Artistjohannes (C) 1995 Vdmfk

Born on the 5th of October 1964 in Ladybrand, in the Free State. After I finished my school education in Pretoria where I passed St 8, I served in the South African Air Force Police for a year. My first & last job on my feet. I broke my neck between the 5th & 6th lesion on 17 June 1983 in a motor vehicle accident. It was the same day that I had receive my long awaited driver’s license. Since then I have been classified medically as a C5/6 quadriplegic. It took me approximately 2 to 4 years to rehabilitate, where after I worked as a Sales representative and Sales Manager for four and a half years at two companies respectively after which I had an opportunity to manage my own business for two years. I had to go under liquidation due to unforeseen circumstances.

In 1994 I began to paint with my mouth on the motivation of my family and friends. At the end of the same year “the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Worldwide” accepted me as a student and granted me a bursary for a first term of three years – a wonderful privilege indeed. On 1st of April 1996 I was accepted as a resident of “Quad house” which is a Self-help Centre for quadriplegics in the Eastern Cape. This was the year that I started a new season. I lived & worked there for seven years and was actively involved in various Welfare Organizations as well as outreached opportunities towards less privileged communities, a passion of mine. During these times I’ve studied Fine Art respectively for five years at Port Elizabeth Technicon. Two years of study for the first year, and one year break in order to teach a disabled friend to paint, and one year where I passed my second year of study. I did my third and final year only partially towards my Diploma. I did not finish my studies, but did gain valuable Academic & Practical experience during these five years. At the end of 2001 I moved back to Pretoria where I rest for a year, and served three years at a Mission Service Organization which is involved in Research & Research training. On the 29th of January 2009 I got married to my beautiful wife, Elzanné, and we bought a house where we currently resides, in Vrede, in the FREE STATE. My interests are Mission involvement, Outreach to neighbors and the less privileged, Chess, Music, Painting, Art and I some times also spend time to build and update my Internet website. artistjohannes & recently discovered yola site. I enjoy doing water color and oil paint as well as other mediums like mixed media, but prefer mostly to do oil paintings and charcoal drawings. I use my mouth to hold the brush while painting. For the first few years I’ve taught myself to gain some experience and then I’ve received help in water color techniques from Heila van der Merwe, an Artist from the Eastern Cape. Currently with the beginning of the writing of this book, I am a student with “the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Worldwide” for the past 16 years. I will be evaluated for a further term during March 2013. My goal in this journey and all these years of study and hard work is to become a full member with “the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Worldwide (VDMFK)”.
All Honor, Glory, Might and Power do I give unto our Heavenly Father & our Lord Jesus Christ whom entrusted me this talent through His Holy Spirit. May His Name alone be glorified through my artworks!

2Co 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
2Co 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
2Co 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2Co 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
2Co 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
2Co 4:11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
2Co 4:12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
2Co 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
2Co 4:14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Although Johannes studied Fine Art and have experience in all mediums of art, like Drawing, Water-color, oil-paint, Guache, mix-media, paper making, charcoal making, Printmaking, Photography and even Pottery and Sculpture, does he mostly prefer Oil-painting on Canvas on board. He like to paint Still-life flower paintings!