U R U Journal: The Stories behind the art and Studio works

U R U Studio originated a few years ago with the main goal in mind: Do what you love! it has sparked many different avenues along the way and all of which I am deeply grateful for and work hard every day to bring to existence. Every facet of the studio carries its own origin, shaped by curiosity, passion, and the desire to bring something authentic into existence. At its core, U R U Studios is built on a deeper belief—to be you. You are Unique. You are Radiant. You are You. This ethos flows through everything the studio creates, celebrating individuality while encouraging others to explore and embrace their own creative identity. At the heart of it all lies the art itself. Each piece carries its own origin story; moments of inspiration, emotion, and exploration brought to life through different mediums. This is where it all comes together, and where you are invited to step deeper into the journey and stories behind the art and each creation.

U R U Studios is an invitation: to step inside, to explore, and to journey through the how, the why, and the inspiration behind it all.

The Garden Series

The Garden Series emerged along one of those unexpected, winding paths. It began during my visual arts studies, when I was first introduced to gouache, a medium entirely new to me. Wanting to ground myself in something familiar, I turned to landscape as a starting point. I painted a quiet scene: a gentle waterway bordered by a garden, with a solitary bench resting beside it; still, reflective, and full of quiet presence. 

That piece (and one other, the Waterfall, also in gouache) was destined for our end-of-year group exhibition. But somewhere in the curating process, it disappeared. To this day, it has never been found.

 

What remained, however, was the feeling it held—the significance of that first encounter with gouache, the vulnerability of trying something new, and the quiet connection I had formed with the work. It was more than just a painting; it marked a moment of growth and discovery.

The Garden Series now lives on as a tribute to that lost piece. Each painting is created in gouache, honouring where it all began; revisiting that sense of stillness, reflection, and quiet beauty. In a way, the series is my way of continuing a story that was never meant to end, only to evolve.

The Non-Alcoholic Art series

Some series begin with careful intention, others arrive quietly, almost playfully, when you least expect them. The Non-Alcoholic Series is one of those stories.

Like many of us, I’ve found myself lost in the rhythm of scrolling, minutes turning into hours. Yet within that endless stream, there are always a few creators who bring lightness and joy. For me, that spark came from Mo and Mar, whose late-night “3am cocktail” skits blend humour, creativity, and a touch of indulgence. Entertaining, yes, yum, of course but it wasn’t the cocktails themselves that held my attention.

It was the stillness before the action.

The drinks caught my eye, but the preparation held my attention.
They arranged bottles, garnishes, and textures with a painterly sense of balance.

These quiet compositions stayed with me and sparked a new direction.
I began exploring watercolour, a medium I had long avoided.

Watercolour challenged my structured approach and pushed me to let go of control.
I learned to trust the process and embrace unpredictability.

And so, the Non-Alcoholic Series took shape.

The name itself holds a quiet irony. While each composition is built from elements of alcoholic beverages, bottles, mixers, citrus, glassware, the artworks themselves remain untouchable in that sense. You cannot sip a painting, no matter how vibrant or inviting it may be. Instead, these pieces offer something different: a moment to pause, to observe, and to find beauty in the overlooked. Those fleeting arrangements that exist just before the main event, captured and reimagined through a new lens.

The Seasons

Another inspiration from the social media archives which began as quiet observation, gradually gathering meaning over time, layering inspiration, emotion, and reflection into something more than the sum of its parts. The Seasons Series embarks on a familiar path. 

Inspired by content creator Taryn Delanie, and her account The Unlikely Country Woman, this body of work draws from the gentle glimpses she shares of her life; her home, her renovation journey, and the small, endearing moments with the chickens in her coop. Over the course of a year, I found myself returning to these scenes, unknowingly witnessing the manor transform through the passing seasons. 

This continuity felt grounding and deeply inspiring.
It revealed a story told through light, texture, and time.

I translated these moments into oil paintings of the manor across the seasons.
Spring remains unwritten, leaving space for interpretation.

These works also mark a subtle evolution in my practice. While they lean into the traditional foundations of my painting style, rooted in methods I developed as a teenager, they also embrace newer explorations in brushwork, gently nodding towards Impressionism. This balance between past and present feels important; it reflects both where I began and how I continue to grow.

