Hi!
If you’re new here, my name is Leandri.
I’m an artist from South Africa, a stay-at-home mom of three little girls, a former engineer, a former content writer, and apparently someone who has absolutely no interest in choosing one sensible career and sticking to it forever.
I mean, I’ve tried.
But it didn’t work…
Maybe that’s because I’ve only ever dreamt of becoming an artist! Every time life happens, I find myself in front of a canvas again… Being an artist has been my dream since I was 8 years old, and so here I am! I finally decided to go all in in September 2026. To follow a dream that has followed me for most of my life.
I thought my first post on here should probably be an introduction.
So, here are a few things about the person holding the paintbrush.
It All Started When I Was Eight
My love for art started when I was about eight years old. I saw my dad drawing in colored pencil. He was one of those people who could touch almost anything and just be good at it. He drew a rugby player, and I was mesmerized and completely fascinated…
I watched the picture slowly come to life in front of me. And I was in awe! I wanted to be able to do that too!!
So I asked my dad to teach me, and he said that art is something that you need to learn yourself. For the record, I don’t necessarily agree with that. I’ve helped people learn how to draw and do art, and I personally believe anyone can do art, but this is where my story began.
I wanted to be good at art, and so I started practicing. The first few drawings were nothing to brag about. I got so frustrated because I wanted it to be as good as my dad’s. I wanted to impress him. It wasn’t until I was 13 years old that people started commenting on the art I created. And the first seed was planted…I think that was when the idea of something artsy for a career started growing in my heart.
At Sixteen, I Decided I Wanted To Paint BIG
When I was 16, I visited the Louvre.
And of all the things I could have taken away from standing inside one of the most famous art museums in the world, I remember looking at those enormous paintings and thinking:
I want to do LARGE paintings like these one day. Okay, maybe not as big as some of the paintings that are from ceiling to floor, but you get the idea. I wanted to paint LARGE paintings.
And so that became a bucket list item for me. I decided that one day when I grow up, I want to do at least one really BIG painting. Something at least one meter by one meter, but hopefully a lot bigger. And then sell it. That was the dream.
I’m 32 now. This means I have been dreaming about this for roughly sixteen years. SIXTEEN years. Half my life. That’s crazy!
And so this year (2026) was the year I finally faced my fear and also followed my dream and decided to paint my very first “large” painting. The painting is 1 meter by 1 meter and is called “Pride.” It is my largest painting to date (but not for long - I am currently working on a painting much bigger (spoiler alert!)).
Doing this painting was a mixture of emotions… I was excited, scared, and confused. I wanted to give up halfway through. I lost my vision for it a few times and regained it as the painting progressed, and I pressed through, and now here she is… And I fell in love!
It feels like I was meant to do this… It gave me so much joy to see the paintings come to life. It feels like I finally learned how to create something out of nothing, like my dad did when I was 8 years old… And I absolutely love it!!
P.S. My eldest daughter also loves to paint and do art, and I allow her to help me block out colors in the beginning stages of my paintings. It’s a little quality bonding time for the two of us.
I’m Taking Myself Seriously This Time
I’ve tried to make income from my art before. I did portrait commissions during the COVID pandemic for some extra income, but I soon realized that I was underpricing way too much and that it was not sustainable or scalable in any way.
My priorities and the value of my time changed when I became a mom. And because my time is more expensive, I don’t want to spend it creating others’ version of art. I’d rather use it to find my own voice as an artist.
Another reason why I am taking things seriously this time is that I lost my dad at the beginning of this year to a long cancer battle. And losing someone has a strange way of rearranging your priorities. I questioned life and finally realized for myself how short time really is and that if I wanted to chase my dreams, I can’t wait for “one day” to come; I needed to start now.
I look at my time differently. I want to spend it with the people I love because time is short, and I want to use it doing things I love. I also hope to have an impact with my time. I have big dreams of employing people and also hope to one day create fabric from my art and then start a sewing company or invest in one that helps people from the street or without income earn a living. I want to help people learn new skills that open up options.
One of my biggest dreams is to help fund missionaries in the mission field through my art (and maybe even other business endeavors). I don’t know how yet, but I plan to figure it out as I go. For now, I am just taking the first steps towards this very big dream of mine.
