09 Nov 2017

Twenty one-year-old Goitseone Kgosithebe, a fine art and pencil portrait artist has had to endure a painful, not so fine and easy upbringing to become a force to reckon with in pencil drawing.

Spencil, as he is popularly known started shading during his primary school days where he participated in art competitions.

“My primary school teacher after seeing my capabilities pushed me into fine art and I have never looked back ever since,” Spencil said.

At junior school Spencil was introduced to painting and sculpting and through dedication and passion, he was able to assist the junior school form 3 students with their final works.

The Mmadinare lad sharpened his technique when he reached senior secondary school. “Through my drawings I aspire to inspire other young people, “he said.

An accounting student at Botho University, Spencil said he believed in getting the best of both worlds by pushing his artistic passion and school work.

He said with exposure laid a great future in art since his artworks received massive feedback from social media advertising, forcing him to open a Facebook account ‘Trust a pencil’.

Spencil said his artwork was his voice and hoped it would help him get world recognition adding that he was inspired by his surroundings and the challenges his mother went through in bringing him up.

“Normally I listen to songs with inspirational messages, capture a line and imagine it as an image before I start drawing,” he said.

After showing off one of his well-crafted, artwork of an emotionally charged mother carrying a crying baby on her lap, Spencil narrated the battles his mother went through to ensure he went school, that was after he was supposed to go through a surgery which the mother declined because she thought it risky.

He said the artwork, one of his most treasured depicted the challenges and pains mother and son endured in life.

“I release my tears through my pencil, through this artwork I wanted to say, mum, I understand all the pain you went through to provide not just for me but our entire extended family,” he said.

He said though his mother was not loaded, she sponsored all his artworks and does everything to assist him. Spencil said Batswana appreciated art gave feedback by buying locally produced artworks.

He said he had decided to use art exhibitions to showcase his works, noting that he would be exhibiting at The Best In Us Art Exhibition to be held in Selebi Phikwe on December 9. ENDS