Angie Butler Paintings
I have always introduced animals that I love, particularly chameleons, monkeys, chickens, fish and frogs. Colour and shape and the quirky combination of these creatures and humans simply inspire me and I don’t envisage changing anything anytime soon.
I remember at the age of six in nursery school being given sheets of coloured paper that we had to cut up and stick on a paper sheet, and I made a clown. And I have continued to paint, draw and sculpt clowns.
I grew up going to the circus regularly, due to my father’s job with African Consolidated Theatres which had eventually bought Boswell Circus.
The circus started in 1913 in Vrededorp, Johannesburg and survived two wars, expanding from tumbling clowns, dogs, ponies and donkeys to trapeze, lions and elephants. But it was the clown tradition started by two of the four Boswell brothers, Walter and Alf Boswell that I loved more than anything.
I continued painting and drawing clowns right through art school when allowed to break from life drawing and sculpture.