Dale was born in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape in 1946, and under guidance and encouragement from his parents, Les and Molly Elliott, he started painting and exhibiting on group exhibitions from an early age. Having commenced his junior education at Queens College, Queenstown, he followed the family tradition and went on to complete high school at St Andrew's College, Grahamstown. He studied B.A.(Law) and L.L.B. degrees at Stellenbosch University before practising as an Attorney and Conveyancer for 10 years with the family firm Elliott Brothers in Queenstown. His professional and business life, which included a busy general legal practice, as well as auctioneering and livestock marketing for the vibrant farming communities of the North-Eastern Cape, exposed him to much travel in the wide open Border grasslands, and this warmth soon started showing in his early paintings the "sunscapes" which have become so much part of his portfolio. Parallel with his profession he and his wife Janny became active in Art circles, and for many years Janny ran 'Penny Lane Art Studio' in Queenstown. In the early 80's Dale sold his 100-year old family practice and Company, and turned to professional painting. He and Janny, together with their 4 children moved to Knysna along the Garden Route in the Western Cape. There they established their home and Art Studio on the shores of the famous Bollard Bay Beach, on Leisure Island. "in Africa's most beautiful setting", as their brochure reads..... They also opened the 'Dale Elliott Exclusive Art' gallery in the leading downtown Mall in Knysna, Woodmill Lane, to serve as a shop window and main distribution outlet for Dale's work. Dale has over the years exhibited widely on a National scale, and he has completed in excess of 10000 oils and watercolours which are included in prominent Public, Corporate and Private Collections in South Africa and overseas, including the collections of the SABC, Sasol, Distell, Bertrams, SAB, Sun International, Hoskins, and Malbak, to mention some. His work has been chosen for the touring R.S.A. Exhibition, and he has served on selection panels for major exhibitions, many of which he has been invited to officially open. He is well-known for the many commissioned works he undertakes, including major commissions for the Sun International Casino at Grand West in Cape Town in 2001 (9 paintings), and the Garden Route Casino in Mossel Bay in 2002 (6 paintings). EXHIBITIONS Dale has held more than 30 group and one?man exhibitions in most centres in South Africa, as well as at the Grahamstown Festival, where he was one of the pioneer artists conducting daily painting demonstrations. He has also exhibited as the sole guest artist at the Nederburg International Wine auction in 1997,1999 and 2001, where he presented one-man exhibitions in the Nederburg Manor House. In 1999 he was selected to present a one-man exhibition on the 'Main' visual arts programme of two major Arts Festivals, the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, in Oudtshoorn, and the Nederburg Knysna Arts Experience. He will exhibit at Greshams' school, Norfolk, in the United Kingdom, over a fortnight at Easter, 2003, where he has been invited to be Artist-in-residence as part of the international art programme of the school. MEDIA AND PUBLICITY Dale has also frequently appeared on National T.V., and on national and regional radio many times. He has also had a wide press exposure on a local, regional and national scale. Some of the more prominent milestones: Dale was a main feature on the national morning TV show 'Good Morning South Africa' with Dorrianne Berry and Paul Ehlers on 12 July 1991, when he painted a painting from start to finish. He appeared on the national TV2 morning programme AM2Day on 29 September 1999 with Martin Baillie and Shado Twala, where he completed a painting from start to finish, and which was auctioned on the air during the show to fetch R55000.00 in aid of tornado relief on the Cape Flats. In 1992 and 1993 he was featured on the TV1 '50/50' programme and the TV2 'Uit en Tuis' programme respectively, and in 1998 on the TV 1 'Mamepe' programme. He also had a feature presented on his art on the British 'Peakviewing' programme in 2001. Dale has featured on National and Regional Radio on many occasions, including main features on his art on well-known National programmes like 'Down your way' with Dewar Mc Cormack, 'In Town Tonight' with Dennis O'Donell, 'Womans' World' with Monica Fairall, 'Out to Lunch' with Diane Barnard, and the John Robbie Show, to name a few. On 20 August 1997 Dale appeared in the Extravaganza Theatre at Sun City to give a major demonstration on painting to a World dental conference. He has also travelled widely in the country to give demonstrations to interest groups. AWARDS AND APPOINTMENTS, ETC. Some of these are the following: Dale obtained his Ba degree at Stellenbosch in 1968, and his LLB at the same University in 1970. In 1972 he became a qualified Attorney and Conveyancer. In 1979 Dale was selected to the Rotary Group Study Exchange team to visit Australasia for 7 weeks. This was an important time to focus and analyse his road ahead in the world of art. In