I really feel called to the business world to impact the mission field. I have had this dream in my heart for years, and so I’m beginning small, but all of this is my why. My reason for doing what I am doing.
I am very entrepreneurial at heart, and I’ve realized that if I want to make a living from my art, the only way to do it is to put myself out there. A little fish in a very big pond. I have to start seeing this as a business. I cannot hide behind my canvases anymore.
So I am going all in. I am chasing my dreams.
Am I scared? Yes.
But I’ve always been a big dreamer. I am someone who cannot dream small. It makes life seem really boring to me. And I believe that we are called to be extraordinary and to have impact. And so I wish to do that with my art.
My voice as an artist is joy and hope in a very dark and heavy world. Hopefully also a little bit of awe. I’m in awe of the beauty of God’s creation, and I hope to, in my own way, capture some of that beauty and bring it into the homes of people around the world. To connect us in some way or another.
I also hope to impact the lives of people around the world by praying over my paintings and for the people who purchase my art (in whatever form). I believe in the power of prayer and that the Holy Spirit will reveal what to pray for.
So... Why All The Flowers?
Well, this is an interesting question. Because for a long time I thought that I was, and will forever be, a portrait artist. But what made me realize that this was not meant to be my voice as an artist was the fact that I never wanted to put my own work up on my own walls.
That bothered me!
My dad and my uncles also do art, and my grandma and they all have their own art on their walls, but I didn’t want mine on my walls. It felt like a mismatch.
I didn’t know how to find my own art style, but I started by asking myself what kind of art I would like to put on my own walls. It wasn’t portraits or landscapes, but, strangely enough, abstract art and florals came to mind. I am drawn to colorful florals.
I LOVE flowers. The color and beauty of flowers are something that brings me so much joy. Spring and summer are my favorite seasons due to the beauty they bring.
I especially love proteas (maybe it’s because I’m South African). There is something about them that feels both delicate and completely unapologetic.
They’re strange.
Bold.
Slightly wild and majestic.
And sooo beautiful.
But I wouldn’t say that I have only one favorite flower. I have a bunch of favorites, like proteas, amarillas, clivias, lilies, peonies; the list goes on. And I want to paint them all. I don’t want to be known for only proteas, but I’d love it if I could be seen as a floral artist.
A Few Completely Unnecessary Facts About Me
If you still don’t feel like you know me yet, here are a few random facts about me.
Home: South Africa.
Favorite canvas size: Bigger than whatever size I used last time (lol).
Want to learn: Oil painting.
Previous careers: Engineer and freelance content writer.
Likelihood of me getting another idea before finishing my current idea: Extremely high.
Perfect studio: Huge windows, ridiculous amounts of natural light, and enough room for canvases taller than I am.
Actual studio reality: Art supplies slowly colonizing whatever surface is available.
What I want people to feel when they see my art: Joy. Awe. A little bit of wonder.
Other dreams: To start a Christian stationery brand, to help stay-at-home moms find work-from-home opportunities, to fund missionaries (we have a lot of friends), to help fund orphans, help to pay for education for those who need it, to enter the mission field-fully funded and to fund mission movements through my businesses.
Things I don’t eat/drink: Eggs and coffee (yes, I know breakfast is a tough time for me)
Cat or dog person: Dog (but we own a cat)
Morning or evening person: Since I’ve become a mom? Neither. I sometimes barely feel like a person. Haha. But before kids, I used to be a morning person.
Also, my travel list is bigger than my shopping list, and I hope to be able to travel with my family in the near future.
I Have No Idea Where This Is Going
Listen, I have no idea where this is going, but I have some dreams of where I wish this could go, and I want to share them publicly. Because why not? I do better when I’m held accountable (so please hold me accountable!)
I want to be an open book. I want to feel connected to the people that follow my work. So I plan to share basically everything about me as an artist in the hopes of connecting and also in the hopes of inspiring someone else out there to start. That’s also one way to have an impact.
So this is me giving it a real try.
I am going to create as much as I can (My paint time is mainly in the evenings and weekends, because I’m on mom-duty during the day). I’m taking it one painting at a time.
I hope to learn as much as I can.
And see where it takes me.
I plan to share everything as I figure this out.
Maybe somewhere along the way, one of my paintings will find its way from my canvas to your home.
That would be lovely.
Until then, welcome.
I'm glad you're here.