DE RUST NEWS - Local artist Jenny Bischoff has left a vibrant mark in De Rust by completing a large, hand-painted welcome sign.
Spanning an impressive 10.3 x 2.7 meters, the mural took two weeks to complete and transformed what was once a plain, boring grey wall bordering the local school.
The wall had previously been used for advertising, and after the adverts were removed the wall was painted grey.
"We approached the school for permission to paint the wall, which had been left plain for years, and they agreed," she said.
Jenny draws creativity from the peaceful surroundings of De Rust. Her design features local elements, including ostriches, Celia le Roux's horses, a donkey cart, and the iconic Meiringspoort waterfall.
"I wanted to showcase the unique beauty and simplicity of life here," Jenny explains.
Her inspiration stems from her deep appreciation of the town's slower pace, which she and her husband discovered during visits to friends.
Originally from a farm in George, Jenny's artistic journey began at the PE Technikon, where she specialised in Graphic Fine Art, focusing on book illustration.
Over the years, she honed her craft in Gauteng, creating elaborate shopping centre displays, including a Dickens-themed Christmas installation at Bedford Centre that vividly brought scenes from A Christmas Carol to life.
Jenny also has an extensive portfolio of murals, having painted walls for private homes and businesses, including Jack's Paints in Germiston and Colin Mann School.
Later, her career shifted to Cape Town, where she explored painting reliefs on furniture, mastering techniques like French antiquing and distressing. She also painted a scene in the convention centre of a wildlife farm in Uniondale some years back.
Now based in De Rust for the past year and a half, she, her husband, two dogs and the cat have embraced a quieter lifestyle.
"De Rust offers the peace and connection to nature I craved after years of city living. When we visited De Rust it appealed to me and my husband, because it is an old town, without your conventional rush-around city personality. We like the slow, quiet approach after years in Joburg. We go for long walks in the evenings, head down to the river, or watch the ostriches leaning over our backyard fence. And we love it! Peaceful, calm and relaxing, for the most part!"
She now focuses primarily on fine art, capturing the beauty of nature.
"I also create a collection of baby slippers crafted from pure merino wool."
‘Ons bring jou die nuutste Tuinroete, Hessequa, Karoo nuus’
