Elise Bodley

Photo by Annari van der Merwe

1921 - 1997

Botanical artist
Head of the P J Olivier Art Centre in Stellenbosch from 1952 to 1953

The daughter of Elizabeth Bodley and Thomas Waller, Elise Bodley was born on ... 1921 in Paarl. She produced her first botanical paintings at the age of 9 from flowers collected at Bain's Kloof. After matriculation from La Rochelle in Paarl, she began her study of art at the Mowbray Teacher's Training College in Cape Town. She declined an offer to work as botanical artist at the National Herbarium, Pretoria in 1946, to continue her art studies at the Royal Academy in Stockholm, Sweden. After her return to South Africa two years later she began her teaching career. She was principal of the Hugo Naudé Art Center in Worcester, principal of Stellenbosch Art Center, an art lecturer at Cape Town Trainings Center and at the Tygerberg Technical College.
She retired from teaching in 1980 and began her second career as a botanical artist in earnest. She provided illustrations for books on the flora of South Africa and took part in 8 solo exhibitions and at least 20 group exhibitions in various countries. Her work was exhibited by the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation in 1988, the Audubon Naturalist Society and by the Naturalist Center at the Smithonian Museum of Natural History, in 1989. Latest exhibitions in Stellenbosch, August/September 2013: SASOL Museum and The PJ Olivier Art Centre (honouring their first principal during the 60 years anniversary celebration)
Elise Botha once said that she did not call herself an artist, but rather an illustrator, because she did not work for the sake of art, but to "serve botany". She was a modest person, but undeniably a great artist, too. She was married to the artist Appie van Wyk and they had 2 daughters (both of them professional artists) and a son (Ben-Erik van Wyk, a professor in botany at the University of Johannesburg ).
Elise Bodley died at her home in Bellville on 4 August 1997.

Publications include:

Elise Bodley Exhibition

7 - 19 September 2013
The PJ Olivier Art Institute 60th Birthday function celebrated their first principal, the late Elise Bodley, with an exhibition of her superb botanical paintings.

Click for enlargements

Nelis Koegelenberg, head of P.J.Olivier Art Centre	Ted Oliver, president of the Botanical Society of South Africa, was the speaker at the opening	Mariana van Wyk, Francois Cronje and ?
Ortrud and Hans Pakendof	Leucadendron salignum	Leucadendron discolor
Satyrium carneum, Satyrium coriifolium, Satyrium princeps	Various types of xerophytic plants	Stapelia gigantea, Stapelia leendertziae

A day to celebrate with a market and good food. And the very special recital of the Italian flutist Fernando Fracassi.
Photos: © Stefan Smit, owner of Louisenhof Winefarm, who donated the excellent wine served at the exhibition.

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