SummaryOpen the quick read
- Juliet Greig has cultivated an abundant, wildlife-friendly garden paradise behind a striking blue door in Vincent, East London.
- Her rural upbringing on a Kei Road farm and lifelong affinity for animals and plants heavily influence her creative outlook.
- Greig prefers painting large-scale canvases with expressive brushwork, drawing inspiration primarily from nature, memories and dreams.
- Her original artworks have achieved global reach, with commissions spanning South Africa, the United States, China and Australia.
- Since 2008, Greig has mentored dozens of emerging artists, encouraging each to embrace their unique creative voice.
There is a little piece of garden heaven in the heart of Vincent, KuGompo City.
It’s where artist Juliet Greig lives. An inkling of the colourful paradise beyond the blue door entrance is the lush pavement planting.
The Mexican petunias and Mexican sage in blues and purples, spikey lavender spires, agapanthus, bright pink bush pelargoniums here are an entrée to the full experience of Juliet’s green fingers.
Just as you approach Juliet’s blue door, butterflies invitingly flit about some pretty pink Valerian flowers at the entrance.
What you will see from the outside are tall cypress tree spires reaching skywards and repeating their form beyond the boundary wall.
Historically these trees’ symbolic significance signals a sacred threshold, guarding property lines and welcoming travellers home.
Walking irises three metres tall bearing blue flowers at their tips peep over the fence.
Once inside you’ll be in for a surprise.
“Upon appearance it’s a jumble of contrasts; disorganised, really pretty, slightly overgrown, extremely lush and happy, colourful, abundant, communicative and welcoming to insects,” Juliet said.
There was once a thriving fish pond among the shrubbery in the garden.
But not long after the resident kingfishers discovered it, there were no fish left in the pond.
Everything thrives here. “That’s thanks to my sons Adrian, 28, and Alex, 30, who live on farms, which means I’m never short of kraal manure.
“Both men are hard-working sheep and cattle farmers with their feet on terra firma and of whom I’m extremely proud.”
Juliet grew up on a farm in the Kei Road district.
“We were sheep and cattle farmers and my brothers are still on the home farms.
“I loved growing up on a farm and observing nature, animals, the colours of plants, the shapes that tree roots take, water, streams, flowers and beautiful gardens which were cultivated by my grandmother and mother."
Juliet says she was a bit of a loner.
“I liked to be away from people, riding out on my horse Max, exploring the lands. Those were my happiest times.”
Time was spent caring for abandoned lambs, sick, lame and lazy animals.
“There would be droughts and I’d go around on my horse and load up any animal that needed help.
“You could say I was tomboyish.”
Unfortunately, growing up on a farm meant being sent away to boarding school when she was six years old.
Juliet attended Komga Secondary School during her primary school years.
“It was scary and I missed my parents and farm friends. I would not wish boarding school on any young farm child.
“At Clarendon we were termly boarders. Our farm was only a half-hour drive from East London.
"I cannot understand why we were committed to such an institution for months on end. To this day, I stubbornly resist authority.”
A highlight of Juliet’s school years was taking art and art history with Miss Judith van Blommenstein.
She too was a free spirit and was often in trouble with the headmistress for her outlandish dress sense.
“She was voluptuous, blonde, beautiful and fond of the colour red.”
Her initial post-matric years were bland.
“My parents suggested I attend college to train as a legal secretary.
"I then worked in this field before leaving for a spell overseas where I was employed by Chase Manhattan Bank in their legal and personnel departments.
“In Scotland and Ireland where my next adventures took me, I savoured images of rock shapes, boats and the blues and greens of the landscape.
“Wherever I go, I am always looking, absorbing what I see around me.
"My favourite subjects to paint are florals, seascapes, landscapes and abstracts."
Inside Juliet’s home, the garden is by no means left outside.
“I love having vases of flowers and greenery in my living room.’’
The ambience Juliet has created in her home with her artistic flair using colour and shapes, is in such a way that you are unaware how she has achieved the “look”.
It’s definitely not minimalistic but she has used colour and form to create an interior that is cheerful, sophisticated and relaxing.
What is the value of having original art in the home?
“In my personal opinion prints can make an establishment look rather cheap and uninteresting.
“I feel that having original art in the home adds an enormous aesthetic to an interior.
"It also says something about the people working and living in that space. Original art shows class.”
Juliet’s twin sister, Kate Bursey, is an acclaimed interior designer and decorator based in Somerset West.
She has been commissioned to decorate many of the establishments in the wine farm regions.
“We value each other’s opinions and support in all areas of our lives.’’
Every commission is valued by Juliet.
“It’s an honour to be commissioned to paint for someone.”
Her work may be found as far afield as the US, China and Australia and she’s sold many paintings worldwide through the website SouthAfricanArtists.
“I love painting BIG.
“I was commissioned to do an enormous painting 1.8m x 1.5m for the Sanook Restaurant in Somerset West. Another client ordered a seascape of 1.8m x 1.2m.”
Juliet says she likes to paint in a loose fashion, with expressive and expansive brush strokes and not an overload of detail. But she can easily switch to a tight, detailed style of painting.
Does she paint from real life?
“I do, but predominantly from my imagination. I am able to manifest a scene in my mind then interpret it on canvas.
"Sometimes I have dreams of beautiful landscapes and I remember them. It's like I am being shown scenes to paint.”
Juliet explains how this sometimes happens.
“I am fast asleep, I see the vision, wake up aware of my dad’s presence.
"Or it could be from the scent of my granny’s perfume — my granny loved flowers.”
What are the stages in the development of the painting?
“I get an idea, find the right-sized canvas, decide on a subject and colours, then the best medium to suit the subject. It could be oils or acrylics or both.
“Like all artists we have to ‘produce’ even when we are not in the mood.
“But I do tend to get a bit grumpy if I am away from painting for myself for longer than a week.”
Juliet began teaching classes in 2008. Many of her 24 pupils have become excellent artists in their own right, commissioned to create paintings for clients.
Her mantra for her students is: “Someone out there is waiting for that art only you can make.”