About The Artist

Magdalena Marais ascribes her love for working with her hands to the influence of her grandparents in her formative years. Time on their farm was either spent working in the fields with her grandpa or learning the intricacies of crocheting, upholstery, and woodworking from her grandmother. Although she painted throughout her childhood and teenage years, she set aside painting for almost a decade after a conversation with her father - who, believing art to be a waste of time - enrolled the strong-willed young Magdalena in the Air-force. Upon leaving the Air-force, she entered the corporate world, where her determination and strong character quickly led to her becoming a corporate PA with no time for art. It was only in 2010 that Magdalena returned to creative endeavors, starting her own company creating Sinamay hats for boutiques across South Africa. After two years of single-handedly creating over 400 hats - with barely any time for herself or her family - Magdalena returned to full-time employment, once again setting aside her talents. Luckily her affinity for the arts prompted a winning entry into the Stonehaven Rotary Arts Festival in 2012, which inspired her to reconnect with her love for painting. Since then, Magdalena has transitioned to a full-time artist, with commissioned paintings hanging in homes across the globe. Magdalena describes herself as an eternal student, always developing new styles and techniques while searching for a means of expression that can convey her energy and passionate artistic voice. She has just launched her own art diary, which showcases not only her considerable talent as an artist but also her versatility across mediums in the carefully hand-bound volumes which feature an original painting on the cover with hand designed inner pages.