21st of September, South Africa.

Rentia uses her oil paintings to capture memories from personal experiences. She selects moments that were based in nature or with animals, as these subjects are dear to her. The aim is to convey a particular atmosphere that is associated with an individual image, therefore the accuracy in the depiction of the subject matter are not of major importance. Instead, she focuses on the method of applying the paint in a quick, almost sketch like manner. The pallet she uses is based on the true colours of the perceived moment, yet she allows herself to interpret the colours through a lens of association.

She treats her work as a visual diary, documenting the places that she visited with an added hint of emotional connection. She elucidates the same memory of a feeling by means of mark making when working with charcoal on paper. The emphasis is on the tactile method of drawing. As Rentia often works en-plain-air where the environment plays a role in the process of the drawing. The elements become part of the work. The wind moves the charcoal freely on the page, while traces of the surface area imprint the texture of the ground beneath. The movement of her body carrying a large sheet of paper in the field also leaves a mark behind. These all become part of the drawing.

Her intention is to draw the moment, and in the act of doing so the moment contributes by leaving its trace without her direct intention. The process becomes a map of the environment. Yet, she is aware that the drawing of her surroundings are only a glimpse of the experience. Only little bits of visual evidence is left in charcoal on paper, where the majority of information is too large to capture. Because of the tactile nature of her drawing practice, several marks that are applied are on scale of one-to-one, which adds to the connection between mapping, mark making and the process of drawing.