Biography

Jonel Scholtz was born in 1972 in Lichtenburg in the North West of South Africa, she moved to Johannesburg shortly afterwards. She obtained a B.Sc. degree at the Rand Afrikaans University, majoring in chemistry and biochemistry. After her studies in 1994 she worked as a chemist. Jonel has won numerous awards, including the Women for Peace and Christie's of London art competition, in which she achieved first place. Jonel received formal training with renowned American Artist, Louise Goudemondt, in oil painting and design; focusing particularly on the subject matter of figures and portraits. Although her love for painting started at an early age, she only started painting professionally in 2003. Jonel has been associated with Alice Art Gallery since 2003 and opened her own Alice Art Gallery Ltx in her hometown of Lichtenburg in 2012. Overseas she has exhibited at Agora Gallery, Chelsea, New York; Art Fusion Gallery in Miami and Castello Estence in Ferrara Italy. She has also exhibited in the International NY art Expo in 2010, as well as at the UN in NY as part of International Women’s day.

“My style has been labelled expressionist- impressionist. 
I will never be a commercial artist. Believe me I have tried; maybe because of the commercial galleries I deal with, but the universe decided differently. My painting and works are holy to me. I overthink and enjoy every moment. 
My work is simple and emotional. It’s “old school”. Some will say that it’s just pretty pictures – maybe, but all my works have a story and a feeling that I cannot put down in words; otherwise I wouldn’t have painted, but written books. And as for the ‘pretty pictures’ with ‘lots of light’, I have tried to change it, but it just ends up on the canvas again and again. It is true what they say: You cannot paint if you are not totally true to who you are. No pretence can survive on a canvas.”