Cover Image. Lucelle Pillay, Artists at work (2026). © 2026 Lucelle Pillay. All rights reserved What is the Human Art School? This article is a prelude to an art-based course offered at my studio, Redbrick Artspace and serves to inform prospective students and parents of my motivation and pedagogy [1]. This is a supplementary, non accredited short course that teaches art and design methodologies to students with low focus, mild dyspraxia [2] and common executive-function diff

Fig. 1. Industrial Designer, Tyla Brassey. 2024. Image courtesy of Lucelle Bernadette Pillay. George Campbell School of Technology graduate, Tyla Brassey, has been an innovative force in the industrial design space. As a brave 'start-up' designer, he has already made inroads in the development and novel application of 3D print technology. His passion for engineering and graphic design was fuelled as a young student. As Tyla worked his way through a rigorous electrical and civ

Figure 1. Jodie Pillay (Tattoo Artist). 2024. Graphic image by Lucelle Pillay (Image & Logo are subject to Copyright) Azalea Ink Tattoo Studio is gaining creative momentum in Durban's picturesque suburb of Hillcrest. This can be accredited to its owner and resident artist, the formidable, Jodie Pillay. She presents as a diminutive dynamo, reserved yet welcoming and highly knowledgeable about her craft. To survive and succeed in the male-dominated world of tattoo artistry, is

Jeanette Le Roux has become a familiar face in Linden's buzzy 4th Avenue. As the owner of the popular 'Jeanetics Hairdressing', she welcomes clients with a smile and oodles of industry know-how. Jeanette's hair salon is nestled in a leafy haven amongst trendy coffee and vintage fashion shops. In demand and always working tirelessly to service her clients, Jeanette epitomises the local entrepreneurial spirit. With many years of experience under her belt, she presents the perfe

Hot out of Redbrick's Kitchen is our popular, 'Spicy Veggie Breyani'. This meal is completely 'Vegan-Friendly' and very economical. If you've ever wanted to learn how to make a curry or masala-based dish, then watch our latest video on YouTube https://youtu.be/BhM2_TrZuhc The growing demand for plant-based meals, makes this an ideal choice for a wholesome and satisfying meal that serves x8 people. This recipe makes x2 large foil trays of breyani, pop one in the freezer and th

Clarens The ‘weekend getaway’ for the artist is more than just some time away from the city. It’s the perfect opportunity to immerse oneself in a different place, culture and lifestyle. If the place happens to be the ‘postcard’ town of Clarens, then the experience is bound to be ‘other-worldly’ and inspirational. A simple but cosy stone cottage nestled in the foothills provided the perfect haven from which to explore hiking trails, local restaurants and quaint stores brimming

Our fun and relaxed craft workshops go down a treat with both parents and kids. Spend a creative two hours with snack breaks in our studio making these beautiful, collectible painted - succulent pots. All skill levels welcome, amazing results are guaranteed, as you can see from our cover photo above. Apart from having a little pet cactus to take home, that will never need watering, here are some art skills that we have snuck in: Working with a 3D form (rock/pebble) Layering c

The Redbrick Artspace' kitchen presents our new culinary brand 'The Indian Vegan'. We pay homage to the traditional vegetable breyani with a twist. Delicate basmati rice, fresh vegetables, roast potatoes, lentils and caramalised onions, all simmered in fragrant spices. Food becomes art when our saffron infused, slow baked flavour coats every grain of rice. This is by no means take-out, rather a nutritious, delicious, home-cooked meal, from our kitchen to your table. Make our

Meeting the Client RedBrick Artspace was commissioned by GreenHeart Yoga & Meditation to design and implement a mural in keeping with their brand spirit and ethos. Founder and owner, Michelle-Karen Leicher recently moved her yoga studio to the Linden area and is in the midst of refurbishing her beautiful home to suit both outdoor and studio yoga sessions. As always, I’m taking you through the design journey, and we can even learn a bit about the client and her vision for her

Painting from a Photographic Reference This article is a short prequel to a detailed tutorial to follow on painting from a photograph. I will share my methodology on getting your preliminary drawing accurate, scaling up, applying oil paints, choosing colours and finishing details. The sitter is my daughter Jodie and she starts her career as a tattoo artist this year. To commemorate her achievements I wanted to paint a portrait that reflects her determination, beauty, strength

The Green Rookie Whether you consider yourself a ‘Green rookie’ like myself or a ‘Garden Pundit’, we all need a special little corner to pot up nature’s beautiful creations. I’ve always used nature as a source of inspiration for my art, which entailed observing organic forms, colours and shapes for drawing and painting. It's only recently that I began to see the therapeutic effects of getting my hands dirty and actually planting and growing things. The tactility and sensory b

Living Walls at Circa Whether referred to as Vertical gardens or Living walls, it seems they are very much in vogue and very sought after by garden fanatics and green rookies alike. Corporates and museums in Johannesburg latched on to the trend a few years back and now boast some beautiful examples, my favourite being the Circa Gallery on Jelicoe Avenue in Rosebank. The gallery has become somewhat of an architectural landmark on the Keyes Art Mile, with its strong vertical li

The Bays at Redbrick The beautiful Bay tree (Laurus nobilus) , has been serving us well gastronomically for many years. It’s leaves added either dried or fresh to stews and curries adds a deep fragrant note that cannot be duplicated by any other herb. I am lucky enough to have three mature trees in the garden, their upwardly sweeping branches of dark green foliage reminds me of my visit to Italy. Through most of Europe, Bay trees can be seen growing in public gardens as ornam

Pasco’s Story Our fur baby Pasco, born 13 May 2009, turned 11 this year, and he is a very special character in our life’s story. He was a gift to my daughter Jodie on her 10th birthday and she was lucky enough to celebrate her 21st birthday with him last year. Jodie and Pasco share an unbreakable bond and have been besties through all the types of ‘weather’ that life could throw at an adolescent. As the only child and only dog, their pairing was destined for a life time of be

Lockdown Blues or Sweet Isolation? My green conservatory project continued during the Lockdown and gave me something positive to focus on during a time of fear, mourning and uncertainty. My family put on brave faces and we respected each others personal space, but as the months passed it became difficult to remain positive. We all felt fortunate that we live in a lovely home with plenty of pace, but after a few weeks into the lockdown, cabin fever began to settle in. My go-to

Taking the Good with the Bad I am extremely proud of the outcome of my green space, hope you have enjoyed reading about how I conceptualised my initial ideas (see https://www.redbrickartspace.co.za/post/conceptualising-a-green-space) I will post a series of detailed blogs and videos that will focus on individual projects like the Mosaic Table, Living Wall and Potting Table etc. So watch this space!!! I started this project in 2019 and my goal was to recycle items to keep cost

Choosing the subject matter I recently completed a kitchen conservatory ‘green space’ which I filled with plants and hanging baskets. Using recycled items to reduce cost and environmental waste was my key aim for the project. See my blog entitled ‘Conceptualising a Green Space’ for details about my process and end result. On completion of the space, I took a few photo’s to capture some beautiful moments when the light was just right. Upon reviewing these shots I came upon the

The conceptual process often begins with a picture in a magazine, a walk through your local garden centre or perhaps a traipse through Pinterest. The image above was a display in a lifestyle centre. What started as a random photo on my phone emanated into many months of creative endevours focused toward a beautiful, peaceful, green sanctuary. I knew the space wouldn't look exactly like my inspiration image, but that should never be the intention when embarking on a new projec