Eerstewater, oil on board, Louis Hiemstra, 580 x 430, R4725

Nona Rosa, oil on board, Louis Hiemstra, 700 x 540, R6300

Louis (MBChB, MPraxMed, MFGP) FWSSA practised as a general practitioner for 10 years and then as senior lecturer associate professor at the School of Medicine, Bloemfontein for 25 years, while simultaneously practising art actively as a hobby. He has since turned his art into a new profession.

Cartooning, which started at school, was initially the main focus for many years to come. Louis was the appointed cartoonist of the University Newspaper whily studying in Pretoria , and is now the author of a weekly comic strip for the Volksblad daily newspaper in Bloemfontein . He is well known locally for his FunART signage !

He added more formal painting to his skills since the late seventies and has since exhibited in many national and other exhibitions. His paintings can be seen all over the country and in overseas homes. He is now a Fellow of the Watercolour Society of SA and still partakes in National exhibitions. He occasionally serves as selector of national exhibitions of the WSSA. He also paints in other favourite media. To these he added book illustrations of which 4 books with illustrations have been published.

Louis is the eldest of six children of the late General R C Hiemstra who was previously the Head of the Armed Forces. His uncle Louis Wybren is the very well known author of the bilingual dictionary, and previously editor of the Volksblad, while Victor was a well known Judge and author of a handbook in Law. His wife Ann, and their 4 sons, all have a keen interest in art and supports dad in his art.