Complementary – Oil Painting by Cornelie Wolff

Complementary – Oil Painting

Dimensions: 400mm x 400 mm x 40 mm

Medium: Oil

Unveil the magnetic allure of “Complementary,” an oil painting by Cornelie Wolff. This isn’t just a portrait; it’s a profound study in colour theory and emotion, rendered with such dynamic contrast and exquisite artistry that it feels alive with an electric, captivating energy.

Wolff’s brushwork masterfully plays with the powerful tension between warm and cool tones, creating an artwork that is both striking and deeply evocative.

With every masterful stroke of rich oil, Wolff crafts a mesmerising symphony of complementary hues. The subject is bathed in a cool, otherworldly blue, while their hair and skin are kissed by a fiery orange light.

This brilliant contrast isn’t just a visual trick; it’s a powerful statement, highlighting the contours of the face and the delicate lift of the chin as if the subject is drinking in a moment of pure, luminous ecstasy.

The soft glow on the collarbone and the gentle curve of the lips add a layer of serene grace, even amidst the dramatic lighting. The dark, atmospheric background allows the figure to emerge with a brilliant intensity, making the entire composition a powerful ode to light, colour, and quiet triumph.

Oil Painting

Cornelie Wolff Approaching Art from a Different Angle

This Johannesburg-based artist started as a pharmacist.  After completing her Honours Degree in Psychology, she joined Helios to further her skills in Art Therapy.   During this time, she fell in love with art, the process and the emotional power it yields.

While raising her family, which consisted of three young children, she took part-time classes with Rika de Klerk and Willie Jacobs.  She also attended workshops led by Koos Bronkhorst, Niel Moss, Willie Jacobs, Rentia Coetzee, Ruth Walters, Elize Bezuidenhout, Douw van Heerden, Charla Maarschalk, and Jennifer McChristian.

Today, she practices what she preaches by creating her work under the motto: “With every painting I complete, I grow as a person and an artist.”

My art is created from a place of wonder – it is my dream for every human to never completely lose the child inside them, because it is our ability to see wonder and magic in things.  I use bold brushstrokes, contrast and an impressionistic approach to entice the viewer to create their own interpretation of the subject and become part of my world.