Born and raised in Kwa-Zulu Natal, my passion for creativity and my profound love of nature have been at the forefront of everything I’ve done. I’ve had no formal fine art training, aside from the guidance and encouragement of some wonderfully talented local artists. I attended art lessons for a short period post matric, these were hugely beneficial in aiding my understanding of the fundamentals of oil painting. Lessons were cut short when my love for the bush saw me grasping the opportunity to gain work experience in Botswana’s Tuli block. My time in Tuli fueled my ongoing passion for the bush, as well as a desire to further develop my artistic abilities. From there, I became FGASA qualified, and I made use of my newfound skills, working as a field guide in Nambiti Private Game Reserve. I continued painting in what little spare time I had, slowly discovering and developing my own technique. I left Nambiti at the start of 2013, choosing to pursue art as a fulltime career.
I currently reside in Winston Park, with my husband, Nic Salmond. I’ve chosen to continue painting under my maiden name “Ansell” as a nod to my late father and a gesture of gratitude to my mother as well. Both of my parents have been ever encouraging and supportive of my artistic ventures, their own unique artistic talents greatly influencing my own.
