Green Gables isn't only a guesthouse: it's also home to a working artist's studio. Tiana Goosen, one of your hosts, is a painter and art educator, and the Helderberg Fine Art Studio she runs is right here on the property. Guests often see a painting in progress, and many book a lesson while they stay.
From stethoscope to paintbrush
Tiana's path to painting wasn't a straight one. She worked hard to get into medicine and qualified, but soon realised it wasn't the path for her. After graduating, she went looking for something else, and found it when she met the artist Rene Snyman, who introduced her to classical realism and representational art. "I couldn't get enough," she says.
Teaching came naturally alongside her own work, and in 2022 she began a master's degree at the Florence Academy of Art, a course designed specifically for art educators. She graduated in Florence, Italy, in 2024. "I have found my tribe!"
Her art
Tiana's work is rooted in the classical principles of the old masters. Her atelier training taught her to work from life as much as possible, which she sees as the best way to learn to observe the richness of the visual world, and to build the visual memory that lets her interpret a photograph when she does need one.
She works mostly in oil paint, graphite and charcoal, across portraits and figures, still life, animals and landscape. She also loves painting en plein air, outside in nature: "It is so exhilarating to paint in the time-constraint of changing light."
Commissions and original work
Tiana takes custom commissions in oil, acrylic, charcoal or graphite, from a special object or a favourite view to portrait and figure work, and she prefers to work from life where she can. Cost depends on the size and medium, and she uses artist-grade materials so the work lasts. If you know a beautiful spot you'd like captured in oil, let her know.
To buy an original, email helderbergfineartstudios@gmail.com for the catalogue of available works and prices. Commissions depend on her schedule of classes, so get in touch well ahead.
Art lessons at Green Gables
The Helderberg Fine Art Studio runs painting and drawing classes and atelier training for a range of ages and skill levels, under the motto "Anyone can paint!" If you'd like a lesson during your stay, let the studio know your dates and experience before you arrive. Our Helderberg Fine Art Studio guide has the details.
Follow her work
Tiana shares new paintings, plein-air outings and studio news on Instagram at @goosen_tiana, and on her own website.
