GRETCHEN WHEELER

Introducing the farm-fresh oil painting produce of Gretchen Wheeler and her micro-gallery in Knysna.

Gretchen’s work and gallery is inspired and exists because of Skyfarm – a fynbos farm, poised lightly on an ancient sand dune overlooking Knysna’s circuitous tidal lagoon.   It is easy to guess that Skyfarm harvests sunlight  and rain water, farming the sky in short.  It is here, living completely off-grid as a Skyfarmer, where Gretchen germinates and produces her fyn art, fynbos oil paintings.

Gretchen was born in South Africa in 1967 and wanted to paint. She painted ridiculously large human figures for her matric exhibition in 1985 and won the art prize.  Encouraged possibly by this, or maybe just determined, she chose to study a four year Fine Arts honours degree at The University of Kwazulu-Natal, where she graduated in 1989, majoring in painting.

With the move to Skyfarm in Knysna in 2022, living off-grid and working in a home with glass for walls allowing endless views over fynbos onto the lagoon, vlei and beach, the lessons from nature were clear “When you have something to share, you need to get it out there.”

Farm life sparked a new era in her focus and the decision to share her work as a full time professional artist, with the determination to create accessible fine art, that was true to her internal and external environment. Upon finding the ideal boutique gallery space, in town of Knysna, the nascent Skyfarm micro-gallery bloomed, at 4 Gray Street in the spring of 2024.

Her work is an ode to the threatened Knysna Sand Fynbos which is in abundance on the farm and portrays a life lived alongside the lagoon, sea and vlei . You are invited to view her work where you too can share in her wonderment of this unique part of the world, we get to call ‘home’.

Skyfarm micro-Galley is found at 4 Gray Street, Knysna and Gretchen also exhibits at the Turbine Hotel, on Thesen Island. Skyfarm micro-Galley functions as a resource showroom for a fresh approachable take to your fine art purchases.  You are welcome to contact Gretchen for more information, request the catalogue of her available artworks or meet with her at the gallery. The Gallery is open for a pop in visit during normal business hours.