ARTISTS ALLEY Rinalize Bezuidenhout
In winter of 2014, Catharina Bezuidenhout found herself weighed down by gray skies and wanting to throw things at it. “I needed colour in my life,” she recalls. “I bought cheap paint and canvases at the Dollar Store and did a Bob Ross marathon, producing one colourful painting after another, filling my life with colour, the gray skies forgotten.” Catharina (friends call her Rina) paints by the name of Rinalize – had grown up in South Africa, with a creative mother who loved to share her skills and knowledge, motivating her children to be creative in various ways. “Creativity remained a big part of my life and I attended various workshops and did two years of fine arts in university for extra credits,” says Rina. “But even though creativity followed me through my life and my travels, it never became a prominent part of my life until I watched Bob paint his happy trees.” Rina found more artists on YouTube and eventually found her own voice in mixed media and acrylics. She likes to paint animals, flowers and still lifes, but her favourite is portraits. “I try to portray emotions, feelings and stories,” she says. “We all have a story.”
In 2021, Rina was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. “It brought my life to an abrupt halt,” she says. “Brain surgery impeded my speech and motor functions, but I was determined colour would fill my life again. I had to fight a battle I wasn’t ready for and art was my weapon and my therapy which kept me alive and going. It motivated me to stand, write and paint again. The battle isn’t over yet, but it has changed my life and my art language and it is
To advertise here, please contact Tami@VillagerPublications.com Rina lives in the Cherryhill area with husband Steve, a retired nurse. A member of the London Community Artists, her art is sometimes displayed at the Cherryhill Village Mall, as well as at the Western University Research Centre. You can see more of Rina’s work on Instagram @rinalizeart and Facebook @rinalizesgallery. ever-evolving. Who knows what tomorrow might bring or inspire? All I know is, art is one of the reasons I’m here.”
Page 10 Hyde Park – Oakridge Villager • January-February 2025
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