At their heart, these paintings hold a quiet sentimentality—a longing for life’s simpler pleasures. The richness of surrounding vegetation, the rhythm of the seasons, and the intimacy of a lived-in home all speak to a slower, more intentional way of being.

Animals Reducted

Some works begin not by adding, but by taking away; by uncovering what is already there, waiting beneath the surface.

Animals Reducted is a series born from this very idea.

Animals Reducted explores creation through removal rather than addition.
Each charcoal piece begins with the page fully covered in dark pigment.

I use an eraser to lift charcoal and reveal form.
The animal emerges gradually from shadow through reduction.

The title carries dual meaning.
It reflects both the technique of redaction and the reduction of endangered wildlife.

These animals face threats not only to their numbers, but also to their visibility.
Each drawing holds tension between presence and absence.

The series begins with the Big Five, rooted in my South African heritage.
I have witnessed these animals in the wild, and those encounters shaped me deeply.

Charcoal feels fitting for these works.
Each animal emerges from darkness carrying memory, presence, and quiet strength.

The series reflects both creation and loss.
It invites us to notice, remember, and preserve what must not be erased.

Caricatures

Some creative paths begin as a challenge, an exercise in skill or curiosity, only to evolve into something far more personal and enduring. Caricatures is one of those journeys.

It started with the familiar faces of celebrities. From there, the series expanded to a wider range of subjects, drawing from online references and photographs, and eventually reaching into art history, reimagining artists through the spirit of the movements they once defined. Working digitally allows for a sense of freedom and experimentation. Each piece becomes an opportunity to exaggerate, to distort, to playfully push proportions while still holding onto the essence of the subject. It’s a delicate balance: knowing what to amplify and what to hold back, so that even in distortion, the character remains undeniably present. Most works are rendered in black and white, embracing contrast, simplicity, and clarity of form.

Yet, every so often, a piece calls for something more—a subtle or striking pop of colour that draws attention, shifts the mood, or highlights a defining feature.

Caricatures is not a fixed series, but a living one, something I return to in between other works, allowing it to evolve naturally over time. It remains a space for experimentation, for humour, and for rediscovery.

And like all good sketches of character, it’s never quite finished; there are always more faces to explore, more stories to exaggerate, and new techniques waiting just around the corner.

Adventures of Blue

Adventures of Blue is my illustrated book series directed towards children and for them to explore the world around them.

There are many influences behind my work, but at the heart of it all is my husband. Alongside that, there are two stories that have quietly shaped this journey in profound ways.

The Stories behind Blue

The first story is tied to a pivotal moment a few years ago, and to someone very special; Sue and Shaun. I’ve known them since I was 7 years old, growing up together in a place that felt like a second home, run by his mother Sue. It was always filled with laughter, chaos, and a deep sense of belonging. Shaun was part of this world too. When he passed away unexpectedly, I attended his funeral online from Australia, and one story stayed with me. Shaun had become a FIFA referee, and when asked why, despite the limited financial reward, his answer was simple: he did it because he loved it.

That sentiment has stayed with me ever since. A quiet but constant reminder to pursue what truly matters. In many ways, it became the spark that led me back to my creative path.

The second story is lighter, born from an unexpected moment before our wedding. While shopping for suits, we somehow found ourselves in a luxury store, Burberry; one where I would have never entered on my own. Yet, following my husband’s lead, we stepped in and left with coats in hand. It was in that playful moment, lingering in the cold and toying with the word “Burberry,” that it slowly transformed in my mind to “brr-berry”… and then, quite naturally, to blueberries wearing Burberry. And just like that, Blue was born—a character shaped by spontaneity, humour, and a sense of adventure.

The stories behind the Art of Blue

From this, a new chapter unfolds.

The story of Blue will extend beyond the page into a series of artworks inspired by the style of Michael Goddard, where Blue the blueberry is reimagined within still life compositions and alongside familiar objects from the books.

These works will bridge narrative and form, bringing the character into a visual world that is both playful and artful—continuing the story in a new and expressive way.