Alicia Maasburg

For me, art only feels complete when it connects with someone else’s heart. I’m a self-taught South African oil painter, endlessly fascinated by that quiet space where drama and stillness meet. What started as a lifelong love of art has turned into an ongoing adventure, exploring how colour, light, and texture can speak when words can’t.

I love working with colours that feel both grounded and alive - deep indigos, warm ochres, earthy browns and those dreamy mixes of turquoise, violet and white that seem to glow from within. These tones often find their way into my paintings, bringing a sense of depth, mood and quiet emotion. It’s always present in my abstract landscapes, calm yet powerful seascapes, light-dappled forests and expressive florals - places where colour does the talking and the feeling stays with you.

Sometimes I work with bold, textured brushstrokes and other times with soft transparent layers, always trying to let the light move and breathe through the paint. My art plays with colour to explore that balance between depth and lightness, where transparent layers and dreamlike abstractions meet and where even unexpected infrared inspired tones find their own quiet harmony.

No matter how abstract or atmospheric my work becomes, it always stays rooted in the natural world - there’s always a hint of place, a sense of something real beneath it all.

Whether I’m painting moody florals, wide open landscapes, or soft, emotional portraits, my goal is simple: to create a quiet moment that makes you feel something, a memory, a flicker of recognition, a change in mood, or just that small spark that lingers after you’ve looked away.

Wanting to share the joy and magic of art, I started teaching art in 2010, and it’s been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey. The creativity, curiosity and pure ‘art spirit’ that my students bring into the studio never stop to amaze and inspire me. Every class feels like a fresh spark, reminding me why I fell in love with painting in the first place