1986 he was selected as an Associate of the Watercolour Society
of South Africa. In
November 1996 the Knysna Chamber of Business presented Dale with
the Presidents Award for outstanding service to the Business Community. In 2003 Dale was invited to spend a fortnight at Gresham School in Holt, Norfolk as the artist-in-residence as part of their ongoing international art education programme. PUBLICATIONS. Some publications which include information and features on Dale: Grania Ogilvies 'The Dictionary of South African Painters and Sculptors', published by Everard Read. 'Art and Artists in South Africa', published by the S.A. Institute of Artists and Designers. 'The Paradise Coast', by Patricia Storrar. The Zebra register of South African Artists and Galleries. 'The
Dale Elliott Art Course,' published in 2003.
MULTI-MEDIA,
GRAPHICS, PRINTS AND PUBLISHING In 1995 Dale, in conjunction with the 'Eyezone production company' released two instructional videos, one on oils and acrylics, and one on watercolour painting. In 2003 Dale launched his largest work to date with the release of the 'Dale Elliott Art Course' on CD ROM, with sponsors Winsor & Newton and Faber-Castell. This multi-media inter-active production, with more than 2000 colour images, contains his full art programme in 15 different sections, and is available in either the watercolour, or the oils and acrylics versions. KNYSNA PAINTING HOLIDAYS Dale and Janny were co-leaders of South Africa's largest annual 'Painting Holidays' at Mont-Aux-Sources in the Drakensberg and at San Lameer in Natal for a number of years before they decided, in 1989, to initiate their own special 'Knysna Painting Holidays' from their Leisure Isle Art Complex - combining comfort and relaxation with a stimulating programme in Oils or Watercolours in their famous week-long workshops, held 12 times per year. To date more than 1500 Artists have participated in their courses. Dale attends to the tuition whilst Janny handles all the admin and organises the catering - "We have three aims" they say. "to allow participants to relax in comfortable and stimulating surroundings; to afford participants the benefit of using the creative side of their brain; and to hopefully enkindle the spark of Art which exists in everyone ...." Their courses cater for 12 persons only, and run from Monday evening until the following Saturday noon. For a detailed brochure and dates contact Janny at 044-3825646 or write to 105 Bayswater Drive, Leisure Isle, Knysna. 6570. KNYSNA ARTS EXPERIENCE In 1993 Dale and Janny created the annual Elliotts' Knysna Festival of the Arts, - a Visual Arts Festival with a diversity and quality equalled by few, if any, Festivals in the Country. Over the years the Festival became a prominent event on the National Arts Calendar, and in 1995 Nederburg Wines generously agreed to be the main Sponsors, taking on a new name, the "Nederburg Knysna Arts Experience." It included the Performing Arts along with the Visual Arts. In 2002 the Nederburg sponsorship ceased, and the Festival became the 'Knysna Arts Experience', continuing to present a wide array of different Arts disciplines.
Dale and Janny have a framing and Artist materials manufacturing facility, and are actively involved in Art promotions. They also have an active Outreach programme, where they offer courses and ongoing assistance to disadvantaged promising artists. In 2002 Dale commenced his 'Master Series' of paintings. This is an ongoing collection of paintings which have involved him in additional research, preparation and execution time, in moments of exceptional inspiration. The paintings often require special techniques from the artist, and the subject-matter is selectively collected and analysed to form a unique image. The series has proved to be very popular, and the Master paintings by Dale are much sought-after works of art in collections locally and around the world. |
© Copyright 2003 Dale Elliott.