with these two ladies putting their heads – and skills – together, her life was made much easier… and it all happened in Stilbaai…
Have a look at how they worked together HERE.
Keep an eye on www.mystilbaai.co.za to see which artists will be exhibiting where in Stilbaai this December.
Visit www.mystilbaai.co.za for a list of local artists / classes / retreats / galleries
Visit Stilbaai Tourism for more information about the Art Routes in Stilbaai / Jongensfontein / Melkhoutfontein where you can visit the artistsEnd

Louise Gerryts (left) whose leather stop is on Stilbaai Tourism’s Art Route helping Hannalie Taute (right) cutting the rubber for her art work