Saturday 3 October 2020

ArtGivers On-Line

 Keeping the legacy alive


ArtGivers was born out of a spirit of generosity by 
Pat Mounter and Christina Godfrey in 2002.

Regular art exhibitions were held in the Buxton’s Centre (Umhlanga Shopping Centre), Gateway and latterly in the La Lucia Mall, in Durban. The exhibitions often sold paintings from up to 80 artists, and over the years they raised thousands for the Durban SPCA. During the 10-day exhibition many people offered their time to man the stand, so to speak. It was a hugely collaborative affair and ArtGivers built up a wonderful network in the art community.

The last ArtGivers Exhibition in La Lucia Mall was in November 2017, and R33,000 was raised for the Durban SPCA. Sadly, Pat and Christina could not continue organising exhibitions due to personal circumstances. Pat is now 87 – although spritely and still painting; and Christina will be spending more time with her family in New Zealand.

However, the baton has been handed over to the ArtGivers Facebook page, offering artists a platform to sell their work. The only request is that they donate something towards their favourite charity.

If you wish to publish paintings on ArtGivers' Facebook page
in-box a pic, your name and contact number, the price, size and medium – and of course your fav charity.

This process is based purely on trust and we have no doubt that the artists will continue to paint and donate.

Please contact Lois (Pat’s daughter) if you have any queries: lois@kuhle.me

Pat with volunteers in July 2017

Christina handing over a cheque to
Tanya & Cindene from the SPCA - Nov 2017

Thousands was raised for the SPCA at the exhibitions at
La Lucia Mall.





Friday 12 June 2020

THE WOMAN THAT IS MY MOTHER



This article was beautifully penned by Martin Oosthuizen from 
Ridgewood Retirement Village for their June/ July issue of the
Ridgewood Review.
With his permission I am publishing it on my blog, as I believe he captured the essence of mum perfectly.
BTW Martin is married to Marguerite Poland, author of 
'A Sin of Omission' and many other literary masterpieces!




“Humour is perhaps a sense of intellectual perspective:
an awareness that some things are really important,
others not, and that the two kinds are
most oddly jumbled in everyday affairs.”
Christopher Jarman Morley : Actor (1951- )






1933 - and Pat arrived as the middle daughter of Pearl (a bookkeeper) and Cecil Shearman (a senior official in the SAR &H).  The story goes that Cecil teased his daughters saying that he was a banjo player in a brothel rather than disclose his real job.


A pic from the 30s. Mum is a babe in arms, being held by her father.
A pic taken in the '30s. Mum is the babe in arms, being held by her father.

At the outset it should be firmly stated, that Pat has experience and as an independent observer might have said:  she has been around the block a couple of times and knows a few tricks as a result.
                Taking the first opportunity, Pat departed from Krugersdorp High School to attend a secretarial college but, more importantly, to play sport.  If Pat did not have the musical talent of her two sisters Shirley, a pianist and conductor, and Colleen a dancer and dancing teacher, she left them standing when it came to activities on the sports field.  Her achievements were formidable.  Provincial colours for both Transvaal and Natal in hockey, softball, badminton and cricket.  In fact, she also played cricket for South Africa.  Father Cecil had played provincial cricket for Border for 20 years.
                Expanding on her efforts at music, Pat relates that she initially wished to please her mother who wanted her to be the singer among the sisters.  “My mother was convinced I would be a singer and sent me to Eve Boswell’s mother, requiring me to travel by train and foot to the other side of Johannesburg.  There I sang my heart out.  But to no avail.   My musical sisters said I gave Hugo Keleti (Eve Boswell’s father) his squint.”

The three Shearman Sisters

Having worked for a pupil advocate,  Anton Mostert, who later  became a well-known Judge, Pat sought adventure in London for a year during 1957 where she met a moustached officer and pilot in the RAF named Malcolm Mounter before returning for a time to Durban.  This officer was then seen with much surprise by Pat the following year, emerging from the surf at South Beach.


Pat married Malcolm Mounter in September 1959 and settled in Rhodesia.  After a short stay, the family - including baby Lois - moved to Nairobi for 12 years.   Malcolm was a Captain in East African Airways, initially flying Dakotas before progressing to Comets and VC 10s.  



Sport continued to attract Pat.  This time it was golf.  By 1968 both she and Malcolm were champion golfers at their club in Karen.  Leaving Nairobi in 1973, they lived in Bulwer and Johannesburg before settling in the warm climate of Natal at Mount Edgecombe.  Unsurprisingly, Pat was prepared to inject her considerable energy into the Golf Committee of the Country Club, including two years as the Ladies Golf Captain.
In the meantime, the creative and artistic spirit of the Shearman sisters continued to niggle Pat.  Having abandoned her mother’s choice of a singing career she nurtured her passion for art - and so it has remained.  Her first sale of a painting happened in Nairobi and featured five prostitutes standing at their doorways.  

In Durban Maureen Dixon and Pat held exhibitions at the Mt Edgecombe Country Club with considerable success and thereafter Pat spent 16 years holding exhibitions for charity with Christina Godfrey at Gateway and La Lucia Malls with ArtGivers.  Encouraging others to give art a try, Pat taught art at the Sunfield School for the mentally handicapped.  Such work gave her much satisfaction and many rewards, including art of a high standard and the sale of paintings in America by one of the pupils.
After 20 years at Mt Edgecombe Estate the Mounters felt that the time was right for a move to Ridgewood.  They have never regretted their move in 2013. Typically, Pat was prepared to serve and was appointed to the Board within weeks.  Since then she has continued to serve on the Board in various roles.  At present she is the secretary.  Being a trustee was not her only contribution to life at the Village.  As its longstanding editor Pat produced the Ridgewood Newsletter (renamed the Ridgewood Review in 2019) single-handedly.  It was gratefully received and enjoyed by the residents.
               Pat still happily draws, paints and produces bookmarks, birthday and Christmas cards together with any other cards that may be required.  Moreover, her cartoons are outstanding.  So much so that they are a permanent fixture in that literary journal, Ridgewood Review, which sets the highest of international standards!!

At present, Pat is working on a painting project for her daughter Lois, producing some of the Stations of the Cross for a rural church.  Lois and her husband live on a game farm in Zululand.  Besides working as a graphic designer (the superb layout of the Ridgewood Review is a fine example of her much-appreciated work), Lois is a writer, editor, cook, baker and vegetable gardener.  In 2019 Pat retired as editor but generously accepted the vital positions of senior consultant, photographer, cartoonist and senior social journalist of the Review.
During the Lockdown, Pat expressed her concerns about the discomfort created by a ban on the sale of liquor, among the many others, suffered by the population.  In a letter published by You magazine, Pat - having identified herself as an 87 year old veteran - set out emphatically her views on the matter:  “…..being good citizens we stay at home. But when oh when will they open the bottle stores?  It’s not that we are alcoholics, but we are running short of wine and beer.”  This would be a point supported by millions and eventually by the authorities.
Perhaps, it should be recorded, in conclusion, that Pat is not a pushover.  It took courage and fortitude to negotiate this interview.  In fact, it was necessary to make a number of demands and threats.  But what a pleasure it has been.  To have such a marvelous talent and generous character in our midst, is a wonderful thing.